How long and how hard is the Kamala to Bang Niau Dam route?

It is a 16.6 km out-and-back with about 713 m of climbing, graded difficult, and took the recorder over six hours. It is a full-day effort with lots of hike-a-bike if you ride it.

Is the trail easy to follow?

No. The recorder describes it as a challenging route that is not visible in some sections and very rough. Carry the GPS track and an offline map, and be ready to backtrack.

What will I see along the way?

It starts at the Kamala waterfall zone and passes a jungle hut, a rustic bridge and a river, with real wildlife including snakes such as the oriental whip snake. Give any snakes room and keep your distance.

When is the best time to go?

Only in the dry season, roughly December to April, when the faint trail is a little clearer and the river crossings are lower. Allow a full day and start early.

It starts at the Kamala waterfall zone, on the trail to the left of the car park. Follow the GPS track closely, as the path is faint in places.

Kamala to Bang Niau Dam: A Tough Phuket Enduro Ride

Kamala to Bang Niau Dam is a long, tough jungle route in the hills above Kamala in western Phuket, running from the Kamala waterfall zone deep into the forest toward Bang Niau Dam and back. It is a real, GPS-recorded 16.6 km out-and-back with 713 m of climbing, and it is the most serious route in this cluster: rough, faint in places and a genuine full-day effort. For Bang Niau Dam adventurers on foot or on a capable bike, it is as wild as Phuket riding gets.

A serious adventure route. The recorder calls it a challenging trail that is not visible in some sections and very rough. Expect faint paths, a rustic bridge, river crossings and real wildlife, including snakes such as the oriental whip snake. Go only in the dry season, carry the GPS track, allow a full day, and be ready to turn back.

Riding and hiking it

The route is graded hard, for its length, its climbing and its rough, faint character.

For enduro riders, it is an all-day backcountry expedition with long stretches of hike-a-bike where the trail disappears, best for very experienced, self-sufficient riders.
For hikers, it is a demanding six-hour-plus trek through remote jungle, with waterfall, river and jungle-hut scenery along the way.

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

The route leaves the Kamala waterfall zone on the trail to the left of the car park and works deep into the jungle toward Bang Niau Dam. Along the way it passes flora and fauna, a jungle hut, a rustic bridge and a river, with several faint and overgrown sections where the path is hard to find. Use the elevation profile above to gauge the effort, and treat the GPS track as essential rather than optional.

Best time to go

December to April (dry season): the only sensible window, when the faint trail is clearer and the river is lower.
The green season: avoid it; the jungle grows over the path and the river crossings rise.

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

Getting to the trailhead

The route starts at the Kamala waterfall zone, on the trail to the left of the car park. From Kamala Beach it is about 10 minutes by car or scooter, and from Patong or Surin roughly 20 minutes. Park at the falls and follow the GPS track closely, as the path is faint in places.

Nearby

This route starts near the same Kamala hills as the easier Kamala Hillside Trail and the Ban Manik Hill Loop 2. See our Enduro in Phuket guide for the wider picture, and Kamala Gym for a cold plunge afterwards.