The blue of Borneo, maybe Derawan is not as well known as Raja Ampat, but this island is worthy of being one of the best Indonesia scuba diving resorts. It was a very beautiful island. Derawan Islands located in east Kalimantan ( Borneo ), consists of dozens of islands with 4 large islands: Derawan Island, Maratua, Kakaban, and Sangalaki. With the Kakaban as the most famous diving location in there.
Kalimantan is one of the largest islands in Indonesia bordering on Malaysia. In fact there are many small islands in Kalimantan/Borneo that are uninhabited and unexplored. So there are still many hidden dive sites in Indonesia.
If you want a quieter place than Bali or Raja Ampat, but have the beauty of the beach and the underwater world that same than both of them, Derawan is the right place for your next destination.
Island with crystal clear blue waters are surrounded by white sand, stunning coral reefs, stingray and stingless jellyfish. Everything we can found by diving or snorkeling in underwater of the islands. If you are lucky, you will also find whale sharks, when it coincides with their migration season.
We can rent a private boat average of $ 250 USD. And you can rent a lodging that managed by local peoples, rates start $20 USD – $ 40 USD per night, depending the season. While in Maratua Island, not a few inns or cottages are managed by foreigners.
How to Derawan from Jakarta ?
Flight form Jakarta to Balikpapan, in balikpapan take flight to Berau, from Berau we have to rent a car by travel agent towards Tanjung Batu Port, rates $ 25 USD, this trip takes 6 hours behalfs. From Tanjung Batu wade to Derawan. Note, do not ever trip to Derawan via Tarakan, sure it’s cheaper plane tickets if you flight from Jakarta, but it’s more expensive if we choose this trip. It will be much cheaper via Berau, Tanjung Batu and Derawan.
You can also find the best dive location information here.
