Island
Maratua
Atoll rim, reef walls and a resort tour
Destinations · Berau Regency
Derawan Islands attractions
Maratua, Kakaban, Sangalaki, Labuan Cermin and the Talisayan whale shark coast: every island, lake and snorkel stop we run trips to, in one place before you choose an itinerary.
- Signature stops
- 13
- Core islands
- 4
- Best season
- Apr – Nov
- Meeting point, Berau
- BEJ
13 signature stops
Four core islands, one mainland coast, 13 stops
A Derawan route is a chain of stops 30 to 90 minutes apart by boat, so itineraries are built around clusters, not one base.
The core islands
Start with the four core islands
Four islands carry most of the reason to fly to East Kalimantan. Each has its own guide.
Largest island Maratua Island
The largest island in the archipelago. Outer walls drop past 40 m and its channel gives the strongest drift dives in the region.
Jellyfish lake Kakaban Island
One of very few brackish lakes on Earth where stingless jellyfish can be snorkelled.
Manta & turtles Sangalaki Island
Mantas around three metres across feed in shallow water close to shore, next to a green turtle nesting beach.
Berau mainland Labuan Cermin
Fresh water sits on top of salt water, so swimmers look as if they are floating in air.
Derawan Island itself is the main base: turtles graze under the jetties and the reef starts a few metres from shore. Want the reef list instead of the island list?
Beyond the core four
Two atoll islands and the whale shark coast
Inside the Maratua atoll
Nabucco Island
A small island on the Maratua atoll ring: where it sits on the reef, the diving it opens up and how it is reached from Maratua.
Nunukan Island
Another small atoll island near Maratua: where it lies, the water around it and how it fits a multi-island route.
Mainland coast
Whale sharks at Talisayan
The one stop that is not an island: a stretch of Berau's coast where whale sharks gather around traditional fishing platforms at first light. On the 4D3N trip it is the early run on day 3.
Choose by encounter
Which destination matches which activity
Work backwards from what you want to see in the water.
| You want to see | Go to | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Stingless jellyfish | Kakaban | Derawan snorkelling tour |
| Manta rays | Sangalaki and Manta Point | Manta ray snorkelling |
| Green turtles nesting | Sangalaki and Derawan | Green turtle nesting |
| Whale sharks | Talisayan | Derawan island hopping tour |
| Wall and drift diving | Maratua | Derawan diving guide |
| Multi-island diving from a boat | All four islands | Derawan liveaboard guide |
When to go
The best season is April to November
April to November is the best season, when the Sulawesi Sea is calmest and island transfers are most reliable. December to March is the wetter period: trips still run, but the 30 – 60 minute open-water crossings between Derawan, Kakaban, Sangalaki and Maratua become more weather-dependent.
Whale shark visits at Talisayan happen in the early morning.
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 Derawan destination trip costs
Published Indonesia Juara rates, nett. The figure depends on the trip, the stay you choose and your group size.
Flights to Berau (BEJ) are not included. Rates as published on indonesiajuara.asia.
Getting between them
How the destinations connect
Every route starts at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau: road to Tanjung Batu, speedboat to Derawan, then out to Sangalaki, Kakaban and Maratua. Talisayan and Labuan Cermin sit on the mainland side.
- Kalimarau (BEJ)
- Tanjung Batu port · 2.5 – 3 h
- Derawan · ~40 min
Answers
Destination questions
Our itineraries cover 13: Derawan Island, Maratua, Kakaban, Sangalaki, Goa Halo Tabung, Dolphins Point, Manta Point, the turtle conservation site, Pasir Gusung Sanggalau, Laguna Kehe Daing, Talisayan, Manimbora and Labuan Cermin. Talisayan, Manimbora and Labuan Cermin make up the mainland-side day of the 4D3N; the rest sit in and around the four core islands.
Keep exploring
Explore the other guides
Plan your route
Tell us which stops you want to see
We reply within one working day with a route that fits your dates and group.