Updated: August 2026
A Derawan island tour is a private, guided circuit of the Derawan Archipelago in Berau, East Kalimantan, run over 3 days 2 nights or 4 days 3 nights and priced per person from USD 281 depending on group size and accommodation tier. It is operated by Indonesia Juara, part of Juara Holding Group since 2015, starts and ends at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, and takes a minimum of two participants.
This page covers what the tour actually visits, what it costs per person at every group size, what the figure does and does not cover, how many days you realistically need, and how the itinerary changes between the 3D2N and 4D3N formats. If you want to compare it against the other itineraries we run, the full list sits on our Derawan tour packages category page.
A Derawan island tour is built from nine named destinations
The itinerary is assembled from a fixed pool of nine destinations spread across the archipelago and the Berau mainland coast. Not every trip visits all nine — the number of nights decides how many fit — but every route is drawn from this list, and nothing outside it is quoted as standard.
- Talisayan — the mainland-coast morning where whale sharks gather around fishing platforms.
- Maratua — the largest outer island in the group and the base for over-water stays; see Maratua Island.
- Kakaban — home of the landlocked lake where you swim with stingless jellyfish; see Kakaban Island.
- Sangalaki — the island most associated with manta rays; see Sangalaki Island.
- Goa Halo Tabung — a water-filled cave stop on Maratua.
- Manta Point — the in-water encounter site for manta ray snorkelling.
- Pasir Gusung Sanggalau — a sandbar that appears and disappears with the tide.
- Laguna Kehe Daing — the enclosed lagoon reached through a narrow rock passage on Kakaban.
- Labuan Cermin — the two-layer mirror lake on the mainland side; see Labuan Cermin.
Two of the nine — Talisayan and Labuan Cermin — sit on the Berau mainland rather than in the island group. That single geographic fact is the main reason groups upgrade from 3D2N to 4D3N, because reaching them costs road and boat hours that have to come out of the island days otherwise.
What a Derawan island tour costs per person, by group size
The tour is sold per person, and the per-person figure moves with two variables only: how many people travel together, and whether you take the standard or the premium accommodation tier. Boat charter, guiding and transfers are shared costs, so the price per head falls as the group grows. The figures below are indicative starting points in USD per person for the Private Trip Derawan 3D2N / 4D3N.
| Group size | Standard tier (from, USD per person) | Premium tier (from, USD per person) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 people | 580 | 672 |
| 3 people | 442 | 506 |
| 4 people | 391 | 437 |
| 5 people | 331 | 368 |
| 6 people | 359 | 391 |
| 7 people | 340 | 368 |
| 8 people | 322 | 345 |
| 9 people | 281 | 304 |
| 10 people | 285 | 304 |
Read the table as a range, not as a fixed rate card. A couple starts from USD 580 per person; a group of nine starts from USD 281 per person, the lowest point on the scale. The premium tier adds roughly USD 92 per person for two travellers and narrows to roughly USD 23 per person at nine travellers. The step up at six people is not an error: that is the group size at which a second boat and a second set of rooms enter the arrangement. Every figure is confirmed in writing for your exact dates, group size and tier before anything is booked.
What the per-person figure covers, and what it does not
Being straight about this saves everyone a round of email. The published figure is built around the private-trip format, the accommodation tier you choose, and the ground and sea transport needed to link the destinations on your route.
| Part of the quoted per-person figure | Not part of it |
|---|---|
| Accommodation for 2 or 3 nights at one of the seven listed properties, matched to your tier | Flights into and out of Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) |
| Private boat and land transport between the destinations on your route | Personal spending, extra nights and anything outside the agreed route |
| An Indonesia Juara guide accompanying the group throughout | Certified scuba diving, which is quoted on the separate Derawan diving package |
| Trip documentation — photos of your group during the itinerary | Travel insurance |
| A private departure with your own group only, minimum two participants | Anything not written into the itinerary you approve |
The definitive inclusion list is issued with your written quote, because it varies with route length and tier. If something matters to you — a specific property, a dietary requirement, a fixed departure hour for the Talisayan morning — put it in your first email so it is written into the itinerary rather than assumed.
3D2N or 4D3N: how many days a Derawan island tour needs
Both formats are standard, and the honest answer is that the choice is about geography, not comfort. Three days two nights keeps you inside the island group. Four days three nights is what makes the mainland-side destinations fit without compressing the island days.
| Format | Realistic coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 3D2N (3 days, 2 nights) | The island group: Derawan, Kakaban, Sangalaki, Maratua and the sandbar and lagoon stops | Travellers with tight flight connections who want the headline islands |
| 4D3N (4 days, 3 nights) | The same island group plus the mainland side — Talisayan for whale sharks and Labuan Cermin | First-time visitors who want the whale shark morning and the mirror lake in the same trip |
Longer or custom shapes are quoted on request. Photographers and divers routinely ask for more water time, and groups combining the archipelago with another Indonesian destination sometimes need a different start day. Both are handled as a written custom itinerary rather than a published format — that is what the flexible Derawan trip page is for.
Every Derawan island tour starts and ends at Kalimarau Airport in Berau
Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, East Kalimantan, is the meeting point for the tour and the finishing point too. You arrive there, the guide meets you, and the itinerary begins from the airport. Getting yourself to Berau is the one piece of the journey you arrange, and it connects through the larger Indonesian hubs rather than directly from abroad.
The route options — including the alternative approach through Tarakan — are broken down on our how to get to Derawan Islands guide, with the gateway detail on Derawan via Berau. One practical rule applies regardless of which gateway you pick: confirm the itinerary and dates in writing first, buy the flights second. Domestic schedules into Berau are thinner than into Jakarta or Bali, and a confirmed itinerary tells you which arrival hour actually works.
Where you sleep on a Derawan island tour
Land-based itineraries draw from a working pool of seven properties across the archipelago and the Berau coast: Reza Derawan Resort, Alfit VIP Borneo Cottage, Sienna Resort, Maratua Paradise Resort, Arasatu Villa, Pratasaba Resort and Seheku Paradise. Which one you get depends on your tier, your route and availability on your dates.
The tier changes the accommodation standard — it does not change which destinations you visit. Both tiers run the same nine-destination pool. Compare the properties on our Derawan islands resort guide, or read the dedicated page on Maratua Paradise Resort if an over-water stay on Maratua is the deciding factor for your group. Your specific property is named in the written quote before you pay anything, never left open.
The Derawan island tour season runs April to November
Trips operate in an eight-month window from April to November. That window exists because the itinerary depends on open-water crossings between Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban and Maratua, and those crossings are most reliable in those months. Outside the window the transfers become unpredictable, which is why we publish no fixed departures for December through March.
If your dates sit at the edge of the season — early April or late November — say so in your first message. We will tell you honestly whether the route still holds together on those dates or whether a shorter island-only shape is the safer booking.
Which Derawan itinerary to choose instead
The Derawan island tour is the general-purpose circuit and the right starting point for most first-time visitors. If your trip has a specific centre of gravity, one of the sibling itineraries will serve you better.
| If your priority is | Choose |
|---|---|
| Certified diving rather than surface activity | Derawan diving package, paired with our Derawan dive sites guide |
| Surface-only travel, families, non-divers | Derawan snorkelling tour |
| Covering as many islands as possible | Derawan island hopping tour |
| Maximum water time, no nightly return to a land base | Derawan liveaboard |
| Attaching the archipelago to a Bali or Komodo holiday | Bali to Derawan combined trip |
How to book a Derawan island tour
Send your travel dates, your group size and whether you want the 3D2N or 4D3N format to sales@indonesiajuara.asia. You will get back a written itinerary with the per-person figure for your exact group size and tier, the property named for your dates, the destination list your nights allow, and the inclusion list in full. Indonesia Juara has operated Indonesian archipelago trips under Juara Holding Group since 2015, and the Derawan Archipelago has been part of that programme throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Derawan island tour?
A Derawan island tour is a private guided circuit of the Derawan Archipelago in Berau, East Kalimantan, built from a pool of nine destinations. It runs as a 3D2N or 4D3N itinerary starting and ending at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ), takes a minimum of two participants, and travels as your own group rather than a shared departure with strangers. The route typically links Kakaban, Sangalaki and Maratua, with Talisayan and Labuan Cermin added on the longer format.
How much does a Derawan island tour cost per person?
A Derawan island tour starts from USD 281 per person for a group of nine on the standard tier, and from USD 580 per person for a couple. The figure depends on two things only: how many people travel together, and whether you take the standard or premium accommodation tier. Per-person cost falls as the group grows because the boat, guide and transfers are shared. Every quote is confirmed in writing for your specific dates before booking.
How many days do you need for a Derawan island tour?
Three days and two nights is the shortest workable format, and four days three nights is what most first-time visitors choose. The extra night is what makes the mainland-side destinations fit — Talisayan for whale sharks and the Labuan Cermin mirror lake — without cutting into time in the island group. Custom lengths are quoted on request for divers and photographers who want more water time than either standard format allows.
When is the best time to take a Derawan island tour?
The operating season runs April to November, an eight-month window. Sea conditions on the open crossings between Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban and Maratua are most reliable inside those months, and every itinerary depends on those transfers holding. We publish no fixed departures from December to March. If your dates fall in early April or late November, ask before you buy flights and we will tell you whether the full route still works.
Do you need to be a diver to join a Derawan island tour?
No — the standard Derawan island tour is a surface-based itinerary, and swimming ability plus basic snorkelling is enough. The signature experiences, including the stingless jellyfish lake on Kakaban and manta ray encounters near Sangalaki, are all reachable from the surface. Certified scuba diving is handled separately on the Derawan diving package, so tanks, weights and dive guiding are not assumed inside the per-person figures on this page.
How do you get to the start of a Derawan island tour?
You fly to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, East Kalimantan, where the guide meets your group and the itinerary begins. Berau connects through the larger Indonesian hubs rather than directly from overseas, and schedules are thinner than on major routes. Book flights only after your itinerary and dates are confirmed in writing, so your arrival hour matches the first day of the route rather than working against it.