Current experience
Maratua Channel
Tidal channel between the outer sea and the inner lagoon: drift diving with schooling fish.
Destinations · Maratua
Maratua Island, the diving heart of Derawan
The largest island in the archipelago, reached by speedboat on day 2 of our trips: outer walls past 40 m and the strongest drift dives in the region.
- Island in the archipelago
- Largest
- Outer wall depth
- 40 m+
- On our itinerary
- Day 2
- Best season
- Apr – Nov
The island
A horseshoe atoll, not a single beach
Maratua curls around a shallow inner lagoon, and its outer edge falls into deep water almost at once: minutes from a jetty you are on a vertical wall, twenty minutes away a channel pushes schooling fish into a predictable corner of the reef.
Unlike Sangalaki and Kakaban, Maratua is inhabited, with villages along the sheltered lagoon side. It has jetties, boats, guides and places to sleep, which is why most multi-day routes use it as the second base after Derawan.
- Horseshoe atoll enclosing an inner lagoon
- Largest island in the Derawan Archipelago
- Reached by speedboat on day 2 of our trips
- Known for wall dives, channel drifts, cave diving and turtles
Getting there
The reliable route runs through Berau
Fly to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ), drive to Tanjung Batu, then continue by speedboat. Kalimarau is the meeting point for every private Derawan trip we run.
| Leg | How | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fly to Berau | Land at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) | Meeting point for every trip; flights are booked by you |
| 2. Road | Kalimarau → Tanjung Batu port | About 2.5 to 3 hours by car, included |
| 3. Speedboat | Tanjung Batu → Derawan Island | About 40 minutes, included |
| 4. Island hopping | Derawan → Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki | Day 2 of the itinerary by private speedboat, back to Derawan the same evening |
Kalimarau (BEJ) is the only gateway we use. The best season is April to November; land in Berau the day before if your flight is tight.
Dive sites
Channel drifts, walls and a cave system
The outer wall drops past the 40 m recreational limit, so divers work its top 15 to 30 m. Four named sites appear in almost every trip report from the island. Our trips are snorkel-based; scuba diving is not included.
Above the water
What you see on Maratua when you are not diving
On the Maratua day
The lagoon
Shallow, protected and pale enough that turtles are visible from the boat without getting in.
Dolphins Point
A stop on the Maratua leg of the day-two island route.
Laguna Kehe Daing
A hidden lagoon reached through a rock cleft, on neighbouring Kakaban and usually visited the same day.
No tank needed
Goa Halo Tabung
A cave and sinkhole stop where the swim is the point rather than the depth, fitted into the Maratua leg of the day-two island route.
Where our trips stay
Maratua resort options
Maratua has resort accommodation, which is unusual in this archipelago. You choose the stay, the price depends on it, and it is confirmed in writing before you pay.
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
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 Trip Derawan rates from indonesiajuara.asia: total for two guests, standard tier.
When to go
April to November, and a full day here
Reaching Maratua means the longest open-water leg on the route, and the channel dives need manageable surface conditions, so the April to November best season matters more here than anywhere else; December to March is the wetter period. July to September is the busiest stretch.
Our trips spend day 2 on Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki; choosing a Maratua stay gives you more time on the island. The trips are snorkel-based, and scuba diving is not included.
Best time to visit- 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
Trip costs
What a trip including Maratua costs
Maratua is part of both the open trip and the private trip. Published Indonesia Juara rates, nett.
Flights to Berau (BEJ) are not included. Rates as published on indonesiajuara.asia.
Answers
Maratua questions
In the Derawan Archipelago, off Berau Regency in East Kalimantan. It is the largest island in the group and sits on the outer edge facing the Sulawesi Sea, which is why its walls are deep and its channel currents strong.
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