This is the summary of information you need to get to Maratua island in Kalimantan. To check the story of how I explored the island, read on here.
Practical Information
Getting there
Maratua is one of the islands of the Derawan archipelago off East Kalimantan in Indonesia. Therefore, you must first get to Kalimantan by plane and there are several options.
First of all, if you are not in Indonesia, you should fly to Jakarta or to Balikpapan. When searching for flights, I always use Kiwi.com as I think their flight search engine really matches the needs of the modern traveler, which means it gives you tons of flexible options to choose from, and you see everything on a map.
If you have booked your resort or homestay in Maratua or other island in the area, your hosts should be able to arrange boat transfer for you from either Berau, Tarakan or Tanjung Batu.
Tarakan gets the best flight connection from Jakarta or Balikpapan (most flights have a layover in Balikpapan). Tarakan airport is called Juwata so look for that in search engines.
I arrived to Berau by a shared car and took the boat from Berau/Tanjung Redeb, which takes you through the interesting sprawling river delta. All flights to the Berau airport called Kalimarau stop at Balikpapan airport.
Alternatively, you can catch a boat to any of the islands from the port of Pelabuhan Tanjung Batu, which lies closest to the islands. In order to do that, you need to fly to Berau and get an ojek/taxi to Tanjung Batu. It will cost you around 150 to 200 thousands rupiah. Most boats from all directions leave in the morning, but you may be able to catch a boat even later if you go to port of Tanjung Batu, or the piers at Berau or Tarakan and ask around.
The boat should either take you directly to the pier closest to you homestay/resort, or you can easily and cheaply take an motorcycle taxi to get there once on Maratua.
Reportedly, there is now a functioning airport in Maratua (you will pass it when exploring the island). According to my latest information, the flights to Tarakan and Berau go only on Wednesdays. The flight tickets unfortunately cannot be booked online, so you will have to either purchase the ticket on the airports or in an airline office in Berau or Tarakan.
If you want to save time while planning the trip to Maratua and want to make sure you will actually get there, you can let me plan your trip and help with contacts here.
When to go
Kalimantan generally follows the climate patterns of most of Indonesia. This means dry season from May to October with most rains from December to February. However, Maratua lies very close to the equator which means little difference between dry and wet seasons. Moreover, the Derawan archipelago, being island, does not fully follow the seasons of mainland Kalimantan.
I visited Maratua in February, which should be full blown rainy season. It rained sometimes in the night or early morning, with an occasional light shower during the day. Most of the daytime, however, was dry and often sunny. Most of the storms and heavy rain clouds kept more towards the mainland and around Derawan island. The advantage of the rainy season was that the sunset skies were always dramatic and made some unbelievable pictures.
Regarding diving, the best times are said to be June to August, possibly because of the calmer waters. You can see manta rays, whale sharks and other marine wonders all year round, though.
Where to stay
On Maratua, you can either spoil yourself to stay in a luxurious resort or keep it authentic and sleep in a village homestay. Both options have their pluses and minuses so it is on you.
Resorts – Maratua
Even though I am not a lover of resorts, those on Maratua seem to fit the paradise setting quite well. No concrete monstrosities here, all have wooden rooms and their own piers that can be used for snorkeling.
Pratasaba Resort has its own diving center and boasts a dining room directly on water. It is situated on the west coast of the island. On offer are well priced rooms in a common building on a hill overlooking the sea, or pricier rooms in private cottages. You can book it here.
If you want to splurge and feel like an Indonesian celebrity, head for Green Nirwana Resort. It includes a cozy collection of private chalets around a nice pool with a view of the private white sandy beach. The resort also has a very long private pier that takes you right to the coral wall. Book here.
List of resorts on Maratua would not be complete without mentioning the Maratua Paradise Resort. It includes plenty of rooms on piers directly above the turquoise waters and some of the best coral reefs are just meters from it. To book it, you will have to contact the resort itself here.
Budget stays – Maratua
While on Maratua, I stayed in Borneo Maratua Lodge which is a mid-range collection of beach cottages on the edge of the Bohe Bukut village. The cottages are directly on the beach, the rooms are very cozy and clean. There are hammocks to relax on and the Bohe Bukut pier is very close. While I was there, this accommodation did not offer dining, but there are two restaurants close-by. The owners of the Lodge are very friendly and will help you to rent a bike, scooter or snorkeling equipment or arrange diving. Booking is currently possible only on Indonesian booking app Traveloka.
There are plenty of other, even more budget friendly, homestays on Maratua too. Some of them look quite hardcore even for me to stay in, so be prepared for the same conditions the locals live in.
The nicest one seems to be Homestay Tanjung Duata situated in Bohe Silian village. The rooms are simple but clean, and it has its own pier above water. Book it here.
If you want to really keep your costs at minimum, there is a backpackers hostel on the island. It has only one room with 10 mattresses spread around, but it includes a nice terrace. Get truly spartan here.
Berau and Tarakan
One the way, you may need to overnight in Tanjung Redeb/Berau or in Tarakan.
In Tanjung Redeb, choose the Palmy Exclusive Hotel, which has the best price to comfort ratio. In Tarakan, choose one of the Airy rooms, which are rather soulless, but cleanliness is kept on a high level at a cheap price.
Preparation
Maratua is in one of the most biodiverse marine regions in the world, so bring snorkeling equipment. Fins can be easily rented in the village or in any resort. If you plan to bike a lot, those cushioned biking shorts can be handy too.
Apart from that, if you are staying at a resort, you do not need to bring much else. If you stay in a village like I did, you need to prepare yourself for limited selection of food. There were just two warungs in Bohe Bukut, and their menu was limited to chicken with rice, gado-gado (vegetables with rice cake and peanut sauce) and nasi goreng (fried rice). They also serve iced tea, some fresh juices and coconuts.
There are shops in the village where beer, cigarettes and local sweets are available.
While I was in Maratua, there was a problem with the local mobile signal and I could usually only catch some at the end of the pier in Bohe Bukut.
