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Derawan Island
Longboat on the clear turquoise water of Labuan Cermin lake, Biduk-Biduk, East Kalimantan

Berau Regency · East Kalimantan

Derawan Island, read properly

A working trip desk for the Derawan Archipelago: every leg timed, every site matched to the nights it needs, every price printed with what it leaves out.

See trip prices WhatsApp the desk
Published season
Apr – Nov
Meet at Kalimarau Airport, Berau
BEJ
Open trip, per person
USD 280
Indonesia Juara, operating since
2015

Not a package catalogue

Every leg timed. Every price with its exclusions.

This is a working trip desk for Derawan Island and the wider archipelago: every transfer printed as a time band, every site listed against the nights it actually needs, and every rate shown beside what it leaves out.

It is run by Indonesia Juara, part of Juara Holding Group and working in Indonesian tourism since 2015. Our trips meet you at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau.

  • Leg times as bands Every transfer is printed as a time band, because a single number is a sales figure, not a duration.
  • Prices with exclusions Flights, fins and tips sit next to every rate, in the same size type.
  • Re-verified each season Figures are checked against what happened on the water, then dated.
About the desk
Traveller looking over the turquoise Kehe Daing lagoon on Kakaban Island
Aerial view of the white sand spit of Manimbora Island with a speedboat at anchor

Operating since 2015

The atoll site register

Six sites, compared honestly

The same facts for every place: how you get there, the nights it needs, and what it is not good for.

Top-down drone view of a timber pier over blue water off Derawan Island 3D2N & 4D3N

Base island · village and jetty

Derawan

Access
Speedboat from Tanjung Batu
Highlight
Turtles from the jetty walkway
Not for
Deep wall diving
Read the guide
Two green turtle hatchlings swimming at Sangalaki turtle conservation 3D2N & 4D3N

Manta station · nesting beach

Sangalaki

Access
45 – 60 min hop
Highlight
Manta rays, green turtle nesting
Not for
Guaranteed sightings on a fixed date
Read the guide
Snorkeller among golden stingless jellyfish in Kakaban lake 3D2N & 4D3N

Landlocked jellyfish lake

Kakaban

Access
60 – 75 min hop
Highlight
Stingless jellyfish, snorkel only
Not for
Scuba, or swimmers in a hurry
Read the guide
Drone view of the red-roofed jetty pavilion at Maratua over turquoise water 3D2N & 4D3N

Outer walls · big fish

Maratua

Access
60 – 90 min hop
Highlight
Walls, channels, schooling fish
Read the guide
Swimmer back-flipping off a boat into the clear water of Labuan Cermin 4D3N only

Two-layer lake, Biduk-Biduk

Labuan Cermin

Access
Early run from Derawan, ~6 h round trip
Highlight
Fresh water layered over salt
Not for
Island-only itineraries
Read the guide
Whale shark close to the surface at the Talisayan bagan platforms 4D3N only

Whale shark platforms

Talisayan

Access
Early run from Derawan, ~6 h round trip
Highlight
Whale sharks at the lift-nets
Not for
Anyone who needs a guarantee
Read the guide
All destinations

Trips & prices

Join an open trip, or take the boat to yourselves

Published Indonesia Juara rates, nett, in US dollars. Flights into Berau are always on you.

Swimmer floating in a blue cave pool under stalactites on Maratua 4 days · 3 nights

Open Trip Derawan 4D3N

A scheduled group departure on fixed dates: Maratua, Kakaban, Sangalaki, the Talisayan whale sharks, Manimbora and Labuan Cermin.

Per person

USD 280

VIP USD 300

  • Minimum 7 guests
  • Meet at Kalimarau (BEJ)
  • Standard water cottage
  • Single room +USD 60
  1. Day 1 Land at Berau, road to Tanjung Batu, speedboat to Derawan. Sunset on the Gusung Sanggalau sandbar.
  2. Day 2 Maratua (dolphin point, resort tour, Halo Tabung cave), Kakaban (Kehe Daing lagoon, jellyfish lake), Sangalaki (manta point, turtle conservation).
  3. Day 3 Early start for the Talisayan whale sharks, Manimbora Island and Labuan Cermin.
  4. Day 4 Breakfast, check out, transfer back to Kalimarau Airport.

Next departures

Join a departure

Flights must land at BEJ by 08:20 WITA on day 1.

What the price covers

Included and excluded, side by side

Included

  • Return car transfer, Kalimarau Airport to Tanjung Batu port
  • Speedboat for island hopping (your own boat on private trips)
  • Water cottage or resort accommodation
  • Meals: 6 on 3D2N, 9 on 4D3N, plus mineral water
  • Local guide (open trips add a tour guide; Premium private trips add a tour leader)
  • Snorkel kit: mask, snorkel, life jacket
  • Photo and video documentation
  • Entrance fees and travel insurance

Not included

  • Flights to and from Berau (BEJ)
  • Fins
  • Tips for the guide
  • Personal expenses
  • Lunch in Berau on the last day

Good to know

Land by 08:20 WITA

Open trips leave on schedule. Fly into Kalimarau (BEJ) that morning, or the day before.

Fly out after 15:00

Private trips finish by 14:00 WITA on the last day; open trip guests book flights from 15:40 WITA.

No fins in the lake

Fins injure the jellyfish at Kakaban. The rule is enforced at the boardwalk.

Bring storage for photos

Open trip: a 128 GB flash drive. Private trip: a hard disk; files are copied on day 3.

Getting there

Gateway to water, leg by leg

Our trips meet you at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ), Berau. Every leg is a band, not a flattering single number.

  1. Leg 1: Flight

    Booked by you

    Your departure airport to Kalimarau (BEJ), Berau

    Open trip: land by 08.20 WITA. Arriving the day before is recommended.

  2. Leg 2: Road

    2.5 – 3 h

    Kalimarau (BEJ) to Tanjung Batu port

    Sealed road, slower after heavy rain.

  3. Leg 3: Speedboat

    ~40 min

    Tanjung Batu to Derawan

    Daylight crossing, sea-state dependent.

Speedboat in front of red-roofed over-water cottages

Hops from Derawan

Sangalaki
45 – 60 min
Kakaban
60 – 75 min
Maratua
60 – 90 min

Kalimarau (BEJ) is the only gateway we use. Open trip flights must land by 08.20 WITA; private trips finish by 14.00 WITA, so fly home after 15.00 WITA.

Full route guide

Season & water almanac

April to November is the window

One continuous year, with the difficult months left on the page. Weather is not a schedule.

Sea state, visibility and turtle nesting by month. April to November is the published season.
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Sea state Rough Rough Variable Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Calm Variable Rough
Visibility Reduced Reduced Mixed 20 m+ 20 m+ 20 m+ 20 m+ 20 m+ 20 m+ 20 m+ 20 m+ Reduced
Turtle nesting No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

Swipe the table to see every month

  • Water 27 – 30 °C

    The same range in every month of the year.

  • Manta, year-round

    Reported at Sangalaki in every month, easiest to reach when the sea is calm.

  • Jellyfish lake, open

    Kakaban is open all year. Permit and no-fins rule apply.

December – March

The wetter period: crossings can be cancelled on sea state and visibility drops. Open trip departures are still published in every month, and private trips are still quoted, with the warning attached.

Best time to visit

From the water

What the archipelago actually looks like

Tap any photograph to open it full size.

Aerial view of the Gusung Sanggalau sandbar with two boats in clear shallows
Gusung Sanggalau sandbar
Snorkeller swimming above a whale shark off Talisayan
Whale shark, Talisayan
Swimmer in the blue pool of Halo Tabung cave, Maratua
Halo Tabung cave, Maratua
Man wading into the clear water of Labuan Cermin below the jungle
Labuan Cermin
Turquoise Kehe Daing lagoon framed by jungle and a palm frond
Kehe Daing lagoon, Kakaban
Underwater view of rocks and sunken branches in Labuan Cermin
Under Labuan Cermin
Couple walking a white sand spit towards a palm-topped islet at Manimbora
Manimbora Island
Drone view of the red-roofed jetty pavilion at Maratua
Maratua
Traveller sitting on the bow of a longboat on Labuan Cermin
Labuan Cermin
Green turtle hatchlings swimming at Sangalaki
Turtle hatchlings, Sangalaki

Method

How this desk works

  1. Survey the island

    Our team works the archipelago out of Berau. Destinations are written from actual visits, not a supplier feed.

  2. Publish the leg times

    Every transfer is printed as a band with an operating note, because a single number is a sales figure.

  3. Print rates with exclusions

    Where a rate is published, what it leaves out sits beside it. Where it is not, we say "quoted per group".

  4. Re-verify each season

    Bands are checked against what happened on the water. The date moves only when the check is done.

Investment & permit guide

Building in Berau? Start with the map.

A starting map for a foreign-owned tourism build in Berau Regency, not legal advice. Confirm every point with OSS, BKPM and licensed Indonesian counsel before you commit money.

Read the investment guide Land ownership & permits
01 Entity route
PT PMA, an Indonesian company with foreign shareholding. Nominee arrangements are not a route this guide covers.
02 Land title
A PT PMA can hold HGB or Hak Pakai. Freehold (Hak Milik) is not available to a foreign-owned company.
03 Coastal use
Any water-facing build needs coastal and marine spatial-plan conformity before construction consent.

Answers

Six questions, answered straight

The long versions, one hundred of them, sit on the FAQ page.

At Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, East Kalimantan. From there it is about 2.5 to 3 hours by road to Tanjung Batu port, then roughly 40 minutes by speedboat to Derawan.

Open the 100-question FAQ
Aerial view of a white sandbar in the clear shallows of the Derawan Archipelago

Contact the desk

Tell us your dates, your group and your stay

We reply within one working day with the honest version: what fits, what does not, and what it costs.

Chat on WhatsApp Email the desk
Or read the cost guide first

Planning more of your trip? Explore Komodo liveaboard charters to round out your plans.