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Celebes Sea near Tanjung Redeb, Indonesia

Borneo Cottage Maratua

A small resort in Harapan Bay, close to the Bajau village of Teluk Harapan, 3 hours by boat from Tanjung Redeb. Stays of 5 nights or more include day trips to Kakaban Island's jellyfish lake, Sangalaki's manta rays, and The Channel.

Borneo Cottage Maratua sits in Harapan Bay on Maratua Island, a 3-hour boat journey from Tanjung Redeb — 90 minutes along the Kelai River, then 90 minutes across open water to the island. The resort runs an 8-person dive boat out of an in-house dive centre with DIN/Yoke-compatible tanks and a Bauer compressor.

A thresher shark in the waters of the Derawan Archipelago.
A thresher shark in the waters of the Derawan Archipelago, one of the more unusual encounters available from Borneo Cottage Maratua.
A reef manta ray at Sangalaki Island, Derawan Archipelago.
A reef manta ray at Sangalaki Island, included in the programme for stays of 5 nights or more from Borneo Cottage Maratua.

Though surprisingly accessible, Maratua Island feels remote and special. The island is very biodiverse due to its position within the coral triangle, which means an excellent diving experience is almost guaranteed. Surrounding a beautiful lagoon, the land is richly forested and the beaches are soft white sand. On top of this, there are calm sea lakes and jungle caves to explore. The people of Maratua are also something special. The island is known for its hospitality, even within friendly Indonesia, so guests are guaranteed a warm welcome.

This resort works closely with the community in Maratua to provide a unique experience for guests in keeping with the customs of the area, from lodging to meals to land and sea exploration, as well as providing employment to islanders.

Facilities

Meals are served in a beachfront dining area that can comfortably accommodate up to 16 guests at any one time. All food is locally sourced from the island and Berau town, and the traditional Indonesian fayre is prepared on site. The resort had cultivated excellent relationships with local fisherman, so fresh seafood is, of course, heavily featured on the menu at Borneo Cottage Maratua, but there is also an abundance of local vegetables and ethically sourced meat to be enjoyed.

The resort contains its very own dive centre, along with an 8-person dive boat. The centre is equipped with everything guests could need for days or weeks of diving in the richly varied marine habitat that surrounds the island. The dive centre is equipped with tanks that can fit DIN and Yoke regulators, and tanks are filled with a Bauer compressor.

A stay of 5 nights or more includes day trips to Kakaban Island (jellyfish lake, cave dive, barracuda schools) and Sangalaki Island (manta rays) at no extra charge, plus a dive at The Channel, also known as Big Fish Country. Shorter stays can add these sites at a per-boat surcharge. Ask us about routing from Tanjung Redeb, and whether you would benefit from combining this resort with a night in Berau.

Our Rooms

The cosy resort has four options for lodging, and can house groups on a variety of budgets. All accommodation is onsite, close to the beach and surrounded by lush forest. As with all buildings within Borneo Cottage Maratua, the housing is constructed in keeping with local traditional design.

The quad complex is made up of four rooms of two accommodation types. The most basic category accommodation type is the garden facing room. The next category is the beach facing room, with large windows which allows guests to rise to the sight of azure waters every morning and fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves after an exciting day of diving and exploration!

Premium accommodation is provided in the form of chalets, with a choice of two semi-detached chalet and two standalone chalet units. Chalets offer slightly more privacy and space than individual rooms, whether semi-detached or standalone. The chalets have terraces for relaxing after a day in the water or the jungle, or for sipping coffee on in the morning. The resort’s private beach is just steps away from the chalets, making relaxation easy. And guests are encouraged to keep an eye out for seabirds and spinner dolphins, which regularly put on a spectacular display at sea.