While doing some research, I stumbled upon a comment that went something like this: "When Pulau Derawan appeared, I burst into tears. It was the island I had been dreaming of."
I can tell you that even though my arrival was a bit different, mostly because you couldn't see a single thing, the next morning I totally got (and shared) that exact same feeling.
How to get to Derawan Island
Our trip to Derawan was looong.
It started in Surabaya, where the day before we had finished the 3-day, 2-night route between Bromo and Ijen.
From there, we took a flight to Berau with a layover in Balikpapan.
At the Berau airport, we grabbed a taxi to Yani Street, right by the river.
There, our taxi driver helped us hire a Kijang (a 4×4 vehicle) to Tanjung Batu for 250,000 IDR (€20).
It turned out to be more expensive than expected because it was just the two of us (it was too late and he couldn't fill it with other travelers).
It took us 2 and a half hours to reach the port of Tanjung Batu, by which time it was already dark.
There, we caught a speedboat to Derawan for €8/person (this time we did share the ride) which took almost an hour to get there.
To sum it up?
Flight + taxi + kijang + speedboat
12.5 hours of traveling
€184.60 (€92.30/person)
The way back
The travel time from Derawan Island to Berau Airport is at least 4 hours, so try to book an afternoon flight.
I'm speaking from experience here.
We had to spend a night in the town of Berau on our way back and it wasn't pleasant. I'll give you all the details in a bit. 😉
Where to sleep
In Pulau Derawan
Out of all the options you'll find on the island, I can personally share 2 very different experiences:
✘ Danakan Homestay
The night we arrived we were utterly exhausted, so we headed straight for the budget accommodation recommended by Lonely Planet, Danakan Homestay.
We were so disappointed…
The owner asked us if we'd be booking diving trips with him, but since we said we'd only be snorkeling (at least, that seemed to be the reason), he told us the only room available was one of the inland huts with a shared bathroom (definitely not true).
The price? 150,000 IDR (€12) per night.
The bathroom was enough to make you cry and the bed sagged just by looking at it.
On top of that, right next door was Reza y Dira, a restaurant-karaoke that—as if the noise weren't enough—blocked any sea view.
We only lasted one night. The next morning we got up early and scouted the rest of the accommodations looking for something better.
Heads up:
1. Booking by phone or in person will always be cheaper than online, especially in the low season.
2. Breakfasts included at these places are super basic: a small pastry, a thermos with hot water, and instant coffee—not much else.
✔︎ Fisheries Cottage
Fisheries Cottage was the most budget-friendly place we found on the island, and at the same time, it checked all our boxes:
- It was a cabin right over the water, with great views of the sea.
- It had a private bathroom, though very basic (toilet, mandi or bucket basin, and cold shower).
- A comfy bed with a proper mattress (no flimsy foam here).
It was a very simple room, with a front and back balcony that let the breeze cool the place down in a snap. And as soon as we moved in, green sea turtles showed up to munch on seagrass right beneath our deck as a welcome treat.
Any downsides?
It didn't have a safe, so whenever we left to go snorkeling we had to stash our cash and other valuables wherever we could find a hiding spot.
Although the truth is, nothing ever went missing at all.
➜ Other places to stay on Derawan Island
During our on-foot search for an alternative to Homestay Danakan, I put together the following market study regarding accommodation in Pulau Derawan.
Remember that prices and features are from October 2012. Conditions will have changed a lot since then.
In Berau
Since our return flight left early in the morning, we had to spend the night before in Berau.
After walking around for a bit, we opted for Hotel Derawan Indah because it looked the most "modern."
Anyone can have an off day, but this hotel didn't have a single good angle.
The room was dirty wherever you looked: walls, sheets, bathroom…
And as if that weren't enough, breakfast was horrible too.
In other words: don't even think about staying there.
If I had to spend a night in Berau again, I'd maybe try staying at this one, but take that with a grain of salt… Who knows! 😉
What to do in Derawan
Go snorkeling
The wonderful thing about this island is that you can swim on your own among corals just a few meters from the shore.
You have two options:
- Wade out a bit from the beach shore to reach the reef area.
- Walk along the last wooden pier before reaching the beach and jump into the water right from there.
All the photos you see in this post were taken at those exact spots (I've marked them on the map at the end).
We rented 2 sets of masks, snorkels, and fins right at Fisheries Cottage, where we were staying, for just 40,000 IDR a day (€2 per person per day).
We spent hours and hours every day exploring the island's reef. To me, it's pretty much paradise on earth (well, in the water, in this case).
Want some advice? Snorkel wearing a t-shirt and knee-length swim trunks, if you have them. Your skin will thank you.
I'm telling you from experience…
Go scuba diving
Most hospitality businesses in the Derawan archipelago offer this kind of activity, and the main island (Derawan) is no exception.
We didn't sign up for any excursions because we didn't have our scuba diving certification yet.
However, you can definitely take the course right here, and much cheaper than in Spain, for example.
What's crystal clear to me, judging by the quality of the snorkeling, is that diving in Derawan must be mind-blowing.
Visit other islands
During the 7 days we spent in Derawan, we only took one speed boat tour to the neighboring islands: Kakaban and Sangalaki.
It cost 700,000 IDR (€56) split between 4 people (we made some Aussie friends, whom we later visited on our trip to Australia), so €14 per person.
Here is what we found:
– Flying fish
The trip kicked off with us watching flying fish glide over the water.
I say glide because they weren't just jumping and falling right back in, like you'd imagine a flying fish would. Nope…
We were on a speedboat, and the fish would leap out of the water and stay airborne for several seconds (5-6?) right beside us just like birds, before diving back in.
– A jellyfish lake in Kakaban
Shortly after, we arrived at Kakaban.
We docked at the end of a wooden jetty and walked for a few minutes into the island's interior, surrounded by dense jungle…
And there it was: a stingless jellyfish lake.
Due to their isolation and lack of predators, these jellyfish have lost their sting, so they're completely harmless.
There are so many that when you swim, you're not just brushing them aside with your hands, but with your entire body.
Can you picture yourself floating in a sea of jellyfish?
– The reef wall in Kakaban
After swimming with the crowd, we headed back to the beach where we had boarded and jumped into the water. Of course!
And the spectacle we witnessed just a short distance from the jetty exceeded all our expectations.
There was a coral wall underwater teeming with life: (venomous) lionfish, pufferfish, reef sharks…
The colorful wall faded into the deep blue.
If snorkeling there felt incredible, I can't even imagine what scuba diving in Kakaban must be like (well, actually, I really can). 😉
– Manta rays and turtles in Sangalaki
The waters around Sangalaki are famous because there are almost always manta rays… except that day, or at least at that time.
Later, people told us that it's better to go there very early in the morning to make sure you see them, but our guide didn't seem to know that. I hope he's learned by now. 🙂
Since we arrived early, he let us take a stroll along the beach and we discovered that it's an island with thousands of sea turtle nesting sites.
We didn't see the turtles either, but the tracks from hatchings and nestings were right there.
From here, we headed back home.
Other islands: the reef and the resorts of Maratua
The Australian couple we made friends with in Derawan had spent a week at a resort on Pulau Maratua, specifically the Nabucco Dive Resort.
As its name suggests, staying at these resorts is geared towards scuba diving enthusiasts, so I wouldn't recommend going unless you're also booking a dive package.
They absolutely loved the underwater part, although I think the hotel felt a bit too "artificial" for them.
They enjoyed mingling with the locals in Derawan much more than staying on the tiny island of the Nabucco hotel.
However, there is a large village on Pulau Maratua where you can likely get an authentic experience more similar to Pulau Derawan. I've marked the area on the map in case you want to check it out. 🙂
Unwinding
This is the perfect island to disconnect.
- Reading a book with your legs dangling over the sea from the dock supporting your room.
- Getting to know your neighbors while sitting and waiting at a table in whichever spot you picked to eat.
- Lying in the sun or strolling along the shore, letting the hours slip by with a completely clear mind.
Do you remember the last time you had nothing to do and, above all, truly enjoyed the feeling?
Where to Eat
There are several restaurants on the village's main street, of which we only tried 3, but they all had something in common:
- The food was delicious (mie goreng and nasi goreng, our favorite Indonesian dishes).
- You could say NO CHILI all you wanted. Whether the dish arrived spicy or not was a total gamble (and you usually lost). 😉
- The service was always slow. It took us about 2 hours on average from the moment we sat down until we finished eating, but we quickly got used to this island pace.
- They don't serve alcohol, but we didn't miss it. When you have iced tea, who needs beer? 🙂
Whenever any of them ran out of an ingredient, you'd watch the kitchen helper, the waiter, or the cook herself walk over to the nearest restaurant to borrow (or buy) it, returning with the eggplants for your dish.
Everything was super chill.
As a fun fact, this is a great place to eat lobster at a great price.
What to bring
Cash
Back in 2012, there were no ATMs or banks on Derawan Island, and accommodations and restaurants didn't accept cards either.
I'm not sure if the situation has changed much, but I recommend bringing plenty of cash.
If you book accommodation in advance, ask them—they'll be able to give you more up-to-date information.
Clothing
- 2 swimsuits (so one can dry while you're wearing the other).
- Beach towel.
- 2 quick-drying t-shirts/shorts/lightweight dresses.
- Flip-flops.
- 1 lightweight long-sleeve top (just in case).
- Swim shirt / rash guard (this is a game-changer).
Voilà.
Sun protection
Here's a short true story in a nutshell:
– The first day of snorkeling was cloudy.
– We didn't put on sunscreen because it seemed impossible for the sun to break through that gray wall of clouds.
– We went to the beach to snorkel.
– We got into the water at 11:00 AM.
– We got out of the water at 3:00 PM.
– 4 hours that flew by for us…
– Just for us, because our backs had been screaming for help for quite some time.
– We spent the rest of the week in Derawan applying lotion several times a day very carefully, because it hurt just looking at ourselves…
– And snorkeling in a cotton t-shirt. EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Now, it's up to you.
You can learn from someone else's experience, or you can put your skin to the test like I did.
My recommendation?
Pack sunglasses, some kind of hat, sunscreen (actually put it on, don't just carry it for show), and, if you can, a rash guard.
Travel insurance
Don't risk it. Nowadays, traveling fully covered with IATI, one of the best insurance companies for travelers, is super affordable.
The only things we suffered from on that trip were the sunburns I just told you about and diarrhea from not drinking bottled water (the iced teas were delicious, but they came with a risk).
So I didn't need to use the insurance I had taken out.
However, how much is the peace of mind of traveling around Indonesia for 3 weeks with top-quality medical insurance worth?
€110? Make it two to go!
Jokes aside, I never travel without it anymore.
And if you want to save even more, book through this link to get a 5% discount on the final price.
Budget
How much does it cost to spend 7 days in Pulau Derawan, including flights, arrival and departure transport, accommodation, tours, and food?
- Taxi to Surabaya airport: €10.
- Surabaya-Berau flight: €138.60 (€69.30/person).
- Kijang to Tanjung Batu: €20 (€10/person).
- Speedboat from Tanjung Batu to Derawan: €16 (€8/person).
- 1 night at Homestay Danakan (breakfast included): €12 (€6/person).
- 6 nights at Fisheries Cottage (breakfast included): €48 (€4/person per night).
- Snorkel gear rental: €24 (€2/person per day).
- Day trip to Kakaban + Sangalaki: €28 (€14/person).
- 7 days of food (approximate): €120 (€60/person)
- Speedboat from Derawan to Tanjung Batu: €16 (€8/person).
- Kijang from Tanjung Batu to Berau: €20 (€10/person).
- 1 night at Hotel Derawan Indah (breakfast and airport transfer included): €32 (€16/person).
- Berau-Jakarta flight: €180 (€90/person).
In total, we spent about €665 on our 7-day stay in Pulau Derawan (including flights and all other transport), which works out to around €47.50 per person per day.
Useful links
- Fisheries Cottage.
- Other accommodations in the area.
- Palmy hotel in Berau.
- Flights to Indonesia: Trabber, eDreams, and Momondo.
- 5% discount on your IATI travel insurance when booking from here.
Road tripping through Indonesia? Then you'll love these:
- 3-week road trip through Indonesia: Java and Borneo.
- 4-day klotok boat trip through Borneo: encounter wild orangutans.
- Prambanan, Indonesia's largest Hindu temple.
- Meditate with Buddhist monks at Mendut temple.
- Experience a sunrise from Borobudur temple.
- Selogriyo: a Hindu temple tucked among rice paddies.
- How to organize your visit to Bromo and Ijen: 4 options.
- 3-day, 2-night itinerary through Bromo and Ijen.
Map
Got any questions about how to get to Pulau Derawan? Drop them in the comments below!