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The Radar Hill Loop is a tough, remote jungle hike in the hills above Bang Wad Reservoir near Ban Na Nai in Kathu, central Phuket. It is a real, GPS-recorded 11.5 km circuit that climbs from the reservoir up past the "Radar Hill" high point at over 500 m and back down, with around 649 m of total climbing. This is the wild, adventurous side of Phuket: no crowds, no ticket booth, and no polished trail. If you want a proper Radar Hill hike with a serious climb and jungle solitude, this is it, but read the warning below first.

This is an adventure route, not a maintained trail. Hikers who have walked it recently report that it has become heavily overgrown since 2022, and that in some sections the path is faint or missing entirely. Treat it as a navigation challenge for experienced, self-sufficient hikers, carry the GPS track, and be ready to turn back. It is not a casual walk.

Who the trail suits

The loop is graded hard, both for the climbing and for the route-finding.

• Experienced hikers who are comfortable following a GPS track through thick jungle, and who enjoy a bit of exploration, will get a rewarding half-day out with real solitude and big views from the top.
• It is not suitable for beginners, casual walkers or families. If you want a clearer, more travelled jungle loop in the same part of Phuket, the Kathu Waterfall Loop is a better first choice.

You can log your own time by category and compare on the leaderboard further down the page.

The route and terrain

The circuit runs a big loop around the Radar Hill massif, starting and finishing near Bang Wad Reservoir. In brief:

• It is a real climb. From about 58 m at the reservoir you work up to just over 500 m at the high point. Walked counter-clockwise, there is a steep roughly 4 km push from the reservoir straight up to 500 m that gets genuinely strenuous near the top. Clockwise spreads the effort out more evenly.
• The surface is raw jungle. Expect faint single-track, old overgrown paths and sections where the trail simply is not there. This is dense forest, not a groomed track.
• The reward is the height. The upper sections open toward the reservoir and the central Phuket hills. Use the elevation profile above to see where the big climb sits.

Best time to hike the Radar Hill Loop

For an overgrown jungle route like this, season matters a lot:

• December to April (dry season): the best window. The ground is firmer, stream lines are low, and the vegetation is a little less rampant, which makes the faint sections easier to follow.
• The green season (roughly June to October): the jungle grows fast and the path becomes even harder to find and slippery underfoot. Not the time to attempt an already-faint trail.

Whenever you go, start early. The climb is long, hot and humid, and you want full daylight in case the route-finding slows you down. Check the live rain radar and forecast further down this page before you set out.

Navigation and safety

This is the part that matters most on this trail:

• Carry the GPS track and an offline map. The jungle canopy kills phone signal and the path is unreliable, so do not rely on spotting a trail on the ground.
• Go with a mindset for exploration. Be prepared to backtrack, and set a firm turnaround time.
• Carry plenty of water and food. There is nothing on the loop: no shops, no cafe, no reliable water.
• Cover up. Long trousers and sleeves help against the overgrowth, mosquitoes and the sun on the exposed top.
• Do not go alone if you can help it, and tell someone your plan.

How to get to the trailhead

The loop starts near Ban Na Nai and Bang Wad Reservoir in Kathu, central Phuket, inland from Phuket Town and the Kathu hills.

• From Kathu or Phuket Town: roughly 15 to 20 minutes by car or scooter to the reservoir area.
• From Patong: about 20 to 25 minutes over the hill.

Park near the reservoir and follow the GPS track from the start point on the map, as there are no signs and the trail junctions are not marked.

Nearby

If the full Radar Hill hike sounds like too much, the Kathu Waterfall Loop nearby is a clearer, better-known jungle circuit. To recover afterwards, KAIF Jungle Club & Spa in Kathu has a sauna, banya and pool day pass.

Riding it: enduro and off-road

The Radar Hill range is classic Phuket enduro country. On a bike this is a serious backcountry ride: nearly 650 m of climbing, faint overgrown singletrack and plenty of hike-a-bike, so it suits experienced riders on a dry day with the GPS track loaded. Do not expect flow: this is an adventure ride, not a groomed trail.

Route from a GPS track recorded by the Wikiloc member 7/11 and shared on Wikiloc. Trail photos are representative Phuket jungle.