How long and how hard is Ban Manik Hill Loop 3?

It is a 7.6 km loop with about 638 m of climbing, graded moderate, and takes most people around two and three-quarter hours on foot. The climbing is steep for the distance, so on a bike expect some hike-a-bike.

Is the trail easy to follow?

It is an exploratory route that links dirt and agriculture tracks, so it is not a clear marked trail. Carry the GPS track, and be ready to pick your way where tracks fade.

It can be. The recorder found the ground still very wet in many areas, so pick the driest spell you can and expect mud in places even in the dry season.

When is the best time to ride it?

The drier months from December to April are best, when the ground firms up. Avoid it after heavy rain, when the tracks turn to mud.

It starts in the Ban Manik hills inland of Kamala. Follow the GPS track, as this is a network of unmarked dirt and farm tracks rather than a signposted trail.

Ban Manik Hill Loop 3: Phuket Enduro Trail & GPS

Ban Manik Hill Loop 3 is an exploratory dirt-track loop in the Ban Manik hills inland of Kamala, in western Phuket. It is a real, GPS-recorded 7.6 km circuit that links dirt roads and agriculture tracks up to around 400 m and back, with a punchy 638 m of total climbing packed into the distance. This is proper Ban Manik hill loop riding country: quiet, green and a little rough around the edges.

An exploratory route. The recorder built this by linking dirt and agriculture tracks and found the ground still very wet in many areas. It is not a clean marked trail, so carry the GPS track, expect mud, and be ready to pick your way where tracks fade.

Riding and hiking it

The loop is graded moderate, though the climbing is steep for the distance.

For enduro riders, it is a rewarding rough spin through farm and forest tracks, with enough climbing to make it count and some hike-a-bike on the steeper, wetter pitches.
For hikers, it is a quiet, hard-working loop away from the tourist trail.

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

The route and terrain

The circuit works its way through the Ban Manik hills on a web of dirt and agriculture tracks, climbing steadily to the high ground before looping back. Because it stitches together farm tracks, the surface varies from firm dirt road to soft, wet ground, and some connections are faint. Use the elevation profile above to see where the steep pitches sit.

Best time to go

December to April (drier months): the best window, when the ground firms up.
After rain: avoid it, as the agriculture tracks turn to mud fast.

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

Getting to the trailhead

The loop starts in the Ban Manik hills inland of Kamala. From Kamala it is about 10 to 15 minutes by scooter up toward the reservoir hills, and from Kathu roughly 20 minutes. There is informal parking near the start. Follow the GPS track, as this is a web of unmarked farm tracks.

Nearby

This is one of a cluster of Ban Manik routes: the bigger Ban Manik Hill Loop 2 climbs from Green Elephant to a 500 m hilltop, and the Kamala Hillside Trail explores the same hills from the coast. See our Enduro in Phuket guide for the wider picture.

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.