How To Get There?

How to reach Derawan Island?  The nearest airport is Berau (= Tanjung Redeb) and 2nd nearest airport is Tarakan.

1) Arrange a VISA first, and fly to Jakarta or Singapore, from there fly to Balikpapan or alternatively Tarakan

2) Take a morning flight from Jakarta – Balikpapan with Lion Air,  Sriwijaya or Garuda Indonesia / Citylink (2 hrs, average price 700.000 IDR)

3) In this way you fly the same day from Balikpapan – Berau with KalstarTriganaSriwijaya, Lion air, Garuda to  (40min-1hr, ±600.000 IDR). *1 hour time difference between Balikpapan (BPP) and Jakarta (JKT). 1 of the 2 daily flights of Kalstar & Trigana transfer in Samarinda.
cheap alternative: 18hrs (or 40 hrs in rainy season) car from Balikpapan – Sangatta – Berau (rough)

4) Car (chartered or shared taxi) Berau – Tj Batu, 2.5 hrs, call driver Narton +6281346470104 (try your basic Bahasa Indonesia) for chartered (450.0000IDR) or regular (shared, 70.000IDR pp) taxi; airport pickup available

5) Speedboat Tj Batu – Derawan, 0.5 hr, ask your driver to call ahead for a speedboat should cost ± 250.000 IDR for chartered boat of 70.ooo for shared boat, many boat drivers are available. I can recommend calling Jeffry +62 81254859665 (Indonesian only)
expensive alternative: Berau -> Derawan: Directly take a speedboat (2-3 hours,  1-2.000.000 IDR)

See alternative travel routes (colors) in the picture below.

Map How to get to Derawan

Coming from Malaysia?
1) Ferry Tawau – Tarakan (4 hours, 300.000 IDR arriving ±17:00hr), spend night in Tarakan
2) Public boat Tarakan – Tajung Selor (1 ½ hr, 80.000rp/p)
3) Car Tj Selor – Berau (total car 500.000, fits 6-8 people, or shared car seat for 70.000 IDR, 2hrs)
4) Car Berau – Tj Batu (see above, 2hrs)
5) Speedboat Tj Batu – Derawan (see above)

expensive alternative: Tarakan -> Derawan: Directly take a speedboat (3-4 hours,  3-4.000.000 IDR)

After all this travelling: Compensate Climate  or get CarbonNeutral

Example travel time The Netherlands – Derawan:

Day 1-2; Travel Amsterdam – Jakarta (overnight flight), 1 night in Jakarta
Day 3: Early morning flight Jakarta – Balikpapan (Garuda/Mandala/Batavia?) connecting with Batavia air flight Balikpapan – Berau (=Tanjung Redeb)
Day 3: Call ahead to arrange car that pick you up from Berau airport to go to Tanjung Batu (trip: 2-3hrs)
Day 3: Call ahead to arrange speedboat Tj Batu – Derawan (trip: ±30 min)

The trip back could be much shorter because you do not have to stay overnight in Jakarta if you book a flight that departs to NL in the evening.
±6:00 am Depart with boat from Derawan early morning
± 7:00 Car Tj Baru – Berau
± 11:40 Flight Berau – Balikpapan (batavia)
± 14:00 Flight Balikpapan – Jakarta
±19:00 Flight Jakarta – A’dam

updated january 2014, < class="" style="width:650px;height:350px;">2.284036,118.243103

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8 Comments

  1. Hoi Marjolein,

    WIj gaan over 6 wkn richting Derawan. We zijn druk bezig met het uitzoeken hoe we daar het beste kunnen komen. We zitten in Palangkaraya en vliegen 4 mei naar Berau. Ik kwam op jou pagina terecht omdat ik op zoek was naar de beste verbinding naar Derawan.

    Heb je nog tips voor op het eiland?

  2. Hi Marjolein,

    I planned to hire Narton to organise my logistic for two to Derawan Island on this coming 25th Sept. 2013, he has quoted me IDR800K for car to Tj. Batu, 600K for speed boat to Derawan, 750K for 3 nights stay, do you think the offer is reasonable, hope to receive your reply before my flight over there on 25th (late plan due to unforeseen circumstances).

    Warmest Regards,
    Ng Puck Mun

  3. @ Ng Puck Mun,
    Prices are changing fast because of increased petrol prices, and quoted on this website were last checked in 2011. Nevertheless the prices seem too high and you need to negotiate. Good luck. Just refer to that you know the prices.

  4. Hi Marjolijn,

    Wondering if you want to spend another weekend at Derawan Island. I plan to go there on Nov 28 – Dec1. Is the weather ok these days?

    Las questions, do you have the contact number of Mirroliz Pelangi?

    Thanks,

    Citra

  5. @ Citra,
    Weather is normally fine around this time. I don’t have the number you are asking for.
    Have fun!

  6. No website but thank you for yours! I’m planning a trip to Derawan and then onto Manado (diving plus we hope a forest walk tour) and have some problems organising the connecting local flights to fit with our Silk Air flight into Balikpapan. As a former researcher at Groningen and a UCL anthropology student, I find it is a small world. For example watching macaques in N Sulawesi and discussing with the person next to me we discovered we were both UCL Anthropology students…

  7. Hoi marjolijn,

    Weet jij of ik inTawau een visum voor kalimantan kan regelen.
    Kan hier weinig over vinden op internet.

    Alvast bedankt
    Sandra

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