How long and how hard is the Kamala Hillside Trail?

It is a 7.9 km out-and-back with about 373 m of gentle climbing on dirt roads, graded easy, and takes roughly two hours on foot. On a bike it is an easy, flowing spin rather than technical single-track.

Where does the trail lead?

It heads up the Kamala hillside on green dirt roads that, on most map apps, continue toward the hilltop between Kamala and Ban Manik Dam. This recording is an out-and-back exploration of that network.

When is the best time to ride it?

The drier months from November to April keep the dirt roads firm. In the green season the tracks get muddy and slick. Go in the morning for cooler air.

It starts from a viewpoint on the coastal road north of Kamala, behind the first lookout. Follow the GPS track, as the dirt-road junctions are not signposted.

Kamala Hillside: An Easy Phuket Enduro Trail & GPS

Q: Can you follow the dirt road all the way through?

Not always. The direct dirt road is blocked where it passes the FantaSea site, so the route takes a track from the coastal road behind the first viewpoint instead. The area east of the fence is being cleared, so access can change.

The Kamala Hillside Trail is an easy dirt-road spin on the green hills north of Kamala in western Phuket, running up from the coastal road toward the hilltop between Kamala and Ban Manik Dam. It is a real, GPS-recorded 7.9 km out-and-back on the kind of forest dirt road that makes for a relaxed Kamala enduro ride: gentle climbs, open tracks and hardly anyone about. It is also perfectly walkable if you would rather hike it.

Access is changing here. The direct dirt road behind FantaSea is blocked, so this route takes a track from the coastal road behind the first viewpoint. The land east of the FantaSea fence is being cleared, so expect the access and the ground to change over time. Carry the GPS track.

Riding and hiking it

The route is graded easy, both to ride and to walk.

For enduro riders, it is a gentle, flowing dirt-road spin with easy climbing, a good warm-up ride or a relaxed day in the Kamala hills.
For hikers, it is a straightforward forest walk with a bit of up and down and quiet views.

You can log your own time by category on the leaderboard further down the page. If you need a bike, Phuket CRF Off-Road & Enduro Rentals hires dual-sports for this terrain, and Kamala Gym nearby has a cold plunge and sauna to recover afterwards.

The route and terrain

From the coastal-road viewpoint north of Kamala, the track climbs into the trees on green dirt road. On most map apps this network continues up toward the hilltop between Kamala and Ban Manik Dam and on toward the lakes in the hills, so there is plenty to explore. This particular recording turns back rather than completing a full loop, so treat the GPS track as one good line through a bigger web of dirt roads. Use the elevation profile above to see the gentle climbs.

Best time to go

November to April (drier months): the best window, with firm dirt roads.
The green season: the tracks get muddy and the open hillside is hot.

Go in the morning, carry water, and check the live rain radar and forecast further down this page before you set out.

Getting to the trailhead

The route starts from a viewpoint on the coastal road north of Kamala, behind the first lookout on the way toward Surin. From Kamala Beach it is about 5 minutes by car or scooter, and from Patong or Surin roughly 15 minutes. Park near the viewpoint and follow the GPS track.

Nearby

This is the western end of the same hill network as the Ban Manik Hill Loop 2 and Loop 3, and the longer Kamala to Bang Niau Dam route starts nearby. For the wider picture, see our Enduro in Phuket guide.