Meeting a 3-Metre Python: Phuket Enduro with Jacky Malot
This latest instalment of enduro riding in Phuket sees Nicola Vega head into the hills on 17 May 2026 with a familiar face, and the ride quickly turns into one of the more memorable days on the trails. Filmed and published the following day (18 May 2026), the video runs for roughly 18 minutes and captures the sort of outing that keeps regular riders coming back to the island's back country. It is another entry in Nicola Vega's ongoing Phuket riding series, and it delivers a good mix of technical trail work, easy conversation between two capable riders, and one wildlife encounter that neither of them will forget in a hurry.
Riding with Jacky Malot
The guest for this ride is Jacky Malot, a former professional quad (ATV) rider whose racing pedigree is obvious from the moment the wheels start turning. What makes Jacky interesting to watch is how naturally that experience carries across to two wheels. He is just as comfortable on a motorcycle as he ever was on four wheels, reading the terrain, picking clean lines, and keeping a steady, controlled pace where others might get flustered. Watching a rider with a competitive quad background adapt to the balance and body positioning that enduro demands is a small lesson in itself, and it sits at the heart of what makes this particular ride worth your time.
The bikes: CRF250L and CRF300L
The machines on this outing are Honda's CRF250L and CRF300L, two of the most sensible choices for trail work in this part of Thailand. Both are lightweight, forgiving, and easy to manage on loose or technical ground, which is exactly what you want when the surface keeps changing beneath you. They are not big, intimidating bikes, and that is the point: they let the rider focus on line choice and momentum rather than wrestling with weight. If you have been wondering what to ride for this kind of terrain, seeing the CRF250L and CRF300L handled well here is a useful reference point.
Meeting a three-metre python
The standout moment, and the reason for the video's title, is the encounter with a three-metre python resting on the trail. It is a genuine highlight of the ride, and the footage speaks for itself. A snake of that size is a striking reminder that Phuket's jungle is real wildlife habitat, not a manicured park. The riders spotted the python, kept a respectful distance, and let it be. That is the right response. These trails cut through living forest, and the animals that live there were there long before the bikes arrived. Moments like this are part of what gives riding here its character.
What Phuket's terrain is like
Away from the beaches and resorts, the interior of the island is surprisingly green and hilly, with plantation tracks, forest paths, and rooty, root-crossed climbs that reward a careful throttle hand. The going can be dusty in the dry months and slick after rain, so conditions vary from one week to the next. It is terrain that suits a light, capable machine and a rider who is happy to read the ground ahead. If you want a fuller picture of what is on offer, the Phuket trails overview is a good place to start, and the enduro and off-road trails section gathers the routes best suited to this style of riding.
Ride it yourself, and ride it responsibly
If this video makes you want to get out and explore, do it sensibly. Ride within your ability rather than chasing someone else's pace, and build up to the harder sections over time. Respect the wildlife, as the riders did with the python, and give any animal plenty of space. Much of the land here is working plantation or private property, so stay on established tracks and do not trespass. Above all, go with someone who genuinely knows the trails; local knowledge keeps you safe and keeps access open for everyone. For more in this vein, browse the Adventure & Riding collection. It is a fine example of enduro riding in Phuket at its most rewarding, and a good reason to plan your own day out.
