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Maratua Island
- Rachel
- Jan 28
- 15 min read
Updated: Feb 23
Welcome to enchanting Maratua Island, a paradise nestled off the coast of Indonesia's East Kalimantan province. Boasting postcard - worthy, stunning natural beauty and crystal-clear waters, Maratua is home to an abundance of vibrant marine life and is considered the second-best diving in the world after Raja Ampat. I can honestly say it is the most beautiful place I have ever been. This place offers an utterly relaxing escape for travelers seeking both adventure and tranquility. With its pristine beaches, lush landscapes, and rich island culture, Maratua is the perfect destination for those looking to explore the wonders of the Coral Triangle. Join us as we delve into the captivating experiences that await on Maratua Island, from island hopping and snorkeling in vibrant coral reefs to immersing yourself in the local traditions and hospitality.
How to get to Maratua Island
To reach Maratua Island, your journey begins with a flight to either Berau (BEJ) or Tarakan (TRK), which are the nearest mainland access points. We flew with Citilink from Bali to Berau with a connection through Balikpapan, and spent one night in Tanjung Redeb so we could catch a boat to the island the following day.
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By local boat it's roughly a 3 hour trip out to the island, depending on whether they stop off at Derawan Island to deliver supplies. Alternatively, there is an option to take a light plane flight with Susi Air from Tarakan three times a week; however, it's important to note that seats on these flights cannot be prebooked, as priority is given to local residents. Therefore, if you choose this route, it's advisable to arrive early to secure your seat and be prepared to wait for the next flight if you miss out.
The trip in 3 legs - flights Perth to Bali, Bali to Berau, then Berau to Maratua Island by boat.
We opted to take the local boat from Berau, organising our tickets on arrival in the afternoon for the following morning. After checking in to our accommodation at Hotel Palmy, we wondered down to the jetty at Dermaga Wisata Sanggam to look for Herman, who our hotel receptionist had put us in contact with to book tickets. Usually, the local boat that transfers passengers and supplies leaves at around 10am however we were offered a seat on an earlier departure and told to be there at 7am. It turned out this was more of a supplies boat, and we were the only two passengers on board. The tickets were 510,000 Rp each.
I'll admit, this boat ride was an adventure in itself! On arrival at the pier, it was raining and we settled into a seat to watch the boat begin to be loaded with supplies. Tanjung Redeb is situated on the banks of a wide, swirling brown river that we learned is actually home to saltwater crocs. As we sat there watching through the drizzle, we saw huge logs and uprooted palm trees floating past and I felt sure we would see a croc's head pop up at any second. Around 7.30am it was time to board and off we went.
There was no dawdling happening on this trip and the captain hit full speed pretty quickly while his offsider sat up front watching for the logs and debris that they skillfully dodged for over an hour as we made our way out of the river and into the Celebes Sea. At first, I was pretty nervous we would hit one and have to swim to shore - which would have been 150m plus to either bank. As the trip continued though, I realised these guys make this trip every single day and probably have a pretty good idea what they're doing! We got to see so much as we passed riverside villages, fish farms and dozens of heavily laden coal barges on their way out to load ships at sea. Find out more about Berau in our Kalimantan blog post here. (coming soon)
After around 3 hours of pretty smooth sailing, we arrived at Maratua's main pier, located in Teluk Harapan Village. There was a crowd on the pier who had been waiting for the boat - some to collect supplies and some to jump on for the trip back to the mainland. We had been told our accommodation at Maratua Dive Centre was "Kadek's place" and that we should find Kadek when we arrived. After asking some locals, a smartly dressed man waiting to board the boat introduced himself "I'm Kadek - but you need to see my manager, I'm leaving." We found Azman who showed us to his truck, which we travelled in the back of, and took us on the five-minute drive to Maratua Dive Centre.
Accommodation on Maratua Island
The accommodation on the island ranges from basic homestay to luxury over water villas, with a bit of everything in between. The larger establishments are available to book through booking sites, however a lot of the smaller places are by WhatsApp or in person when you arrive. You can check out some options here:
We chose Maratua Dive Centre and Lodge for its mid-range price, great reviews and
because we had seen it recommended in other travel blogs. I am so happy with the choice we made because the experience we had here was pure magic - and our host Kadek (Jr) ensured it was so. No matter what we asked, his response was "It's all good - I got you!" When we arrived, there were only two other couples at the resort however both left within the first two days we were there and then we had the place to ourselves. We had managed to arrive right at the end of Indonesian school holidays so the last of the domestic tourists were in the crowd on the pier waiting to leave when we arrived.
The rooms are simple, comfortable timber cabins with ensuites. There are ten rooms that are built along the top of the small cliff over the ocean, and four over water bungalows about halfway out their pier. While we were staying, work was going on to finish off their new Lake View rooms across the road. All rooms had balconies looking out over the water, and we saw turtles, barracuda and baby sharks from ours despite the water being super shallow below us. Access to the land-based rooms is via a timber boardwalk that meanders through the existing jungle.
Our room included breakfast, which was prepared fresh every morning by the lovely Susi. There is no menu - whatever Susi is preparing is what you get! And Susi is certainly a fabulous chef so we were never disappointed. Breakfast is served on the large deck overlooking the pier and ocean - it was so relaxing starting the day and ending it here with a beer watching the sunset.
We could also opt to have both lunch and dinner at the resort as long as we let Susi know by 10am for lunch and by 3pm for dinner. The same set up applied - whatever Susi was cooking was what we ate. We ended up choosing to eat dinner there every night of our stay but explored the local villages and warungs for lunch. Every night was an absolute feast - freshly caught fish, succulent chicken, local vegetable dishes, tempeh and tofu, rice, and ripe melon for dessert. It was worth far more than the 100,000 Rp each we paid!
One thing to note is that alcohol is not available everywhere and is pretty much limited to Bintang beer. It is pretty rare for locals to drink much, if at all and all supplies have to be brought over by boat from the mainland. We were able to purchase large bottles of Bintang at our accommodation for around 90,000Rp each. If you prefer not to drink beer, I would suggest bringing your own wine / spirits and mixers with you.
The team at Maratua Dive Centre were so accommodating and welcoming - nothing was too much trouble. They helped us organise a scooter for the duration of our stay (150,000 Rp per day), boat trips to explore surrounding islands, laundry, and our return boat transfer back to Berau.
Things to do on Maratua
Hire a Scooter and Explore the Island
As mentioned above, we were able to organise a scooter for the duration of our stay so that we could explore the island. Within hours of arriving, the guys had an N-Max 155 sitting out front, waiting for us to use. Unfortunately, it didn't come with a helmet because I don't think they actually exist on this island but with my nervous nature limiting us to 45km an hour I think we were pretty safe. There is one main road that travels right around the island, and there is so little traffic that sometimes we went end to end without seeing another vehicle. Maratua Island is shaped a bit like a horseshoe, and I estimate it took us around 45 - 50 minutes to travel from one tip to the other.
Having the scooter freed us up to go wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. We were able to explore all the land-based sights we had on our list, and even a couple we hadn't come across in our research on Maratua.
Visit the local Villages and say Hi!
Visiting the local villages was an amazing experience. Our presence was met with curiosity and excitement wherever we went, with locals almost amazed to see a couple of tourists wandering around. We would cruise past groups of children excitedly calling out "Bule! Bule! Hello!!" and rushing out to introduce themselves, grab a high five and practice a little English. (Bule means foreigner).
We visited 4 villages on the island - Payung - Payung, Bohe Silian, Teluk Alulu, and Teluk Harapan and the experience was similar in each one. We felt completely welcome and the interactions we had were truly uplifting. We felt like celebrities! I think what I like most about riding and walking through these villages is that you get to see real island life - not what the resorts have created to cater to tourists. You get to see how people live, what they do with their time, and how they make their living and for me - that is what travel is all about.
We did find conversation could be a bit tricky once we were outside our accommodation so google translate was a godsend. We would definitely recommend brushing up on your Indonesian to make it easier.
Go Turtle Spotting at Payung-Payung Pier
Lots of locals told us if we wanted to see turtles, we just needed to go to Payung-Payung pier at high tide. What we saw when we got there was out of this world! It would have been even more amazing if we had gone on a calmer day, but the choppy water still couldn't hide these beautiful creatures. At first, we noticed dark blobs on the white sand below the crystal-clear water that could have been rocks or weed. As we made our way out along the pier, we realised most of them were moving, slowly, and realised almost every one was a turtle grazing happily in the shallows, completely unbothered by our presence. Every so often they would move to another spot and poke their heads up for a breath as they went. Some hung close to the pier which gave us a really good look at them. They were mesmerizing to watch, and I could have stayed for hours!
Explore Pristine Coral and Abundant Marine Life
Whether you are a snorkeller (like us) or a qualified diver, Maratua offers the opportunity to experience absolutely stunning underwater environments and encounter thousands of sea creatures.
We were lucky enough to see hundreds of turtles, a manta ray, a shark, an eagle ray, a moray eel, a sea snake, clownfish and a massive school of barracuda. Not to mention being surrounded by thousands of colourful tropical fish every time we got in the water. Even a quick snorkel off the end of the pier at Maratua Dive Centre uncovered stunning corals and so many fish.
Being the only guests at the resort was pretty lucky for us as Kadek offered for us to go out in his boat, guided by Bruce, whose freediving skills and local knowledge were incredible.
The visibility was amazing with crystal clear water as we explored Small Fish Country, Big Fish Country, Coral Garden, Turtle Traffic and Fusilier Paradise snorkel spots. As we walked out the jetty to head off for one trip, we spotted a lone barracuda hanging in the shallows. Bruce told us "Barracuda. Very dangerous. Aggressive. Stay away." We asked where we were heading and Bruce explained we would be heading to a spot called Fusilier Paradise. It got its name from the thousands of fusilier fish that used to live there but that now they called it Barracuda Spot, because the large resident school of Barracuda had eaten most of the fusiliers. Ummm, ok!
We still saw a few fusilier fish there, but by far the most impressive (and unnerving) thing at this spot were the barracuda, who showed up within minutes of us getting in the water. We watched cautiously from a distance as Bruce grabbed our GoPro and headed right for them, swimming under and around the school to get some awesome footage.
Book a Boat Trip to Explore Nearby Islands
With the help of the team at Maratua Dive Centre, we were able to book a local boat to ferry us around, exploring the islands surrounding Maratua at a cost of roughly $100 aud each.
Our first stop was tiny Sangalaki Island, to visit the Turtle Conservation Centre.
The stunning white sand beach of Sangalaki is a nesting spot where sea turtles come each night to lay their eggs. Unfortunately, there is a large population of monitor lizards living on the island who prey on the eggs and young. One we saw was so big it was almost comparable to a Komodo Dragon. They are also susceptible to being taken by locals who eat or sell the eggs. The centre is staffed by diligent locals who wait for the turtles to lay each night before collecting their eggs and reburying them inside large wooden pens, protected from the lizards and poachers. In 50 - 60 days the babies hatch and are held in a small pool for 24 hours to observe them before being released into the ocean. I have no doubt that the work taking place here is a big part of the reason there are so many turtles to see in the waters around Maratua. There is a small resort on Sangalaki Island where you can really unwind and escape the world. We couldn't resist a swim here - the beach was exactly the image that comes to mind when you hear the words 'tropical island' - white sand, gentle waves, clear blue water and coconut trees reaching out over the water. We had a snorkel here too, and this is where we spotted our Manta Ray. Although the spot was known as Manta Point, locals had told us they hadn't seen any in around 6 months so we were really lucky to find one!
Next was Kakaban Island, famous for its lake filled with stingless jellyfish. We were disappointed to find that we weren't able to visit the lake and swim with the jelly fish as they were gone. Some implied it was due to global warming or other unknown mysterious reasons, while others told us that a dispute between surrounding islands over ownership of the lake had led to the jellyfish being poisoned out of spite. We don't know which is true - as tourists we only hear what locals want us to know and we got the feeling this was not a comfortable topic of discussion. We did hear there was a small pocket of the lake where there were still some left. I hope this is true because it's devastating to think they are completely gone after how long it took for this unique, stingless population to evolve in their predatorless home.
Although jellyfish swims were off the cards, we were able to explore Laguna Kehe Daing - or Blue Lagoon. This lagoon fills at high tide through a small cave opening in the rocks. Stunning just doesn't cut it when describing it - this place really felt like something out of a dream. There was a small stall here selling water and pop mie, a couple of picnic tables, a hammock and some toilets. Otherwise, it was pretty untouched and so very beautiful. We had a peaceful wade in the lagoon (a little stony so keep your thongs on) and took it all in.
When it was time to head back for Maratua, our guide asked if we would like to see the "compensation of sand". Cheers google translate - he meant the sand banks! In the middle of the lagoon formed by Maratua's horseshoe shape, are a series of sandbanks that emerge at low tide known as Gusung Maratua Dalam. You can pull up in the boat, walk on the sand, swim in the stunning turquoise water and just soak in the beauty of it all. We took the opportunity to collect a few pieces of plastic we saw in the sand (there was not a lot) and float for a while before heading off.
On the return trip our guide took us for a snorkel at Coral Garden which was stunning, and Turtle Traffic near Payung Payung pier.
Grab a Local Bite on Maratua Beach
Near the main pier in Teluk Harapan, is a beachside dining area with shady palms and rustic timber tables right by the stunning Maratua Beach. Although there are a couple of larger warungs, most of the offerings are small stalls operating out of tiny huts. On our first visit here, we met Made Bob, who chatted with us about the island and the things we could do there. Luckily, Bob's English was great and he helped us to order some lunch from his Mum's Warung, because our Indonesian was terrible! We soon learned how to order our food and a coconut (kelapa) or iced tea (es teh), and to ask "How much?" - Berapa harganya? We ate lunch here most days and it was super value - we both had a meal and a drink each most days for 70 - 80,000 Rp total. We sat watching the ocean and occasional turtles bobbing by and ate delicious local food. Be prepared to be surrounded by friendly cats waiting for you to finish your food though!
Another spot we highly recommend is Cafe Victorious - a stunning warung overlooking the centre lagoon of the island with delicious local food and great service.
Take the Plunge at Goa Halo Tabung
This is an amazing hidden gem on the island that is definitely not to be missed. Goa Halo Tabung is an aquatic cave with stunning blue water, surrounded by wild jungle and rock walls. The water is crystal clear and cold, and you can see all the way down to the bottom at around 20 meters depth. If you're adventurous, there is a spot to jump from the rocks at a height of around 5 meters. This was a job for Danny - not me! There is a pathway between the pools either over, or under the rocks. Neither of us are good enough free divers to attempt the underwater route but it wasn't necessary to see all the cave had to offer. We spent some time snorkelling here and admiring the surroundings. There is a bit of sharp rock to traverse on the way in so keep your shoes on until you're ready to get in. For foreigners there is a 50,000Rp entry fee.
Spot the Local Wildlife
As you would expect from a sparsely populated island covered in jungle, Maratua is teeming with wildlife. We were lucky enough to spot monkeys, lizards, ribbon snakes, geckos, hermit crabs, monitor lizards and more. My one tip though - don't slow down if you come across monkeys on the road. These ones are NOT friendly!
One special creature found on the island is the Coconut Crab. Unlike other crabs, these ones live in the jungle, not the water, and can grow to a whopping 4kg over a 60 year lifespan. They can reach a span of over 1 metre and their claws are designed to be able to crack open coconuts with an estimated force of 3300 newtons for a fully grown crab. Kadek at Maratua Dive Centre told us he has seen them grab and bend a steel knife. He also explained that they are protected, with locals allowed to hunt them to eat, but not sell them. He said on the black market they fetch around 250,000Rp per kilo. Kadek told us you need to hunt them at night by leaving out coconut or fresh fruit in the jungle to lure them, before ambushing them and trying not to lose a finger.
Relax and Take in a Maratua Sunset
This one really needs no explanation, find a good spot and sit back!
The deck at Maratua Dive Centre is perfect.
Discover Your Very Own Secret Beach
Well, maybe not entirely secret as we found out about it from the German couple who were leaving our accommodation. Around 400 metres from the hotel we found the entrance to a stunning secluded beach - and we had it all to ourselves. A little climb down some rocks (nothing too tricky) and we were on stunning white sand with gentle waves lapping at our toes. Great spot for beachcombing and playing with the thousands of tiny hermit crabs on the sand, or just strolling through the shallows spotting turtles and baby rays.
Good to Know Before You Go
We were provided one plastic water bottle and asked to refill at the resort so if you'd prefer to take your own it would be a great idea. There is not really anywhere for rubbish to go out on these islands, so we all need to do our bit.
Maratua is pretty close to the equator so the sun is pretty brutal! Take a good quality sunscreen, rashie, hat and long, light clothing to cover up.
If you like a wine or spirits to drink, take it with you. Alcohol is scarce on the island.
The currents around the island can take you a long way very quickly - get local advice before you head out to make sure you're safe.
We only saw one ATM on the island but didn't use it so can't comment on it being a reliable source of funds. We took enough cash to get us through which would be the safest bet.
There are a couple of small supermarkets on the island and countless snack stalls - they are all very reasonably priced for food, drinks, toiletries etc.
If you don't have snorkel / dive gear, Maratua Dive Centre will have you covered. I opted to upgrade my mask before we went and can highly recommend Hollis if you're in the market for a new one. It was comfortable, reliable and did not leak at all - the vision was fantastic too. Oceanic is another great option.
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Whether you're looking for relaxation, nature, or adventure, Maratua Island has something for you. Don't forget to check out our Facebook, Instagram and Youtube to see more of this beautiful part of the world!
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