What "safe" means here — and what we do not claim
Safety on an off-road buggy is not a promise that nothing can ever happen. It is a sequence of steps that every group goes through in the same order, so that nobody reaches the main track without knowing the vehicle, the rules and the people around them. This page describes that sequence exactly as it runs at the base.
What you will not find here is a statistic, a certificate or a line that begins with "our guests tell us". We publish none of those. What we can stand behind is procedure: briefing, practice drive, helmet, guide — the same for the buggy safari, the quad safari and the family buggy safari.
The information briefing: you know the vehicle before you start it
The day begins with arrival and registration at the base, where drivers show ID as proof of age — drivers are 16 or over. Then comes the information briefing, given to the whole group before anyone sits in a vehicle.
It covers the vehicle itself and how it behaves, the controls, the route and what the ground is like, how the group is organised, the activity rules, the basic driving procedures — starting, stopping, turning, slowing — and what to expect: dust, mud, uneven ground and the water-splash stops. The buggy is automatic, a wheel and pedals; the quad has handlebars and a throttle. Both are explained at the vehicle, not from a slide.
The safety briefing: ten topics, the same for every group
The safety briefing is separate from the information briefing and comes straight after it. It is short, in plain language, and the guide gives it to first-timers and regulars alike, because on the track everyone rides by the same rules. It covers ten things:
- Safety rules on the course
- Vehicle controls, including how to stop
- Following the guide — nobody overtakes the lead
- Safe distance to the vehicle in front
- Overtaking rules
- Stopping rules and where the group waits
- Emergency procedures — what to do and who to signal
- Appropriate speed for the ground and the group
- Group organisation on the track
- Protective equipment — the helmet stays on
Helmet, practice drive and the guide's final say
A helmet is provided, included in the price and worn for the whole safari — it is not optional and it is not an extra. Goggles and a bandana are the two optional extras against the dust; they are sold at the base, or you bring your own. On your feet, closed shoes: flip-flops are not suitable for off-road driving.
Then the practice drive. Every driver takes a supervised practice drive before the main safari, on the vehicle they will actually drive. This is where the guide sees whether you brake in time, hold a line and keep your distance. No driving licence is required — the safari runs on a private off-road course, not on public roads. What qualifies you to drive is the briefing and the practice drive, not a document. The guide assesses every driver and has the final say. Anyone who would rather not drive, or whom the guide does not clear, rides the same route as a passenger — nobody's day is over.
On the track: the guide leads, the group follows
The main safari runs as a convoy with the guide in front, at the pace of the group. Nobody overtakes the lead, everyone keeps the distance agreed in the briefing, and the group stops where the guide stops — including at the water-splash stops and the small stream crossings. Of the roughly 4–4.5 hours door to door, the driving is the 18 km route; the rest is the hotel transfer, the briefings, the practice drive and the showers at the base afterwards.
The terrain is forest tracks and dirt roads with dust, mud and uneven ground. Conditions change from day to day and we do not promise a particular amount of mud or water — only that the route is driven the way the briefing described it.
Who should not join — please read this before you book
Off-road buggies and quads shake, bounce and get wet. Please sit this one out, or message us before booking, if you are pregnant, have back or neck problems, have had recent surgery or have a heart condition. For back or neck issues the passenger seat is the gentler option, but the vehicle still shakes — ask us first. Anyone who has been drinking alcohol or has taken drugs does not take part, as driver or as passenger.
Children aged 6–10 ride as passengers with an adult on the quad safari and the family buggy safari; children under 6 cannot take part, and there is no infant seat. Anyone aged 11 or over pays the adult fare, driving or not. Your hotel transfer is included, and your pickup time is confirmed with the booking — it depends on your hotel and the route. If you are unsure whether the day suits you, message us before you book: a person answers, and would rather say so now than at the base.