Towards Maratua
Maratua located in the Celebes Sea, precisely located in the southern city of Tarakan, East Kalimantan. To go to this place, you have to go to the airport first Juwutan in Tarakan. Now there are several flights to Tarakan.
Tarakan, you can use the plane to Cape Redeb service in Berau. From Cape Redeb, you can use a speed boat or a ship headed penumpan Maratua. With a speed boat will take about 3 hours to the island of Cape Redeb Maratua.
Given the many tourists want to visit Maratua, then in 2015, at the airport there Maratua Maratua. So you can go straight to Maratua by using aircraft with a shorter time than using a speed boat.
Derawan Islands
With a speed boat, you can visit some of the islands in addition to Maratua Derawan Islands. Maratua is one of 31 islands located in Derawan Islands, which entered the district of Berau, East Kalimantan. The famous island Derawan Islands are in addition Maratua Derawan, Samama Island, Island Charitable and Kakaban.
Generally the other islands in the Derawan Islands are uninhabited. Maratua has a population of about 3000 souls and there are 4 villages with native Bajo worked as a fisherman. Four of the village is the village of Hope Bay, Payungpayung Village, the Village and Village Bay Bohesilian Alolo.
Derawan Islands, you can find a saltwater lake which is one of the largest in the world. In this island also become the world's largest nesting site of the green turtle. Here are some interesting tourist sites in Derawan Islands:
Kakaban
There is a brackish water lake is the largest lake in the world Kakaban. In the lake there are various types of unique animals that have been mutated to live in brackish water.
Charitable Island
On this island you can see giant manta rays, green turtles nesting site and a few locations so beautiful dive.
Derawan Island
Around the island there are also several dive sites are so beautiful and colorful.
Green turtle
Along the coast Maratua famous as the biggest nesting site for green turtles. Hundreds of turtle nesting on the island each year. Maybe it could be said this is a capital place for green turtles because so many green turtles visiting Maratua.
Diving
Yes, especially Derawan Islands Maratua be snorkeling and diving locations are so beautiful. You can see a variety of diverse coral reefs. The color is so beautiful coral reefs that you can find in the sea around the island Maratua.
There are at least 21 point dive that you can try here. Each of these dive spot has its own exoticism. If you are lucky, you can see straight green turtles and giant stingray while diving at this place.
Among the 21 point dive (dive spot), there are two of the most famous diving spot. To remember, the flow at this location is quite strong and the sea is very deep, so you need a special license or be accompanied while diving at this place. Both diving points are:
Turtle Traffic
Here you can easily see green turtles. Hundreds of green turtles often crossed this area.
Big Fish Country
Flows at this location is quite strong and many large fish here as giant stingrays, tuna, and shark.
If you can not see turtles or large fish, do not be disappointed. Since the dive spot in Maratua always there are various marine animals are unique and interesting. Some of them such as jellyfish, sea horse, octopus, lobster, squid, barracuda and even white shark.
Bajo life
In addition to enjoying the beauty of the underwater world, you can also interact with the locals in Maratua. You can visit the four villages that are here are inhabited by indigenous Bajau.
Unique wooden houses of the locals who have a livelihood as fishermen could certainly add a distinct impression while visiting Maratua. The whole house in this village is a house on stilts and connected by wooden bridges over the coral reefs and rocks in the middle of the high seas.
You also have the opportunity to learn from the unique way of life from the Bajo. The tribe has a high science to life, including maritime navigation by stars. Even the people here are very expert in free diving with a long time without the help of tools. Traditional life of the local community will be memorable for you.
Accommodation in Maratua
In addition to underwater tours and cultural tours, you can also enjoy the beauty of the beach and sea at Maratua. If you want to stay longer, you can choose to stay at home or at the local population contained in Maratua. One of the famous resorts in Maratua is Maratua Paradise Resort which has some class resort amenities such as air-conditioned rooms, a restaurant, dive gear, and boat rentals.
Other lodging nearby locations on the island that is Derawan Derawan Dive Resort with views of the sea is so beautiful. In the resort also has the same facilities.
But there also are staying in homestay accommodation rooms rented by locals. Surely the cost of your stay is cheaper and can be more interesting to know the life of the local population.
Outlying Island Memorable
Despite its location on the outside of the territory of Indonesia, Maratua Island and other islands in the Derawan islands worth visiting. In addition to natural beauty both above the island and the beauty of the underwater world, you can also learn from the locals. And certainly in Maratua tourism potential will continue to grow as the island located in the region bordering Malaysia and the Philippines.
