The Most Walked Trail in Southeast Asia?

(Reproduced with kind permission of Szymon Szeliski following a new study by online tour operator https://exoticca.com/)

Credit for research  Exoticca.com

• Malaysia dominates the ranking with nine out of 10 best hiking trails in Southeast Asia and earning the top four places
• Bukit Gasing Circular takes the crown for the best hiking trail, scoring 98.39 out of 100 based on ratings and reviews from thousands of hikers
• The study examined ratings, reviews, and popularity of trails across 11 different countries to score each one out of 100 and determine the ranking

A new study by online tour operator Exoticca.com has revealed the most popular hiking trails in Southeast Asia.

The travel specialists ranked paths across 11 countries using AllTrails data, scoring each route based on hiker ratings, review numbers, and popularity to find which trails pull in the most foot traffic and positive feedback.

Malaysian trails took the highest number of top spots in Southeast Asia's rankings, with Bukit Gasing Circular taking first place with a staggering 98.39 points out of 100. This 3.8 km loop near Kuala Lumpur scored a 4.6 average rating from 2,225 reviews and nailed an almost perfect 99.58% popularity score among walkers visiting the urban forest reserve.

Runner-up Bukit Kiara via Changkat Abang Haji Openg earned 96.73 points with 2,147 hikers sharing their experiences. The 4.5 km path links to the third-placed Twin Peaks, Quill Killer, Rock Garden, and Lower Carnival trail (95.06 points), creating a network of highly-rated walking routes surrounding Malaysia's bustling capital city.

Just 2.2 km long, Ketumbar Hill in Kuala Lumpur landed fourth with 93.88 points despite its shorter length. The compact trail earned 4.6 stars from 1,914 reviews and scored an impressive 98.98% popularity rating among those who tackled it.

Thailand finally broke Malaysia's winning streak, with the Wat Pha Lat Hike (Monk's Trail) to Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai placing fifth with 93.24 points. Stretching 7.2 km through mountain terrain, this path mixes outdoor adventure with culture as it leads to a hidden Buddhist temple surrounded by jungle.

Malaysia made yet another appearance in sixth place as Sri Bintang Hill scored 92.07 points. Walkers gave this short 2.2 km trail 4.6 stars across 1,772 reviews, and it achieved a 99.17% popularity score despite measuring much shorter than many other trails on the list.

The Bukit Gasing area proved its charm by appearing twice in the top rankings, with its Fence Trail Loop landing seventh (89.43 points). A total of 1,578 hikers rated this 3.5 km route an average of 4.6 stars.

Tiga Puteri Peak via Merbuk secured eighth place with 88.53 points. Located in Selangor, Malaysia, this challenging 6 km path won praise from 1,503 hikers who gave it a 4.7-star rating.

Malaysia's Mount Datuk in Negeri Sembilan claimed the ninth spot with 87.99 points while carrying the highest difficulty rating of five among top contenders. Brave walkers awarded it a 4.7-star average across 1,448 reviews.

Rounding out the top ten, Taman Tugu's Green, Yellow and White trails scored 86.02 points. This 3.7 km Malaysian circuit attracted 1,304 reviews with a solid 4.7-star average.

On the other end of the scale, Robina Eco Park in Malaysia ranked at the bottom with the lowest score of 56.27. Despite this, the trail still boasts an average rating of 4.4, but with a much smaller number of reviews than the top-ranking trail at 245.

Following closely behind is Bukit Padang Peak via Trail 6, also in Malaysia, with 58.61 points. Like Robina Eco Park, this 3.8 km trail has few reviews at 241, but boasts an average rating of 4.4.

Salah Jalan and Sg Liang earned points of 59.99 and 60.77 and ratings of 4.2 and 4.3, respectively. The two trails, both in Brunei, are 3.7 km long, making them moderately challenging for travelers.

Next is Malaysia's Bukit Mor Track B, with 60.87 points. The 3.3 km trail received 201 reviews and an average rating of 4.4.

A spokesperson from Exoticca.com commented on the study:

"These results highlight the tremendous hiking opportunities across Southeast Asia, with Malaysia proving particularly popular. What stands out is the quality of trails across the region – even those ranking lower in the study still maintain excellent ratings above 4.2 stars.

"The data shows that hikers in Southeast Asia value trails that combine accessibility with natural beauty. Many of the top-rated trails are moderate in difficulty and under 5 km in length, making them achievable for travelers with various fitness levels.

"For travelers planning a Southeast Asian adventure, these rankings provide a valuable starting point for experiencing the region's natural landscapes, from Malaysia's urban forest reserves to Thailand's cultural mountain trails."

ENDS

Credit for research  Exoticca.com

Methodology:

The researchers analyzed three factors at different weightings to calculate a final score out of 100 and therefore rank each trail from the highest to the lowest:

• Average Rating: 20% weighting
• Number of Reviews: 30% weighting
• Popularity: 50% weighting

All trail data was gathered from AllTrails (https://www.alltrails.com/) in 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Trails with less than 200 reviews were excluded from the analysis.

Source: AllTrails - https://www.alltrails.com/