Pulau Derawan, or Derawan Island, is the main island of the Sangalaki archipelago that lies off the east coast of East Kalimantan. It has idyllic beaches and comes with excellent scuba diving options.
Teardrop-shaped Derawan Island covers 40,000 hectares of lush land and is surrounded by lovely beaches. Divers can swim with turtles, sea cows and all manner of fish. Manta rays, schooling tuna and leopard sharks have been spotted here. The best dive spots in Pulau Derawan are south and east of the island.
Non-divers may find Pulau Derawan slightly limiting unless they are into beaches and reading. There are, however, loads of species of seabirds and many rare plants to spot and the hiking inland is pretty rewarding. There are also several caves worth checking out on Pulau Derawan, while nearby Samama, Sangalaki, Maratua and Panjang are also interesting.
Getting There & Away
You can get to Pulau Derawan by boat from either Tanjung Redeb or Tarakan on the mainland - both cities have airports. Most people tend to come in from Tanjung Redeb, from where speedboats run to Pulau Derawan in 2 to 4 hours, depending on the weather. Balikpapan has the nearest major airport - Sepinggan International - which is the busiest in Kalimantan and a day’s bus ride away to the south. Pulau Derawan is best accessed from Tanjung Redeb.