All you need to know before you plan your freediving trip to Maratua Island.
For adventurers and solitude seekers, Maratua Island is a glorious find, just far enough off Kalimantan’s less populated east coast to deter the onslaught of tourism that would surely fray its magnificent coral fringe.
What makes Maratua worth visiting is what it lacks: there’s no bustling backpacker scene, no beach bars, and no bikini-clad sunbathers. Instead, you’ll find authentic Indonesian villages, affordable beachfront accommodations, and just enough roads to ride a scooter and explore the island. It is undoubtedly more beautiful than Derawan and less crowded and touristic. We chose to stay in Maratua for precisely this reason. In this article, I will share some practical information on planning your diving trip to this beautiful island.
How to get to Maratua Island
Yes, there is a flight to Maratua Island (Maratua Airport). The flight ticket is often cheaper than the boat ticket. Only one airline operates at the airport, Susi Air, with flights to Samarinda and Tarakan.
There isn’t much information available online yet because you can only book via WhatsApp or by visiting the airport and booking directly with the staff.
In addition, you can also take the boat option. The easiest way is to fly to Kalimarau Airport in Berau. Speedboats operate from Berau boat pier (Pelabuhan Berau) to Maratua Island, which is approximately 120 km away. The journey takes about 2 to 4 hours, depending on the ocean waves. It’s recommended to book the boat ticket a day in advance as spots might run out. We paid 500k per person for the ticket. We asked the staff at Jade Homestay, where we stayed, to make the reservation for us, but you can also go directly to the pier to make a reservation.
Place to stay in Maratua Island
We stayed at Jade Homestay, which cost around RP350,000 per night and offers great value for the price. The rooms are very basic but comfortable enough. The whole island has very limited internet access. My cell phone internet didn’t work at all. The homestay offers slow and unstable Wi-Fi for an extra 20k, but the signal is very weak and usually only works for a while in the mornings. So, be prepared for an internet detox.
The homestay offers delicious home-cooked food for lunch and dinner, but you need to book it in advance.
Recommended Freediving Sites in Maratua Island
1. Sangalaki – Manta Ray Highway
Sangalaki is a feeding ground for manta rays, making it an ideal spot to snorkel with these magical creatures as they come to the surface to feed. A bit of luck is required to be at the right place at the right time, and there’s no guarantee you’ll see them every time. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to spot them, but we still enjoyed the experience because of the dense coral reefs and healthy marine life in the area.
One of the most beautiful and healthy coral reefs I have ever seen!
2. Stingless Jelly fish lake in Kakaban Island
The Kakaban jellyfish do not sting because they have lived in a lake isolated from the sea for generations, and in the absence of predators, they have lost their stinging ability. The lake’s ecosystem is very similar to that of the open sea. The trapped seawater, diluted with rainwater and groundwater, creates a unique habitat that has caused the creatures inside to evolve. The lake has warm, brackish water with a depth of 11 to 17 meters and is covered in marine green algae. Kakaban Lake is home to four species of jellyfish: moon jellyfish, upside-down jellyfish, spotted jellyfish, and box jellyfish.
One of my biggest wishes during this trip was to visit the Kakaban Stingless Jellyfish Lake. However, the lake has been temporarily closed since December 2023 to support scientific research into the phenomena occurring there. We don’t know when it will be open again.
3. Big Fish Country – Maratua island
This dive site is located at the entrance of the big channel that connects the lagoon with the outer sea. The channel itself is swept clean by very strong currents, leaving only the edges covered with beautiful corals. At the entrance of the channel, at 27 meters, you can see large pelagics passing by: grey reef sharks, white- and blacktip sharks, tunas, and hundreds of barracudas.
Since the current is usually very strong, it is highly recommended that freedivers organize their trip with local dive shops and boats.
4. Halo Tabung – the secret cave in Mararua island
Halo Tabung Cave is another great spot to enjoy an underwater panorama in Maratua. The water is blue with a slightly salty taste. The depth is about 8-10 meters, and there are two dive-through paths you can explore. The ticket price is IDR 50K, and you can re-enter the cave within 24 hours of purchasing the ticket. The best time to visit the cave is around noon, as that’s when you have the best chance of getting sunlight straight into the water.
5. Snorkeling around Maratua island
Maratua is a paradise in itself – snorkeling around the island will simply take your breath away! Along with the beautiful corals, you will have the chance to see many turtles, eels, lobsters, squid, and sometimes reef sharks!
We chose not to visit the whale shark point during our trip because we found out that the whale sharks are being fed for people’s viewing pleasure. During these interactions, the whale sharks are fed discarded fish, and we believe this disrupts their natural migratory behavior.
What To Expect in Maratua Island
1. The weather in Maratua island
The best time to visit Maratua is in July and August, when you have the highest chance of sunny weather. You can expect warm tropical temperatures ranging from 23-30°C (73-85°F) during the day and 18-24°C (64-75°F) at night. Given the tropical climate, there is a possibility of occasional short or even heavy rain at any time. It’s a good idea to plan for a few extra days on the island in case of bad weather!
2. Price in Maratua island
We paid Rp350k per day for accommodation, Rp100k per day for a scooter, and Rp75-100k per person per meal for food. The boat cost Rp1.6m per day, shared among four people. Different resorts on the island might offer varying rates. Dive trips are usually charged per boat, and the cost varies depending on the size of the boat.
Be sure to bring enough cash before visiting the island. We didn’t find any ATMs on the island, and you typically can only pay in cash.
3. Food in Maratua island
Despite the limited options on the island, we tried a few places and would recommend these restaurants: Café Victorious and Rasa Maratua. They offer delicious and affordable seafood.
The resorts on the island are very exclusive, meaning they do not offer food or services to non-guests. We visited one resort and tried to order drinks, but they wouldn’t sell to us because we weren’t staying there.
There aren’t many shops on the island where you can buy groceries. We brought coffee, milk, and fruits from Berau, and that was definitely a great decision!
4. Internet in Maratua island
There isn’t much internet on the island. The provider for my cell phone SIM card is XL, and I had no signal at all on the entire island. My boyfriend uses a different SIM card called Telkomsel, and he only had a signal occasionally in different areas on the island. At Jade Homestay, where we stayed, there was an option for very slow and unstable Wi-Fi in the mornings for a few hours, just enough to answer some messages on WhatsApp.
