Best
Before 10:00
On the island by early afternoon, with time for a swim. Open trip flights must land by 08:20 WITA.
Plan Your Trip · Via Berau
Derawan via Berau and Kalimarau Airport (BEJ)
The standard gateway and our meeting point: land at BEJ, drive to Tanjung Batu port and take the shortest sea leg into the archipelago.
- Meeting point
- BEJ
- Road to Tanjung Batu
- 2.5 – 3 h
- Speedboat to Derawan
- ~40 min
- Open trip: land at BEJ by (WITA)
- 08:20
The airport
Kalimarau (BEJ) is the closest airport to Derawan
Kalimarau Airport sits in Tanjung Redeb, seat of Berau Regency, and is the nearest airport to the archipelago with regular commercial traffic. The vehicles, boat crews, fuel and accommodation bookings all originate here.
It is a domestic airport: you fly (booked by you) to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, and travellers from abroad clear immigration at an Indonesian international gateway first. The terminal is small and the process after landing is quick.
Flights are not included in our trips, so you book your own and send us the flight number; the car meets you at arrivals.
- Book the earliest workable departure so you land at BEJ early
- Flight lands late? Arrive the day before and sleep near Kalimarau Airport
The transfer
The Berau to Derawan transfer, leg by leg
Road conditions, tide, sea state and passenger numbers move the times, so the departure plan is confirmed the day before you travel.
| Leg | Mode | Approx. time | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) → Tanjung Redeb | Road | 10 – 15 min | Only if you overnight in town or stop for cash and supplies |
| Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) → Tanjung Batu port | Road | 2.5 – 3 h | Roughly 100 km north-east through Berau Regency on sealed, rural road |
| Tanjung Batu → Derawan Island | Speedboat | ~40 min | Open crossing to the island jetty |
Assumes the car and the boat are pre-arranged and waiting.
Landing time
Your landing time decides your first day
The Tanjung Batu crossing is an open-water run and boats do not operate after dark. Losing the sea leg costs a 3D2N trip far more than a 4D3N.
- Kalimarau (BEJ)
- Tanjung Batu port · 2.5 – 3 h
- Derawan · ~40 min
After the transfer
What the Berau route unlocks
Nothing in the core archipelago is more than about ninety minutes from anything else by speedboat, which is what makes a three or four day trip work.
Day 2 from Derawan
Kakaban jellyfish lake
Stingless jellyfish, snorkelled from the surface, plus Laguna Kehe Daing.
Sangalaki
Manta Point and the turtle conservation beach.
Maratua
Dolphins Point and Goa Halo Tabung, on the same day.
4D3N · day 3
Talisayan whale sharks
An early run to the whale sharks, then Manimbora and Labuan Cermin: about six hours round trip, and the reason to choose four days.
Trip costs
What the Berau route costs
The private trip starts at the arrivals door: car to Tanjung Batu and back, private speedboat, stay, meals, snorkel kit, documentation, travel insurance and entrance fees. Published rates, nett.
Not included: flights into and out of Kalimarau, fins, tips and personal expenses.
Flight windows
Book flights that fit the trip
Kalimarau (BEJ) is the only gateway we use. These are the flight windows for the private and the open trip.
| Detail | Private trip (3D2N or 4D3N) | Open trip (4D3N) |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival at BEJ | Morning, so the Derawan crossing runs in daylight | Land by 08.20 WITA on day 1 |
| Departure from BEJ | After 15.00 WITA; the trip finishes by 14.00 WITA | No earlier than 15.40 WITA |
| Arrive the day before? | Recommended if your flight is tight | Strongly recommended |
| Hotels near the airport | Hotel Grand Citra, My City Hotel, Swiss-Belhotel, Galaxy Hotel | Same |
When to go
April to November, when the route is most reliable
April to November is the best season, the calmer stretch of the year in this part of the Sulawesi Sea. December to March is the wetter period: trips still run, but the Tanjung Batu crossing can be slower and less predictable, and one delayed boat cascades through a short itinerary.
Divers: leave 24 hours between the last dive and the flight out of Kalimarau, and build it in before buying the return ticket.
Best time to visit Derawan dive sites- 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
Practical notes
For the road and the crossing
On the mainland
- Get cash in Tanjung Redeb: the last dependable banking on the route
- Give us your flight number, not just the arrival time
- Send anything time-critical before Tanjung Batu: island signal is patchy
On the crossing
- Open speedboat with a canopy, not a ferry: spray is normal
- Dry bag for electronics, light rain shell within reach
- Seasickness medication before boarding, not after
- Keep dive gear accessible: luggage is handed across the jetty
Answers
Berau route questions
From Kalimarau Airport it is about 2.5 to 3 hours by road to Tanjung Batu port, roughly 100 km north-east, then about 40 minutes by speedboat to Derawan. Maratua is reached by speedboat on day 2.
Keep exploring
More in Plan Your Trip
One arrangement
Book the Berau chain as one arrangement
We meet you at Kalimarau Airport and run the car and the boat through to the islands, and tell you the night before when you leave.