Open Trip Derawan 4D3N
USD 280 per person
- VIP USD 300 per person
- Minimum 7 guests
- Meet at Kalimarau (BEJ)
- Standard water cottage
- Single room +USD 60
Tour Packages · Snorkelling
Derawan snorkelling tour, all at the surface
Stingless jellyfish at Kakaban, mantas at Sangalaki, green turtles and whale sharks, all within one private multi-day trip from Berau. No dive certificate needed.
- Destinations
- 13
- Formats
- 3D2N · 4D3N
- Minimum travellers
- 2
- Best season
- Apr – Nov
The format
A private trip, not a shared departure
The boat, the guide and the daily running order belong to your group alone: no shared manifest and no fixed departure day. It runs with as few as 2 people, and larger groups pay less each.
Mantas, stingless jellyfish, green turtles and whale sharks are all within reach of the same multi-day trip, and this version keeps every stop at surface level so non-divers lose nothing.
It suits confident swimmers, families with older children and photographers. It is the wrong product for non-swimmers, and for certified divers who want Maratua's channel walls.
Trip costs
What a Derawan snorkelling tour costs
A private trip is priced by the stay you choose and falls per person as the group grows. These are starting rates: the quotation depends on the trip length, the stay and your group size.
Flights to Berau (BEJ) are not included. Groups of six or more should book early: the group price only holds if boat and rooms are free.
Inclusions
What the price covers and what it does not
If an inclusion matters to you, ask for it to be written into the quotation before you pay.
Included
- Car transfer Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) ↔ Tanjung Batu
- Private speedboat for the snorkelling days
- Water cottage or resort
- Meals: 6 on 3D2N, 9 on 4D3N
- Snorkel kit: mask, snorkel, life jacket
- Guide and documentation
- Travel insurance and entrance fees
Not included
- Flights to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ), Berau
- Fins
- Scuba diving, tanks and dive guiding
- Tips and personal spending
Where you snorkel
The 13 stops on a Derawan snorkelling tour
The running order is set by tide and weather, not a printed schedule, and is confirmed on your itinerary.
| Site | What you see at the surface |
|---|---|
| Kakaban | The jellyfish lake: four species of stingless jellyfish in a landlocked marine lake |
| Laguna Kehe Daing | A hidden lagoon on Kakaban reached through a narrow rock channel |
| Sangalaki | Manta rays feeding in shallow water; a green turtle nesting ground |
| Manta Point | The manta cleaning and feeding area off Sangalaki |
| Maratua | The largest island: reef walls, turtles and clear channel water |
| Goa Halo Tabung | A cave-and-pool formation on Maratua |
| Talisayan | Whale sharks around the mainland fishing platforms |
| Pasir Gusung Sanggalau | A sandbar that appears and disappears with the tide |
| Labuan Cermin | The mirror lake: a freshwater layer sitting visibly on top of salt water |
| Derawan Island | Green turtles grazing in the shallows by the jetties |
| Dolphins Point | The dolphin stop on the Maratua leg of day 2 |
| Turtle conservation | The turtle conservation site on Sangalaki |
| Manimbora | The sand-spit islet on the 4D3N mainland-side run |
3D2N covers the island day (Maratua, Kakaban, Sangalaki). 4D3N adds an early run on day 3 to Talisayan, Manimbora and Labuan Cermin. The whale sharks are not included in the 3D2N; they are part of the 4D3N.
Kakaban
The jellyfish lake is why most people book
Kakaban Lake is seawater trapped inside the island, holding stingless jellyfish: one of very few marine lakes on Earth where you can swim among them without risk of a sting. The water is warm, shallow enough to snorkel comfortably and has no current.
It is the most photographed thing in the archipelago, so a Kakaban snorkelling stop is on almost every itinerary. The rules protect the jellyfish:
- Rinse off sunscreen and insect repellent before entering
- No fins in the lake
- Do not stand on the lake bed
- Never lift a jellyfish out of the water
- Never jump or dive in
Sangalaki
Manta rays without a scuba certificate
The rays feed on plankton close to the surface, so snorkelling works as well as diving here: you look down on animals already in the top few metres.
Around Sangalaki
Manta Point
Wingspans of several metres, seen from above, which many snorkellers find calmer than a dive encounter.
Snorkelling spots
Site selection, entry points and what is realistically visible at each stop.
Turtle conservation
Green turtles
Sangalaki is a green turtle nesting island. Turtles are met in the water on most snorkelling days; nesting is a shore activity with strict rules.
When to go
April to November is the best snorkelling season
The best season is April to November, with the sunniest weather and the most workable crossings. December to March is the wetter period; open-trip departures still run every month, and the order of stops follows the sea. Every trip starts at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau; send your flight times when you ask for a quote.
Mid-season is the busiest for accommodation, so the most popular stays book out first.
Derawan via Berau How to get to Derawan- Jan Rough Reduced
- Feb Rough Reduced
- Mar Variable Mixed
- Apr Calm 20 m+
- May Calm 20 m+
- Jun Calm 20 m+
- Jul Calm 20 m+
- Aug Calm 20 m+
- Sep Calm 20 m+
- Oct Calm 20 m+
- Nov Variable 20 m+
- Dec Rough Reduced
In season Crossings weather-dependent Sea state · visibility
Where you stay
Stays between snorkelling days
You choose the stay, and the price depends on the one you choose. It is named on your quotation before payment.
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Derawan · Water cottage
Reza Derawan Resort
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 1,290 ≈ USD 645 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,190 ≈ USD 1,095 / person
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Derawan · Water cottage
Alfit VIP Derawan
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 1,290 ≈ USD 645 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,290 ≈ USD 1,145 / person
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Maratua · Cottage
Borneo Cottage Maratua
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 1,390 ≈ USD 695 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,290 ≈ USD 1,145 / person
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Maratua · Beach villa
Maratua Paradise Beach Villa
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 1,490 ≈ USD 745 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,290 ≈ USD 1,145 / person
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Lodge
Pratasaba Seheku Lodge
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 1,590 ≈ USD 795 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,590 ≈ USD 1,295 / person
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Maratua · Water villa
Maratua Paradise Water Villa
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 1,690 ≈ USD 845 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,590 ≈ USD 1,295 / person
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Kakaban villa
Sienna Resort
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 1,790 ≈ USD 895 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,790 ≈ USD 1,395 / person
Private · 3D2N / 4D3N
Floating villa
Arasatu Floating Villa
- 3D2N 2 guests, total
- USD 2,090 ≈ USD 1,045 / person
- 4D3N 2 guests, total
- USD 6,590 ≈ USD 3,295 / person
Private Trip Derawan rates from indonesiajuara.asia: total for two guests, standard tier. Flights to Berau are not included.
Answers
Snorkelling tour questions
A private tour starts from USD 1,290 in total for two guests on a 3D2N (standard tier) and from USD 2,190 on a 4D3N. The stay sets the price and larger groups pay less each. The Open Trip Derawan 4D3N is USD 280 per person, minimum 7 guests.
Keep exploring
More in Tour Packages
Plan your snorkelling
Tell us your dates and your swimmers
Whale sharks a priority? Anyone a weak swimmer? Both change the itinerary, so tell us in your first message.