How long and how hard is Ban Manik Hill Loop 2?

It is a 12.2 km loop with about 819 m of climbing and can take four and a half hours or more, so we grade it hard. On a bike it is a serious backcountry ride with plenty of hike-a-bike.

It runs from Green Elephant to Ban Manik Dam, up to a hilltop of around 500 m, and back to Green Elephant, all on dirt and agriculture tracks through the hills inland of Kamala.

Is it a safe, well-formed trail?

No. The recorder found lots of landslides on this loop and wet soil in many areas. Treat it as a demanding adventure route for experienced, self-sufficient riders and hikers, and carry the GPS track.

When is the best time to go?

Only in a dry spell, ideally December to April. After rain the landslide-prone, waterlogged ground makes it dangerous and hard going.

It starts near Green Elephant, close to Ban Manik Dam inland of Kamala. Follow the GPS track, as the tracks are unmarked.

Ban Manik Hill Loop 2: A Big Phuket Enduro Loop

Ban Manik Hill Loop 2 is the big one in the Ban Manik hills inland of Kamala: a real, GPS-recorded 12.2 km loop that climbs from Green Elephant up past Ban Manik Dam to a hilltop of around 500 m and back, with a serious 819 m of total ascent. It is a demanding Ban Manik Dam loop for experienced riders and hikers, on rough dirt and agriculture tracks through remote hills.

A demanding, landslide-prone route. The recorder reported lots of landslides along this loop and wet soil in many areas. This is not a casual outing: it is a long, steep, rough adventure best left to fit, self-sufficient riders and hikers on a dry day, with the GPS track loaded.

Riding and hiking it

The loop is graded hard, for its length, its climbing and the state of the ground.

For enduro riders, it is a proper backcountry epic: big climbing, rough tracks and plenty of hike-a-bike, with real solitude as the reward.
For hikers, it is a long, tough day out at four and a half hours or more, so plan for it.

Log your own time on the leaderboard further down the page. Phuket CRF Off-Road & Enduro Rentals hires the kind of bikes this terrain demands.

The route and terrain

From Green Elephant, the loop climbs to Ban Manik Dam, then up to a hilltop around 500 m before dropping back. The surface is dirt and agriculture track throughout, broken by landslide scars and boggy sections. This is the sort of terrain where the GPS track earns its keep, because the ground changes between visits. Use the elevation profile above to see the size of the climb.

Best time to go

December to April (a dry spell): the only sensible window, when the ground is firmer and the landslide sections are more stable.
After rain: do not attempt it; the waterlogged, landslide-prone ground is dangerous.

Start early, carry plenty of water and food for a long day, and check the live rain radar and forecast further down this page before you set out.

Getting to the trailhead

The loop starts near the Green Elephant sanctuary, close to Ban Manik Dam inland of Kamala. From Kamala it is about 10 minutes by car or scooter, and from Kathu around 20 minutes. Park near Green Elephant and follow the GPS track.

Nearby

The shorter Ban Manik Hill Loop 3 covers the same hills in a smaller circuit, and the Kamala Hillside Trail approaches from the coast. See our Enduro in Phuket guide for more.

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

Conditions

Weather, surface and what to expect underfoot.