What a first jeep safari actually is
The word safari raises pictures the day does not contain. No wildlife is promised and there is nothing to drive: a convoy of open-top jeeps leaves the resort coast in the morning, climbs into the Taurus foothills on asphalt that soon gives way to dirt, and spends the day on mountain tracks, in dry riverbeds and through shallow water. Each jeep has a professional driver and 8-10 guests aboard; guests never drive.
The stops are the point as much as the driving: a viewpoint, a village stop, a river, lake or stream to swim or wade in, and lunch beside the water. In summer the jeeps fight each other with water at the river stops and everyone in an open vehicle gets wet; in winter the fleet switches to covered jeeps and the water games stop. The whole day runs approximately 7 hours out of Belek, the Antalya city belt and Kemer, and approximately 8 out of Side and Alanya. The complete guide to the day sets out the shape of it belt by belt.
The one caution that matters: your back and neck
Rough tracks are the reason the day is not recommended for pregnant guests or for anyone with a back or neck problem, and that caution is the same on every belt. The jolts of dirt track, dry riverbed and river crossing go on for hours, and holding on is part of the ride. If you have a condition that a bumpy road makes worse, this is not the day for it, whatever your age.
If you are unsure, say so before boarding rather than after the first riverbed. Tell the driver on the morning, or write to +90 536 603 75 84 on WhatsApp before you reserve; we will describe the tracks honestly rather than talk you onto a day you will regret.
What the booking bands say about age
The booking form carries three bands: infants 0-3, children 4-12 and adults 13-99. Nothing in any of the five departures turns a guest away for being older. The deciding question is not the year on your passport but whether a jolting day and a wet summer suit you.
A grandparent travelling with the family goes on the same booking as everyone else; how three generations on one booking are counted, and what the children's bands are, is on the family page.
No belt is gentler, so do not shop for one
It would be convenient to say that one departure is the soft option for a first-timer or an older guest. It is not true and we do not say it. The tracks are rough on the Side lake day, on the Alanya river day and on the Belek, city-belt and Kemer stream days alike; the routes differ in water, lunch setting and length, not in how much the jeep jolts.
Your hotel fixes the belt in any case. Which departure serves your hotel is a matter of address, not preference, and a guest in Kemer cannot ask for the Side day because it looks calmer on paper.
What the day asks of you physically
Climbing into and out of an open jeep several times, sitting upright and holding on over rough ground, taking short walks on uneven paths at the stops, and — if you want it — wading or swimming in cold water. Nothing on the day is compulsory beyond the ride itself: you can stay dry at the stream, skip the swim and keep to the shade at lunch.
Heat is the other factor. Summer departures are open-top and dusty; a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and water are the minimum, and closed shoes that can get wet and dusty matter more than they seem when you are stepping out of a jeep onto a riverbank.
What to bring, and what to leave in the room
The packing list is short and the same on every belt; the only decision is whether you intend to get wet.
- Closed shoes you do not mind getting wet and dusty
- Swimwear under your clothes if you plan to swim or wade; a towel and a full change of clothes either way in summer
- Sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and water
- A waterproof pouch for your phone; leave the good camera in the room or out of the water fights
- Euros in cash for the fare, drinks and any optional stop with an entrance fee
- Any medication you need across a day of approximately 7 or 8 hours
Pickup and the morning
Collection is at your hotel's main entrance gate in the morning, at a time that is fixed per hotel and sent to you once the booking exists. Being at the gate a little early and dressed for the day is the whole of your morning job; how the hotel pickup works belt by belt, including the resorts that are on request only, is on the pickup page.
How to decide, and how to reserve
Decide on three questions: can I sit upright through stretches of jolting rough track, do I have a back or neck problem or a pregnancy that rules the day out, and am I happy to get wet in summer or ride covered in winter. Three honest answers settle it; the belt is settled already by your hotel.
Reserving costs nothing and takes no card — what the reservation asks of you is a hotel, a date and the number of guests, and the fare is paid in euros on the day. Cancellation is free until 24 hours before departure, so a reservation made now can be dropped without cost if the morning does not feel right.
If your hotel is in Lara, Kundu, Konyaaltı or the city centre, you can reserve the Antalya departure from its page.