An airport, not an island arrival
Indonesia’s civil aviation directory identifies Kalimarau as the public domestic airport at Teluk Bayur in Berau, East Kalimantan, with IATA code BEJ. The useful town base is Tanjung Redeb. Check the exact airport code when comparing flights: arrival at Kalimarau does not mean arrival on Derawan or Maratua. Those destinations require a separately organised onward journey.
Confirm the correct boat gateway
Ask your island accommodation which road pickup and boat departure it actually uses. Berau’s government documented a Tanjung Redeb–Tanjung Batu–Tarakan speedboat connection in March 2026, but that announcement is not a current timetable or a through-ticket to every island. Confirm the operator, jetty, date, luggage and sea-weather policy directly. A hotel’s own boat and a public connection may have different boarding arrangements.
Plan a flexible overnight stop
A night in Tanjung Redeb can separate an uncertain flight arrival from a fixed boat departure. Allow a return buffer too: sea conditions and airline disruption can affect different legs independently. Keep the final island day adaptable and ask the host what happens if a sailing is postponed before committing to a tightly timed flight.
