Updated: August 2026
A Derawan liveaboard is a boat-led itinerary through the Derawan Archipelago in Berau, East Kalimantan, run as a private departure from USD 281 per person and built around the same nine destinations that feed every trip we sell, from Sangalaki’s manta rays to Kakaban’s jellyfish lake and the outer reefs of Maratua. Indonesia Juara operates this route as the Private Trip Derawan in 3D2N and 4D3N format, starting and finishing at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, with a minimum of two participants and an operating season of April to November.
This page explains exactly what the liveaboard format means here, what the per-person price covers, what it does not, and how the route differs from the land-based itineraries in our Derawan tour packages category. Read it before you book flights into Berau.
What “Derawan liveaboard” actually means on this route
The honest answer first, because it decides whether this trip is right for you: what Indonesia Juara operates and prices in the Derawan Archipelago is a private boat-based itinerary, not a scheduled cabin-berth vessel with a fixed weekly departure. Your group travels with its own boat, its own guide and its own schedule between the islands, and nights are spent at properties from a fixed accommodation pool rather than in a published cabin plan.
We say this plainly because the word “liveaboard” carries a specific expectation for divers who have done Komodo or Raja Ampat, and we would rather set that expectation correctly than sell you a format we cannot deliver on your dates. If sleeping aboard is genuinely non-negotiable for you, say so in your first email to sales@indonesiajuara.asia and we will tell you honestly what is and is not possible for the dates you have in mind, instead of quoting you something else and hoping you do not notice.
What you do get is the practical benefit divers actually come for: a boat that belongs to your group for the whole trip, a route driven by your interests rather than a fixed group schedule, and no shared departure with strangers. For most divers on a 3D2N or 4D3N window, that is the difference that matters.
Derawan liveaboard prices per person, by group size and tier
Prices below are indicative starting points in USD per person for the Private Trip Derawan 3D2N / 4D3N. They move with exactly two variables: how many people travel together, and whether you take the standard or the premium accommodation tier. Nothing here is a fixed retail price — every figure is confirmed in writing for your specific dates and group size before anything is booked.
| Travellers in the group | 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 |
The logic behind the curve is worth understanding before you email us. Boat charter and guiding are shared costs, so they divide across the group: a couple pays from USD 580 per person, a group of nine pays from USD 281 per person, and that is a difference of roughly USD 299 per head for the same nine destinations. The premium tier adds about USD 92 per person for two travellers and narrows to about USD 23 per person at nine travellers. Crucially, the tier changes where you sleep, not where the boat goes.
Two other numbers matter. The minimum group size is two participants, and the standard formats are 3D2N and 4D3N. Longer shapes for divers and photographers who want more water time are quoted on request rather than published, because the archipelago is spread out and every extra night changes the route materially.
What the Derawan liveaboard price includes, and what it does not
We will not publish an inclusion list we cannot stand behind for every date, so here is the honest structure of it. The definitive, itemised list always arrives with your written quote.
| Included in the per-person figure | Not included |
|---|---|
| Private boat for your group across the itinerary | Flights into and out of Kalimarau Airport (BEJ), Berau |
| Guiding and route coordination | Personal expenses and anything bought ashore |
| Accommodation at your chosen tier, from the property pool below | Travel insurance and dive insurance |
| Land and sea transfers within the confirmed itinerary | Anything added to the route after your quote is confirmed |
On dive-specific items — tanks, weights, rental equipment, certification checks and the number of dives per day — do not assume. Those are confirmed in writing for your group before booking, because they depend on how many certified divers are travelling and which sites the route ends up covering. If you dive, read the Derawan diving package page alongside this one and tell us your certification level in your first message. Recreational limits apply as normal: 18 m for entry-level certification, 30 m for advanced, and the guide sets the profile on the day.
The nine destinations a Derawan liveaboard route is built from
Every itinerary we run in the archipelago is assembled from the same pool of nine destinations. A liveaboard-style route linking Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban and Maratua will draw most of them, and the number of nights decides how many realistically fit.
- Talisayan — the whale shark morning on the Berau mainland side, covered in detail on our Talisayan whale shark tour page
- Maratua Island — the outer atoll, and the reason most divers extend the trip
- Kakaban Island — the stingless jellyfish lake, a surface-depth snorkel experience that needs no certification
- Sangalaki Island — manta ray territory, and the site behind our manta ray snorkelling page
- Goa Halo Tabung — the cave stop on the Maratua side
- Manta Point — the dedicated manta encounter site
- Pasir Gusung Sanggalau — the sandbar stop
- Laguna Kehe Daing — the enclosed lagoon
- Labuan Cermin — the two-layer mirror lake, again on the mainland side
Two of the nine sit on the Berau coast rather than in the island group. That single fact is why most groups upgrade from 3D2N to 4D3N: adding Talisayan and Labuan Cermin to a three-day window means compressing the island days, and the island days are what you came for. The full underwater site list is on our Derawan dive sites guide, and the surface-only version is on Derawan snorkelling spots.
How many days a Derawan liveaboard itinerary needs
| Format | Realistic coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 3D2N | The island group — Derawan, Kakaban, Sangalaki and part of Maratua | Short windows, first visits, travellers on tight domestic flight connections |
| 4D3N | The island group plus the mainland-side pair, Talisayan and Labuan Cermin | Most groups; whale sharks and the mirror lake without squeezing the island days |
| Custom, longer | Quoted on request | Certified divers and photographers who want repeat visits to the same sites |
If breadth rather than depth is your goal, the Derawan island hopping tour chains the same islands with less water time per site. If you want the itinerary written entirely around your own dates and interests, start from the Derawan trip page instead.
The Derawan liveaboard season runs April to November
Trips operate in an eight-month window from April to November. That window exists because the entire route depends on open-water crossings between Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban and Maratua, and outside those months the crossings become unpredictable. We do not publish fixed departures for December to March for that reason. If your dates fall at the edge of the season — early April or late November — tell us before you book flights and we will give you a straight answer on whether the route still works.
Where you sleep on a Derawan boat-based trip
Nights are spent at properties from a fixed working pool 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, and it is always named in writing before you pay anything.
We deliberately do not publish room counts, star ratings or facility lists for these properties, because those change and we will not guess. Compare them on our Derawan islands resort guide, or read the dedicated page on Maratua Paradise Resort if an over-water stay on the outer atoll is what you are picturing.
Getting to the start point at Kalimarau Airport, Berau
Every Derawan itinerary meets and ends at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, East Kalimantan. Flights into Berau connect through the larger Indonesian hubs, and the routing options are broken down on our how to get to Derawan Islands page, with the two gateway comparisons on Derawan via Berau and Derawan via Tarakan. The rule is simple and we repeat it to every guest: confirm your itinerary in writing first, book flights second. Never the other way round.
How to get a Derawan liveaboard quote
Send your travel dates, your group size, your certification level if you dive, and whether you want the standard or premium tier to sales@indonesiajuara.asia. You will get back a written itinerary with the per-person figure for your exact group size, the property shortlist for your dates, and an itemised list of what is and is not included. Indonesia Juara has operated Indonesian archipelago trips under Juara Holding Group since 2015, and every Derawan departure is private, with a minimum of two participants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Derawan liveaboard cost per person?
A private Derawan boat-based trip 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 variables only: group size and accommodation tier. Per-person cost falls as the group grows because the boat and guiding are shared costs, which is why nine travellers pay roughly USD 299 less per head than two. Every quote is confirmed in writing for your exact dates before booking.
Is there a real liveaboard vessel operating in the Derawan Archipelago?
What Indonesia Juara operates and prices in Derawan is a private boat-based itinerary with nights ashore, not a scheduled cabin-berth liveaboard with fixed weekly departures. Your group has its own boat, guide and schedule across the route, and sleeps at properties from a fixed pool. We state this openly because divers coming from Komodo or Raja Ampat expect something different from the word. If sleeping aboard is essential to you, email us before booking and we will answer honestly for your dates.
Which islands does a Derawan liveaboard route cover?
The route is built from nine destinations: Talisayan, Maratua, Kakaban, Sangalaki, Goa Halo Tabung, Manta Point, Pasir Gusung Sanggalau, Laguna Kehe Daing and Labuan Cermin. A boat-based itinerary linking Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban and Maratua draws most of them. Two of the nine sit on the Berau mainland side rather than in the island group, which is the main reason groups choose the 4D3N format over 3D2N.
When is the best time for a Derawan liveaboard trip?
The Derawan 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 in those months, and the whole route depends on those crossings. We do not publish fixed departures from December to March. If your dates fall in early April or late November, ask us before booking flights and we will tell you whether the full route is realistic.
Do I need to be a certified diver to join?
No — Kakaban’s stingless jellyfish lake and the manta encounters at Sangalaki are surface experiences that need no certification at all. Certified divers follow normal recreational limits, 18 m for entry-level and 30 m for advanced, with the guide setting the profile on the day. Tell us your certification level in your first email so the route, the dive plan and any equipment arrangements are quoted correctly rather than assumed.
What is not included in the Derawan trip price?
Flights into and out of Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau are not included, and neither are personal expenses, travel or dive insurance, or anything added to the route after your quote is confirmed. Dive-specific items such as tanks, rental equipment and the number of dives per day are confirmed in writing per group rather than published here, because they depend on how many certified divers travel. Your written quote carries the itemised list.