There are daily ferries from Tawau to Nunukan that depart approximately 10am- the journey time for this first leg, take around 1.5 hours. You should then be on time to take a connecting ferry from Nunukan to Tarakan (departing approx. 1pm). This second ferry takes around 2hrs, meaning you will arrive in Tarakan by 3pm. This is unfortunately too late to then transfer over to Derawan on the same day so you will need to plan for an overnight stay in a hotel in Tarakan.
We can then help to arrange a transfer to our resort on Derawan the following day. Please note that the ferries from Tawau do not operate on Sundays, or Malaysian public holidays. Ferry rates between Tawau and Nunukan are currently around RM130, the onward ferry from Nunukan to Tarakan is approximately RM150. It is advisable to arrive at the port in Tawau early (the ticket counter opens at 8am and closes by 9am) to purchase your ticket on the day of departure.
For arrival via flight, you will need to fly from Tawau (TWU) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL)- from KUL you can then either fly direct to Balikpapan (BPN) and then on to Berau (BEJ), or alternatively, you can fly from KUL to Jakarta (CGK) and then on to Berau (BEJ)
Please see our Sangalaki Getting Here page for more information and prices for the transfers.Â