DISCOVER

Ganh Dau Trail

Hike The Ganh Dau Trail

The Ganh Dau Trail is an extremely popular and easily accessible hiking trail on Phu Quoc Island. At the Ganh Dau Trail visitors can walk, run, and even mountain bike through the lush green Phu Quoc forest. Besides the plenty of flowers, ferns, mushrooms, and other interesting flora that can be found here, the star attraction at the Ganh Dau hiking trail is the “Ancient Tree“.

Map of the Ganh Dau Trail

Ganh Dau Trail

Location: Ganh Dau | Trail Rating: Easy | Distance: 500 m | Map | GPS: 10.35528, 103.87758 | Best months: October to May | Cost/Fee: No cost | Rating: 4/5

discover the ancient tree

The Ganh Dau Trail is located near Ganh Dau Village (Lang Chai Ganh Dau) off Suoi Cai Road, a road that will take you to Rach Vem Village, which is a coastal village within the same commune famous for its sea restaurants. The trail entrance is clearly marked and you can park your motorbike or bicycle next to the Phu Quoc National Park sign.  As of September 2017, there is no entrance fee to access this trail.

Walk, Run, or Mountain Bike In Phu Quoc

The Ganh Dau Trail can be explored by foot, mountain bike, or motorbike. The trails terrain is mostly flat and consists of a mixture of dirt and gravel. The total length of the trail is 5 km but the core section is only 500 m.  It is a one way trail (not looped), which means you have to come back the same way you came in.  At the southern edge of the trail, you will find the boundary to Phu Quoc's Safari Park.

Trail Markers

Currently the forest trail is not maintained nor is it monitored.  Also there are no trail markers here but it is almost impossible to get lost if you just follow the dirt path. If you do get lost, it is likely that you will end up at a Phu Quoc pepper farm. You know when you have reached the end of the trail when the wide main trail breaks off into smaller trails.

Phu Quoc Hiking Tours

The easiest way to discover the Ganh Dau Trail is by joining a tour.  However you can also get here independently by motorbike, bicycle, or by car/jeep.  If you are coming here independently, you can park your car or motorbike for free just outside the trail entrance.

Tips

  • If you are planning on trekking/cycling/motorbiking the Ganh Dau Hiking Trail on your own, please let your hotel/resort know just in case something happens.
  • The Suoi Cai Road is long unpaved red dirt road.
  • Bring enough water with you and fuel up your motorbike before you embark on your adventure. You can do this at Ganh Dau Village.
  • The best time to see wildlife is at dawn and if you are planning on coming up here this early please make sure you bring mosquito/insect repellent with you.
  • During the peak season, you will notice a lot of trash all over the place and this can be quite disconcerting.
  • As always, leave only footprints and take only pictures.

* This trail is very popular with packaged tour groups and with tour agencies selling Phu Quoc ecotourism tours and as such the trail can get crowded at times.

In The Spotlight: Ancient Tree

The Ganh Dau Trail is best experienced at dawn just before sunrise as this is when the wildlife in the area are more active, however there are not a lot of large animals in this section of the Phu Quoc National Forest contrary to what you may have read online.   If you are lucky you may hear cicadas and/or see a Rhesus macaque (monkey), some reptiles, and maybe even a giant black squirrel while hiking this trail but it is highly unlikely. The star attraction here is this “ancient” tree:

hiking phu quoc national park

The Ancient Tree can be found close to the parks entrance and it is a popular spot for taking pictures, selfies, and wedding photos.

How To Get There

Duong Dong Town → Cua Can → Ganh Dau → Suoi Cai Road → Ganh Dau Trail → Rach Vem Village → Bai Thom / Cua Duong → Duong Dong Town / Duong To

To get to the Ganh Dau Trail head up to Ganh Dau commune. The road from Duong Dong Town to Ganh Dau is a major highway on the island and well paved.  It should only take you about 30 minutes to reach this northern area. From Ganh Dauh, follow the paved road until you reach a side dirt road called Suoi Cai Road.  This road is visible on Google Maps making it easy to find.  Follow the road for about 6 km and you will see a large green national park signs and a path marking to entrance to the Ganh Dau trail.