Getting from Berau to Derawan in 2027 will look almost exactly like it does in September 2026: scheduled flights into Kalimarau Airport, a 2 to 2.5-hour road transfer to Tanjung Batu, then a speedboat to the islands. Wings Air keeps flying to Maratua twice weekly. Seaplane and small-aircraft charter exist only as on-request options, not scheduled service, and travelers who plan around that reality avoid the most common booking mistakes.
What Already Works for Getting to Derawan?
Kalimarau Airport (IATA code BEJ) sits in Teluk Bayur district, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan. A 2019 Liputan6 report already described it as the tourism gateway to Derawan, Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki, and nothing in the 2026 trend data changes that framing for 2027. There is no direct international service to BEJ, so every foreign visitor connects through a domestic leg, most commonly Balikpapan (BPN) or Tarakan (TRK).
From the airport, the standard route runs by road to Tanjung Batu, the usual jetty for speedboats into the archipelago, in about 2 to 2.5 hours, with one operator itinerary quoting up to 3 hours in slower conditions. From Tanjung Batu, a speedboat reaches Derawan in roughly 30 minutes, Kakaban in about an hour, and Maratua or Sangalaki in about 2 hours. Door to jetty for a Derawan-bound traveler starting at Kalimarau totals close to 3 hours end to end, which is the number worth building a 2027 itinerary around rather than a single flight-to-island promise.
How Do the Ferries and Public Boats Actually Run?
Tanjung Redeb, the regency capital, has its own harbour used by both public and charter boats, and it offers a second path into the islands that skips the Tanjung Batu road transfer. A public speedboat leaves the Tanjung Redeb pier around 10:00 and reaches Maratua directly in about 2.5 hours. Separately, a dive-travel source lists Tanjung Redeb harbour boats running to Maratua, Sangalaki or Kakaban across the day, with a first departure around 08:00 and a last one around 16:00.
That spread matters for 2027 planning because it means travelers are not locked into one morning window. A missed connection at Kalimarau does not automatically strand a group overnight in Berau, provided they reach Tanjung Redeb or Tanjung Batu before the last afternoon departure. Sea conditions still govern the schedule more than the clock does, so neither route should be treated as fixed the way a domestic flight timetable is.
Where Does Charter Air Actually Fit in 2027?
This is where 2027 guides tend to overreach, and where this one stays deliberately narrow. Maratua is the only island in the group with an airstrip, and it is served only by Wings Air, twice weekly — Derawan, Kakaban and Sangalaki have no airport at all and are always reached by boat. Green Nirvana Resort’s own description of the archipelago says it is reachable “by boat or small airplane” after landing at BEJ, which confirms that small-aircraft arrivals happen in practice, but no source names a seaplane operator, a designated water-landing site, a water aerodrome, or a government regulation granting water landings any special status in East Kalimantan.
That is the honest starting point for anyone comparing options on the Berau–Derawan seaplane route: charter air is arranged case by case with a licensed operator, subject to their approval, the relevant aviation permits, and weather, not booked off a published fare table. Every seaplane figure circulating for this region as of September 2026 is quote-on-request; no per-hour rate, fuel surcharge or landing fee is publicly verified, and 2027 travelers should expect the same quote-first process rather than an online booking button.
Mode by Mode: What to Expect
| Mode | Typical duration (one leg) | Baggage handling | Weather sensitivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic flight to BEJ (via BPN/TRK) | Varies by connection | Standard airline allowance, checked bags | Low; occasional delays like any domestic route |
| Road, Kalimarau to Tanjung Batu | 2–2.5 hrs (up to 3 in slow conditions) | Vehicle transfer, no strict limit | Low; road-surface and traffic dependent |
| Speedboat, Tanjung Batu to Derawan | ~30 minutes | Deck stowage, keep valuables dry | Moderate; sea state can delay or cancel |
| Speedboat, Tanjung Batu to Maratua/Sangalaki | ~2 hours | Deck stowage, keep valuables dry | Moderate to high; longer open-water run |
| Public boat, Tanjung Redeb to Maratua | ~2.5 hours, ~10:00 departure | Shared public capacity, limited storage | Moderate; single daily departure adds risk |
| Wings Air, BPN/BEJ to Maratua | Scheduled, twice weekly | Standard airline allowance | Low, but frequency is the real constraint |
| Charter air (seaplane/small aircraft) | On request | Confirm with operator per aircraft | Depends on approval, permits and conditions |
What Should Travelers Book Early for 2027?
- Wings Air seats to Maratua — only two flights a week serve the archipelago’s single airstrip, so seats around peak dive months and Indonesian holiday weeks sell out first.
- Domestic connections through BPN or TRK — Kalimarau has no direct international service, so the inbound leg needs its own buffer, not a tight same-day connection.
- Dive resort transfer slots — resorts on Derawan, Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki typically coordinate their own jetty pickups; confirming the transfer alongside the room booking avoids a scramble at Tanjung Batu.
- Charter air, if wanted at all — because pricing and availability are quote-on-request rather than published, a 2027 charter inquiry needs weeks of lead time, not a last-week request.
- A weather buffer day — speedboat legs to Maratua and Sangalaki run close to two hours over open water, and building one flexible day into a 2027 itinerary absorbs a cancelled crossing without losing the whole trip.
Why 2027 Planning Should Stay Grounded in What Exists Now
Berau’s local administration has cited a Maratua visitor target of around 30,000 for 2026, and a 2026 famtrip specifically targeted Malaysian and Singaporean dive centres, both signs of a region actively courting more traffic rather than one that has quietly finished building new infrastructure. The regency is also upgrading waste systems with tourism goals attached. None of that amounts to a confirmed 2027 seaplane timetable or a new water-landing scheme, and no public source names one. A 2027 trip built on today’s documented modes — flight to BEJ, road to Tanjung Batu, speedboat to the islands, or the Tanjung Redeb public boat, with charter air treated as a request rather than a reservation — is the version that will not need last-minute correcting once the calendar turns over. International visitors juggling Indonesia’s visa options, from the e-VOA to the E33 Second Home or E33G remote-worker visa, should treat those purely as separate paperwork to confirm with an agent, not as anything tied to how the boats or flights to Derawan actually run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a scheduled seaplane service between Berau and Derawan in 2027?
No. As of September 2026, no operator publishes a scheduled seaplane timetable for Berau to Derawan, and no designated water aerodrome is documented in East Kalimantan. Seaplane and small-aircraft transfers exist only as private charter, arranged case by case, subject to operator approval, aviation permits and weather — never a fixed daily departure.
Which is more reliable in 2027, the public boat from Tanjung Redeb or the road-plus-speedboat via Tanjung Batu?
The Tanjung Batu route is generally steadier because departures reportedly run through the day, roughly 08:00 to 16:00 by one dive-travel source, versus the single public boat from Tanjung Redeb that leaves around 10:00 for Maratua. Both depend on sea conditions, so travelers connecting through Kalimarau Airport should build in a buffer rather than book a same-day onward flight.
Do I need to book Wings Air to Maratua months ahead for a 2027 trip?
Yes, book early. Wings Air serves Maratua’s airstrip only twice weekly, and Maratua is the only island in the group with an airport, so seats sell out around peak dive season and holiday weeks. Travelers headed to Derawan, Kakaban or Sangalaki instead transfer by road and speedboat, which has more daily capacity to work with.