Derawan Indah: Indonesia's Hidden Paradise Awaits!
Derawan Indah: Messy Paradise, Worth the Trip… Maybe? (A Review)
Okay, so "Indonesia's Hidden Paradise Awaits!"… that's some serious marketing hype. Derawan Indah, eh? Let's unpack this, shall we? Because honestly, my expectations were sky-high, and, as with most things that promise paradise, reality needed a bit of… smoothing.
Accessibility: Getting There is Half the Battle (and a Little Brutal)
First off, getting to Derawan itself is a mission. Forget popping over for a weekend. This is a COMMITMENT. The website doesn't sugarcoat it, but even still, I wasn’t truly prepared for the multiple flights, possibly a ferry, and definitely a bumpy speedboat ride. My buttocks still haven't forgiven me. Accessibility: This isn’t really the place for wheelchair users, sadly. The jetties and some of the sand can be tricky. Sorry folks.
On-site Restaurants/Lounges: Fueling the Adventure
The key words? Restaurants. Plural! And they do exist. Actually, they are okay. "A la carte" is definitely on the menu, which felt fancy, yet comforting, but it wasn’t always seamless. The staff were lovely, but sometimes things got a little… lost in translation. Which is part of its charm, I suppose.
Wheelchair Accessibility: (See above. Not great.)
Internet (Oh, the Internet…): A Dicey Affair
Okay, let’s be real. Internet, Wi-Fi in Public Areas, Free Wi-Fi in all Rooms!, Internet [LAN]. The brochure boasted all this, and it’s technically true. You can access the internet. Emphasis on can. More often than not, it’s more like desperately refreshing your email and hoping to download one picture without losing your mind. (Blessedly, there was internet somewhere for Wi-Fi for Special Events, but whether that’s a video conference or a birthday party… well, good luck!)
Things to Do: Drowning in Choices (in a Good Way)
This is where Derawan Indah really shines. Forget staring at your phone (because, you know, internet). This place is all about the outdoors.
- Diving and Snorkeling: ABSOLUTELY INSANE. The coral reefs are vibrant, the fish are abundant, and the turtles… oh, the turtles! I spent hours snorkeling, just utterly mesmerized. We saw manta rays gracefully sweeping through the water. It was so beautiful my mask leaked from sheer, unadulterated joy. (Or maybe it was the cheap rental gear. Who knows!)
- Island Hopping: The resort can arrange trips to nearby islands. Make sure you insist on seeing Kakaban Island and its famous jellyfish lake (they are stingless!).
- Relaxing: Yes, they have facilities for Body scrub, Body wrap, Massage and a Spa. I definitely needed some serious relaxing after the long journey, and the massage I had was amazing, and probably the best massage of my life! Not a perfect spa, like a sleek luxury spa, but it was simple and good.
Ways to Relax: Finding Zen (or at Least, a Nap)
Okay, so the Pool with View is breathtaking. Picture this: turquoise water blending into the horizon, palm trees swaying… pure bliss. The Sauna, Spa/sauna, and Steamroom are all there, like a promise of bliss (a promise I didn’t quite get around to fulfilling, but still). They do have a Fitness center, let's just say it's there. Did I use it? No. But it exists. And hey, those Swimming pool and Swimming pool [outdoor] are definitely a big part of what makes it a paradisal place.
Cleanliness and Safety: Feeling Safe… Mostly
Cleanliness and safety are generally good. Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, and the staff seemed diligent with their protocols. I noticed a lot of Hand sanitizer stations and things. The rooms were clean, but I'd recommend bringing your own spray on this one. There are some professional grade sanitizing services.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Fueling the Adventure (Again!)
- Restaurants: The restaurants are decent, but don't expect Michelin stars. The Asian cuisine in restaurant and the International cuisine in restaurant are okay. They have a Buffet in restaurant available if you are staying longer, and the selection is quite good!
- Drinks: Yes, they have a Bar and Poolside bar. Happy hour is a must. The cocktails? Hit or miss. The beer? Cold. That's all that matters sometimes.
- Snacks: Gotta have snacks! There is a Snack bar. I am a fan.
- Breakfast: Loved the Breakfast [buffet] option. Asian breakfast was definitely on the menu. Western breakfast was available too. Plus, a Breakfast service and even a Breakfast takeaway service offer!
- Vegetarian: There is a Vegetarian restaurant option.
I had the coffee/tea in restaurant, it was nice.
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Matter
- For Everyone: The Daily housekeeping was excellent. Food delivery to rooms (a lifesaver when you’re exhausted). Cashless payment service is available, as well.
- Facilities for Disabled Guests: These are available.
- Business Facilities: Meeting/banquet facilities are available, if you’re so inclined.
- Other nice to have: The Air conditioning in public area is great.
For the Kids: Mostly a Good Bet
Family/child friendly. Saw a few families and the staff seemed good with them.
Available in all rooms: Air conditioning, alarm clock, bathrobes!
The Anecdote that Makes it Real.
I'll never forget this one moment. I'm at the Poolside bar, after a day of snorkeling. My skin is sun-kissed, my hair is messy, and I'm starving. The waiter brings my order: a plate of fried calamari, which looked amazing. I take a bite and… it's rubbery. My face probably betrayed the disappointment. But the waiter, seeing my reaction, instantly burst out laughing. "Sorry!" he exclaimed, "Sometimes the sea gets the best of us!" And he replaced it. Later, I got free dessert. It was a tiny imperfection, but the sincere apology and the offer of more, which ultimately made the visit more wonderful.
The Verdict: Is Derawan Indah Worth It?
Look, Derawan Indah isn’t perfect. The internet can be a nightmare. The journey is exhausting, and some things need a bit of work.
But the sheer beauty of the underwater world, the friendly staff, the relaxed vibe, and the feeling of being utterly away from it all? That’s worth the trip. It’s a messy, imperfect paradise. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
So, Would I Go Back?
Absolutely. With slightly lower expectations, a very good book, a whole stash of snacks and a renewed appreciation for the journey itself.
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Tired of the ordinary? Craving a true escape? Derawan Indah, nestled in the heart of Indonesia's breathtaking Derawan Islands, awaits! Dive into a world of vibrant coral reefs, encounter majestic sea turtles, and experience the untouched beauty of a hidden paradise.
Here's why you should book your stay at Derawan Indah RIGHT NOW:
- Unrivaled Diving & Snorkeling: Explore a kaleidoscope of marine life in crystal-clear waters. Discover untouched coral gardens and swim alongside graceful manta rays.
- Relax & Rejuvenate: Unwind in our stunning pool with breathtaking views, indulge in a soothing massage, or simply soak up the sun on our pristine beaches.
- Experience Authentic Indonesian Hospitality: Enjoy delicious Asian and international cuisine at our on-site restaurants. Our friendly staff will ensure your every need is met.
- Unplug & Reconnect with Nature: Escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in the serenity of Derawan. Disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with what truly matters. (Free Wi-Fi available, but maybe don't rely on it!)
- [OPTIONAL - for the Kids]: We are family-friendly with babysitting available.
Book now and receive:
- [Special offer: Discounted rates for stays of 7+ nights!]
- [Special offer: Complimentary airport transfer.]
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Escape to Paradise: Dolphin Inn's Blouberg Bliss Awaits!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because this isn't your fancy, airbrushed travel blog. This is me in Derawan, Indonesia, and trust me, it's a wild ride. Prepare for some serious stream-of-consciousness, because that's just how my brain works when I'm trying to remember everything… and probably forgetting half of it anyway.
Day 1: Arrival & Aquarium Eyes (aka "Jet Lag is a Jerk")
- 6:00 AM (ish): Wake up in Jakarta. Or, more accurately, stumble out of the hotel room after the worst sleep ever. Why do they ALWAYS blast the air conditioning at arctic levels? Anyway, time to catch a domestic flight to Berau. The anticipation! The promise of turquoise waters! The… the crushing realization that I left my favorite sunglasses back in the hotel. Ugh.
- 10:00 AM: Arrive in Berau. The airport is tiny. Think "one baggage carousel" and "flies that are genuinely interested in your breakfast." But hey, the air smells like… well, I'm not sure what it smells like, but it's definitely NOT city air. Win!
- 11:00 AM: The transfer to Derawan. A speedboat. This is cool and all, until the waves start getting really friendly. Let's just say I'm not exactly known for my sea legs. I'm gripping the side of the boat, muttering prayers to Poseidon (even though I’m pretty sure he and I have some unresolved issues).
- 1:00 PM: Check into Derawan Indah Hotel. It’s… rustic. Let's go with "rustic." The AC is a bit of a crapshoot, but the view from my "bungalow" (read: slightly ramshackle hut) is… WOW. Crystal clear water. Seriously, I can see the bottom of the lagoon, and it's full of… wait for it… FISH! Tiny, colorful flashes of life. My camera is already overheating from the picture overload.
- 2:00 PM: Lunch. Fish. Fresh fish. Delicious fish. I ate with my hands because I forgot my fork. Don't judge me.
- 3:00 PM: Snorkeling! Okay, THIS is why I came. The coral gardens are… indescribable. Huge, vibrant, teeming with life. Giant clams, clownfish (Nemo!), and… oh my god… a sea turtle! It just glided right past me. I swear I nearly cried. Seriously, it just… felt like magic. I spent the rest of the afternoon just floating in the water, feeling like I'd found a little slice of heaven.
- 6:00 PM: Dinner. More fish. And a Bintang (local beer). The sunset is insane. Like, the sky is on FIRE. I swear I saw a dolphin surf the waves. (Okay, maybe I had two Bintangs).
- 8:00 PM: Attempted to watch the stars, but the mosquitoes made me retreat. Note to self: invest in industrial-strength mosquito repellent. And maybe a head net. I spent a good hour just swatting furiously.
Day 2: Jellyfish, Jitters, and a Moment of Zen (Mostly Jitters)
(Oh, by the way, I still don't have my sunglasses. The tragedy!)
- 7:00 AM: Woke up to the sound of the waves and the smell of… well, I'm not sure. Something savory. Breakfast is “nasi goreng” - fried rice with fried eggs, basically. I burn my tongue. Every. Single. Time.
- 8:00 AM: Kakaban Lake. The famous jellyfish lake! Nervous doesn't even begin to cover it. I read online they are not supposed to sting. Supposed to. That's my fear. What if the jellyfish are having a bad day? What if they wake up on the wrong side of the coral? We get there. It's beautiful, the lake is surrounded by dramatic cliffs. I gingerly slide into the water…
- 8:10 AM - 8:40 AM: Jellyfish! Thousands of them. Gently pulsing, clear, almost ethereal. I try to relax, to just… be. But the anxiety is kicking in, right under my ribs. They brush against me. It's like a weird, slimy dance that’s very alien. I flail a little. Not my finest moment. But… after a while, the wonder wins. Watching the jellyfish swirl and dance around me is truly mesmerizing, a really unique experience.
- 9:00 AM: I'm in the boat, a little bewildered, but also thrilled!
- 11:00 AM: Snorkeling in different spot. More fish, more coral. More beauty. I ran out of adjectives by lunchtime.
- 1:00 PM: Back to the hotel. Lunch. Fish. You know the drill.
- 2:00 PM: The Beach. Well, I thought I was going to lay on the beach and relax. I have no idea when this happened, but I ended up helping drag a giant, beached turtle back into the ocean. The locals were thrilled. I was covered in sand and exhausted but also filled with some kind of weird pride.
- 4:00 PM: Trying to nap. The heat is relentless. The AC is still a bit moody.
- 6:00 PM: Dinner. Even more fish. Getting kind of used to it.
- 7:00 PM: More star-gazing, this time with the aforementioned industrial mesh helmet, courtesy of the hotel staff because seriously, those mosquito are relentless. Even though I look like a beekeeper, It's worth it. The Milky Way is breathtaking!
- 9:00 PM: I swear I saw a shooting star! Maybe. Or maybe it was the Bintang talking.
Day 3: Derawans Delight - A Dive into the Deep (And My Soul?)
Today, I'm going diving. I have been dreaming about this. I've always had a mild obsession with Jacques Cousteau.
- 7:00 AM: Breakfast. Yup, you guessed it. Rice and fish. Maybe I should be a vegetarian when I get home.
- 8:00 AM: Dive training. I'm a certified open water diver, but it's been a while. The instructor, a young guy named Wayan, is patient and incredibly chill. (He smiles a lot, which is a good indication). Getting the gear on is a workout in itself. I managed not to trip. Progress!
- 9:00 AM: Boat to a dive site. The feeling is a mix of excitement and pure, unadulterated terror. I think the terror is winning.
- 9:30 AM: IN THE WATER!!! I descend. Very, slowly. It takes about 1 minute, everything is silent but the sound of my own breathing. I am very aware of my breathing! The visibility is… incredible. The light dances in shafts, corals and fish are even more vibrant. I’m surrounded by… nothing. This is a real moment of peace, an escape to another world.
- 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: I descend further and see other divers in the distance. Down, down, down. The pressure is intense. It feels good! I'm weightless. It’s absolute magic. I see a huge, stunning, sea turtle (again!), a manta ray, and schools of fish so thick they almost block out the sun. Then, something changes. I get a bit disoriented and start rising a little too fast. My ears start to hurt but I focus.
- 10:30 AM: Back to the surface, everything good. I am ecstatic! I burst through the surface of the water laughing and gasping for air. I’m alive!
- 11:00 AM: The boat ride. I'm exhausted, but in the best way. I want to do it again. This is so beautiful!
- 1:00 PM: Lunch. I have earned my fish.
- 2:00 PM: Lying on the beach, reflecting on how to improve my experience. What I learned is that sometimes, the most beautiful things are also the most terrifying!
- 6:00 PM: Dinner. I barely touch my fish. I am still buzzing from the dive. I’m in my element, but also, a little bit overwhelmed, in a good way.
- 7:00 PM: Packing. The bittersweet moment of realizing this paradise will soon turn into a memory. This is better than the best movie!
Day 4: Goodbye Derawan, Hello Reality (with a heavy heart)
- 6:00 AM: Wake up before the sun. Say a silent thank you to the AC for being relatively well-behaved.
- 7:00 AM: Last breakfast. One last nasi goreng. And yes, I burn my tongue. Some things never change.
- 8:00 AM: Depart from Derawan. The boat
Derawan Indah: Your Head Trip To Paradise (Probably) - FAQs, Because We're All Confused, Right?
Okay, So... Where Even IS Derawan? Like, Geographically, I Mean? Is It, Like, *Actually* Paradise?
Alright, settle down, geography whiz. Derawan is in a cluster of islands off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Think Borneo, but with less jungle (and maybe fewer orangutans, though I have no proof of this) and MORE... well, picture-perfect turquoise water. Is it *actually* paradise? Look, it’s gorgeous. Stunning. But, and this is a BIG but, "paradise" is subjective, right? I once saw a cockroach the size of my thumb scuttling across my bungalow floor at 3 AM. So, you know... *perspective*. Let's just say it's REALLY REALLY pretty.
How Do I GET There? (And Pray I Don't Regret It?)
The journey is… an adventure. It’s a series of flights, transfers, and boat rides. You're probably gonna fly into Berau (BEJ) airport. It's tiny! Like, barely-fits-a-plane tiny. From there, it's an hour or so of driving to the port of Tanjung Batu, and then a speedboat ride. The speedboat part is where things get REAL. It’s bumpy, you get splashed, and you cling to the sides for dear life hoping your internal organs don't rearrange themselves. My friend, bless her heart, threw up. Twice. And then she just… kept chatting. That’s the beauty of travel, right? You’re either bonding over shared misery, or you're having the time of your life. Hopefully, it's the latter, but bring some Dramamine and a strong stomach because that speed boat ride is a wild one. You’re going to feel like you’ve earned that Bintang afterwards, trust me.
What's with the Sea Turtles? Are They, Like, *Everywhere*? And Can I Touch Them? (Please tell me I can't.)
Sea turtles! Yes! They are. And no, you can’t touch them. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, DON'T TOUCH THE TURTLES! Please. They're protected, precious, and you'll be breaking the law (and being a jerk) if you interfere. They’re pretty common, especially at the night dives, and they’re unbelievably majestic. Seeing them just floating there, gracefully doing their thing, is pure magic. I’m getting chills just thinking about it. Seriously, just watch them. Appreciate them. Don’t try to selfie with them. Be respectful. It's a privilege to be in their world, and this trip has so many amazing animal encounters to offer.
Scuba Diving or Snorkeling? Which is Better? (And Can I Even Breathe Underwater?)
Both are incredible! Derawan’s marine life is spectacular. Snorkeling is an easy win, especially if you're not a certified diver. You can see so much just floating on the surface. The coral reefs are vibrant, the fish are colorful, and the visibility is usually amazing. BUT... scuba diving? WHOA NELLY. It takes you to another world. You can see the bigger stuff, like manta rays and bigger turtles. The feeling of weightlessness, of exploring a completely silent and alien environment... it’s addictive. I didn’t even have my certification before I went. I took a discovery dive. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. I remember the first time I breathed underwater and It was just…mind-blowing. It’s worth getting certified if you have the time, but even if you don't, the snorkeling is phenomenal.
Okay, Beyond the Turtles and the Fish, What Else Is There To Do? I get Bored, You Know?
Bored? In Derawan? Okay, look, I get it. Chilling on a beach for days isn't for everyone. But there *is* stuff to do! You got:
- Kakaban Lake: A lake filled with stingless jellyfish! (Seriously, stingless!) You can float amongst them and feel like you're in some surreal dream. It's amazing. Try not to swallow one.
- Maratua Island: Beautiful, quieter, and more developed than Derawan. Some fantastic dive spots here too.
- Whale Shark Encounters: If you're really lucky, you can find operators that will take you to swim with whale sharks. I chickened out of this because HELLO, HUGE FISH. But people tell me it’s life-changing.
- Island Hopping: Explore the other islands, see different beaches, have a picnic.
- Sunset Watching: The sunsets are epic. Seriously. Find a good spot, grab a Bintang (local beer), and just soak in the colors. It's a religious experience.
- Just Lie Around: Okay fine, maybe a little bit of just lying around... it's the perfect escape.
Let's Talk Bugs. Are We Talking Mosquitoes? Cockroaches? Things That Bite?
Oh, the bugs. Yeah. They're there. Mosquitoes are definitely present, so bring repellent – the DEET stuff, the strong stuff. I got *wrecked* one night. My arms looked like I'd been in a fight with a swarm of tiny gladiators. Cockroaches... as I mentioned, they're also a part of the experience, which, depending on the person, can be a blessing or a curse. They're not *everywhere*, but you might encounter one or two. Just try not to make eye contact. There are also other creepy crawlies, so be prepared. Think ant, mosquito, spider and cockroach, and sometimes bigger stuff! But the beauty of being outdoors makes this aspect worth it. It comes with the territory.
What About Food? Is It All, Like, Rice and Fish?
Mostly, yes! Rice and fish (usually grilled) are staples. But it's fresh, and delicious. The seafood is incredible. You can eat the fish that they've just caught right off the boat! There are also some warungs (local restaurants) offering more variety, like noodles, chicken dishes, and Indonesian classics like nasi goreng (fried rice) and gado-gado (vegetable salad with peanut sauce). My biggest regret: not eating enough grilled fish. I went back and had it like, 3 times in a row. The fresh seafood and the spices… *chef's kiss*. Just make sure to drink bottled water. Always and forever. And watch out for the spicy sambal – it’s amazing but can sneak up on you!
Accommodation: What's The Vibe? Are We Talking Luxury Resorts, or Basic Bungalows?
