~40 min
Tanjung Batu → Derawan
The arrival crossing from the mainland port.
Plan Your Trip · Getting there
How to get to the Derawan Islands
One domestic flight into East Kalimantan, then road and speedboat: fly to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, drive to Tanjung Batu and cross to Derawan Island.
- Kalimarau Airport, Berau
- BEJ
- Road to Tanjung Batu
- 2.5 – 3 h
- Speedboat to Derawan
- ~40 min
- Best season
- Apr – Nov
The main gateway
Berau is where a Derawan trip starts
There is no international airport in the archipelago and no ferry from Bali or Java. You reach an East Kalimantan gateway, then hand the sea leg to a boat operator.
Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Tanjung Redeb, Berau, is the meeting point for our trips and the gateway most visitors use. Berau runs the road network, boat crews, fuel and accommodation bookings for the archipelago.
From the terminal, a car drives to Tanjung Batu port in about 2.5 to 3 hours, and a speedboat crosses to Derawan Island in about 40 minutes. Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki are reached by speedboat on day 2.
You fly (booked by you) to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau: flights are not included in our trips, so choose one that fits the flight windows below.
- Open trip: flights must land at BEJ by 08:20 WITA
- Private trip: land as early as you can; the road-and-boat chain should not start after dark
- Flight lands late? Arrive the day before and sleep near Kalimarau Airport
- Keep a dry bag and a light rain shell to hand: spray over the bow is normal
- Take seasickness medication before leaving Tanjung Batu, not after boarding
Every route
Every route to the Derawan Islands, compared
Timings are indicative. Sea state, tide, boat size and passenger numbers all move them; the operator confirms the plan the day before you travel.
| Route | Air leg | Surface leg | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via Berau (Kalimarau, BEJ) | Your own flight to BEJ | About 2.5 to 3 h by road to Tanjung Batu, then about 40 min by speedboat | Almost everyone; the meeting point for our trips |
Once you arrive
The islands are linked by short boat hops
Nothing in the core archipelago is more than about ninety minutes from anything else by speedboat, so three or four days cover the headline sites.
- Kalimarau (BEJ)
- Tanjung Batu port · 2.5 – 3 h
- Derawan · ~40 min
Flight times
One gateway, two flight windows
Plan your flights around the trip
Open trip: land by 08.20 WITA
Open trip flights must land at Kalimarau by 08.20 WITA on day 1 and leave no earlier than 15.40 WITA on the last day. Arriving the day before is strongly recommended.
Private trip: fly home after 15.00 WITA
Private trips finish by 14.00 WITA at the latest, so a return flight after 15.00 WITA works on the last day.
Arriving the day before
Guests usually stay near Kalimarau Airport at Hotel Grand Citra, My City Hotel, Swiss-Belhotel or Galaxy Hotel.
Day 2
Maratua by speedboat
Maratua is visited on day 2 by private speedboat from Derawan, together with Kakaban and Sangalaki. Our trips do not use the Maratua airstrip.
Trip costs
What the journey costs once you land
The private trip starts at Kalimarau Airport: 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 Berau, fins, tips and personal expenses. Flights are the largest variable in the budget.
When to go
April to November: the best season for the chain
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 same crossing that is quick in calm water becomes slower, wetter and less predictable when the wind picks up.
Mantas at Sangalaki, turtles around Derawan and whale shark mornings at Talisayan each run on their own rhythm: ask which is strongest on your dates.
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
How long to stay
Allow four days for the archipelago
Three days and two nights reaches the islands and the headline sites. Four days and three nights adds the day-3 run to Talisayan, Manimbora and Labuan Cermin.
Return flights can leave from 15:00 on a private trip and from 15:40 on the open trip. Divers need a 24-hour gap between the last dive and flying: build it in before you buy the return ticket.
Answers
Getting-there questions
Fly (booked by you) from Jakarta to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, on whichever connection fits the trip's flight windows. From BEJ it is about 2.5 to 3 hours by road to Tanjung Batu and about 40 minutes by speedboat.
Keep exploring
More in Plan Your Trip
One arrangement
Book the transfer chain as one arrangement
Send your flight numbers: we meet you at Kalimarau Airport and run the car and boat through to the islands.