If there are no sand dunes in Cyprus, then what is a dune buggy doing here? Well, that was my initial reaction when i heard that there was a stall at the Extreme Sports Event, advertising Dune Buggy Safaris. I had seen similar noisy 4-wheel-drive-things on the roads in Limassol and was tempted to try these vehicles out. After mailing/pleading/forcing few other people to accompany me on this safari, I ended up with a group of 6, enough to be accommodated in 3 Dune Buggys.
The rental place was in a remote area in the mountains and the owner, Andreas was an extreme sports enthusiast, with a personal collection of many kinds of mountain bikes. We were given a briefing on the things we were not supposed to do with the cars and were also provided radio kits to be in contact with each other, while on the safari. Andreas would be driving in front of us, as a guide and Kyriakos, his son, would follow us on his mountain bike to make sure that we stay as a group. The vehicles had controls similar to go-karts and pretty noisy. This safari was off-roading at its very best! I had worn a full sleeve t-shirt. I was to later find out that it was wise decision that i had taken, with all the dust flying around!

I had heard about roll-cages on such type of vehicles which prevent injury to the occupants in case the vehicles turn over. Well, I was interested in testing that out. But, unfortunately, neither me nor Vidhya were such bad drivers and we managed to finish the safari in one piece. We had some minor incidents though, with both the other vehicles going out of the roads/tracks (This is supposed to be off-road driving, right!) and had to be lifted back into place.

We had signed-on for the one-hour safari, but we got more than what we asked for. Probably because, according to him, we were the first English speaking clientele he had had and maybe because, he realised the potential customers that Amdocs employees could bring him. We were offered free drinks and also had a break at a tavern, where we were offered juices and coffee. All this could be part of the package if you opt for the longer 3 hour version of the safari. But, in my opinion, the one hour safari is the best.

If you are allergic to dust, I would advise you to avoid this safari, as it can get really dusty. Have a look at my t-shirt above! I was told by Kyriakos that it would be more fun in the winter with all the tracks becoming slushy because of the rains. So, i already have one plan for the coming winter and am looking forward to the rains 🙂

Location: Asgata Village, 15 mins drive from Limassol (not including the roundabouts). Take the Limassol-Larnaca Highway, take the Moni Exit, cross Moni and proceed towards Asgata. As you enter the mountains, you should see the place on the right (The vehicles would be parked close to the road)

Price: It costs 40 Euros per person for the two-hour safari. Two persons can be on a buggy. A break is taken after 30 mins during which the driver and the passenger can exchange places.

Contact: Mr.Andreas on 99-636183.