Derawan Islands & Labuan Cermin Lake

Island hop with Derawan Island as your base, then head south to the two-layered lake and Sulaiman Bay, ending in Berau.

Spend the first three nights on Derawan Island, taking speedboats to Sangalaki, Kakaban, and Maratua to see manta rays and sea turtles. Then, head south to Biduk-Biduk to swim in the fresh-and-saltwater two-layered Labuan Cermin Lake, explore Sulaiman Bay, and finally return to Berau to visit the old royal palaces. The entire trip relies on speedboats and chartered cars, which are heavily influenced by sea conditions. If you only have 4 days, you can skip the southern leg and return directly to Berau from Derawan. Ideal for snorkeling enthusiasts who can accept simple accommodations.

December to March brings poor sea conditions, which can easily affect speedboat travel; manta ray sightings are more stable from April to August.

Day by day

Day 1 · Fly to Berau & Transfer to Derawan Island

Derawan Islands（Derawan Island）

Charter a car from the airport to Tanjung Batu Pier (approx. 2.5–3 hrs), then take a speedboat to the island (approx. 30–40 mins).

Try to book a flight arriving in Berau before noon to avoid missing the boat to the island.

Stay: Derawan Island

Day 2 · Sangalaki & Kakaban Island Hopping

Derawan Islands（Sangalaki Island、Kakaban Jellyfish Lake）

Charter a speedboat for a full-day round trip, with travel times between islands of about 30–60 minutes, returning to Derawan in the evening.

The jellyfish lake was previously closed and had swimming restrictions; confirm with locals before departing.

Stay: Derawan Island

Day 3 · Maratua & Panjang Island

Derawan Islands（Maratua Island、Panjang Island）

Charter a speedboat to Maratua (approx. 1 hr), then head to Panjang Island, returning to Derawan in the evening.

Stay: Derawan Island

Day 4 · Head South to Biduk-Biduk & Sulaiman Bay

Derawan Islands（Teluk Sulaiman）

Charter a speedboat from Derawan heading south (approx. 2–3 hrs); if sea conditions are poor, take the overland route which takes about 8 hours.

This open-sea journey depends heavily on the weather; confirm with the boat captain in advance.

Stay: Labuan Cermin Lake

Day 5 · Morning Swim in the Two-Layered Lake & Return to Berau

Derawan Islands（Labuan Cermin Lake、Biduk-Biduk Beach）

Take a small boat into the lake in the morning, and in the afternoon charter a car north to Tanjung Redeb (approx. 6–8 hrs).

Stay: Tanjung Redeb

Day 6 · Berau Royal Palaces & Departure

Derawan Islands（Keraton Sambaliung、Museum Batiwakkal (Gunung Tabur Palace)）

Drive around the city (approx. 15–30 mins), cross the river to visit two royal palaces, then charter a car to the airport (approx. 20 mins).