The passenger fare, route by route
The passenger fare is calculated from the driver's price and is exactly half of it. On the buggy that gives one figure for each of the two route lengths, both on the same course in the Aspendos countryside along the Köprüçay river.
The same halving applies on the quad, where a passenger pays €15 on the short route and €19 on the long one. Whatever you choose, the money changes hands on the day of the tour, in euros. Reserving costs nothing, and we take no card details and no deposit.
- Short buggy safari, 18 km: driver €35, passenger €17.50
- Long buggy safari, 28 km: driver €43, passenger €21.50
Half price is the only reduction
The fare depends on where you sit rather than on how old you are: whoever holds the wheel pays the driver's price, and whoever rides beside them pays half. Children have no rate of their own on this tour, and companions get no discount either.
Nobody travels on a free seat. Every person taking part is counted, and that includes a guest who comes along in the transfer only to watch. When you book for a group, count everybody who will travel with us first, then sort them into drivers and passengers. That way the total you see is the total you pay on the day.
One passenger per buggy
A buggy has two seats, side by side, so it carries one driver and one passenger and nobody else. A couple or two friends share one machine; four people need two buggies, each with its own driver.
From the passenger seat you look at the same track as the driver and get the same forest tracks, dusty open ground and shallow river sections. Mud turns up when conditions allow, though nobody can promise it. You are in the action, just without the steering wheel in your hands.
Your day as a passenger runs exactly like the driver's. There are two sessions, morning and afternoon; the pickup time is confirmed the day before, and the meeting point is the main entrance of your hotel. As an average, the Belek pickup is around 09:20 for the morning session and 14:20 for the afternoon one. From the Belek area the drive to the course takes around 35–40 minutes, depending on the hotel, and the whole programme lasts about 4–4.5 hours hotel to hotel.
When the test ride decides your seat
Ahead of the safari, each would-be driver has to go through a compulsory test ride. Treat it as a real assessment: some people do not get through it. Those who do take their own buggy out for the rest of the tour.
If the test ride does not work out for you, or you simply decide you would sooner not drive, your place becomes the passenger seat. Worth knowing when you book: if someone in your party is unsure about driving, there is a seat for them either way. Drivers must be 16 or older. A licence plays no part, since the whole route stays on private off-road land and never joins a public road.
Younger passengers
In the buggy a younger passenger can ride beside an adult driver, which makes it the machine for families with children under 8. On the quad, by contrast, the passenger sits behind the driver and must be 8 or older.
For children under 4 we do not recommend the ride, because a small child can find it hard to hold on safely. Should you bring a younger child all the same, they are charged like any other passenger. Whichever seat they would take, we also advise against the ride for expectant mothers and for guests troubled by their back or neck.
Kit for the passenger seat
The passenger gets a helmet just like the driver, and the helmet is the only kit supplied. Goggles can be bought at the base; dust masks and bandanas are not provided at all. Passengers end up every bit as dusty as drivers, so old clothes, closed shoes, your own sunglasses and a bandana to pull over your nose and mouth are all worth having.