HALF-DAY TRIP IN BIDUK-BIDUK, EAST KALIMANTAN
Biduk-biduk is a city located in the coastline of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It’s famous for its tourist attraction, that is Labuan Cermin. Initially, the main reason we’re going to Biduk-biduk is just for Labuan Cermin. But now, I just want to warn you to spare some extra time to enjoy Biduk-biduk city, since it has a lot more experience offer!
We spent 4 days and 3 nights going to Derawan (by open trip) and Labuan Cermin in Biduk-biduk (by renting a car). Even when you have limited time, there are a few sceneries in Biduk-biduk you can enjoy.
Contents
Biduk-biduk Beach
Biduk-biduk beach is not a one spot only, yet it’s located along the coastline from the city’s main entrance gate till Teluk Sulaiman, and all of them are called Biduk-biduk beach. This is because Biduk-biduk is located in the coastline of East Kalimantan, where the ocean in Biduk-biduk beach directly connects to Selat Makassar (Strait of Makassar).
You can basically choose any beach spot that feels right along your way.
Sunrise across our homestay
Beach shore located 5 minutes from Labuan Cermin
We stopped by along the way since we can’t handle the awesomeness of the mixture of blue grass, beach shore and coconut trees!
Biduk-biduk streets
Biduk-biduk is identical to tall and thin coconut trees, which somehow gives its own unique vibe. Be careful if you’re running under these trees, since the locals said they doesn’t usually pick the coconut on the trees and it can fall down anytime.
Labuan Cermin
The main reason we went to Biduk-biduk! Labuan Cermin is one of the most popular attraction in Biduk-biduk. It’s known as the crystal clear “two flavors lake” or “Danau Dua Rasa”. More story on this destination coming soon!
Where to Stay
There are many homestay along the way in Biduk-biduk located around 15 minutes from Labuan Cermin. We stayed in Mayangstari homestay in Biduk-biduk, priced for Rp 200,000/night including breakfast. Since it’s a long way to Biduk-biduk by land, I think this place is decent enough to have a good rest.
Contact Person: Mayang Sari (085247418303)
How to Get There
Getting to Biduk-biduk, East Kalimantan
- Take the flight to Kalimarau Airport, Berau, East Kalimantan.
- If you are traveling to Biduk-biduk from Derawan, you have 2 choices to go here—by land or sea:
- By sea, it will took shorter time than by land. You can ride a speedboat from Derawan directly to Labuan Cermin for only around 4 hours. If you’re joining a whale shark open trip, you go to whaleshark spot along the way.
- By land, is by driving from Berau to Biduk-biduk with a 7-8 hour drive through the Kalimantan forests. It’s better to go during daytime, since there are very minimum light if you’re still going through the forest at night.
You can rent a car (Contact Pak Jen +62813 4736 7855), Pak Jen is from @beborneotour based in Berau. If you’re renting a car with a driver, you’ll need to consider extra cost for the driver’s food and accommodation room. If you want a cheaper option, you can ride a travel that can cost you around Rp 150.000 (one way). It’s better to go by a group so you can rent a car so you can still freely explore Biduk-biduk. Or you can ride a travel and rent a motorcycle (go ask the locals in your homestay on where to rent).Don’t be surprised that what you see along your way will be either forests, but there will be 7 district villages that you will meet at some point. The road in the forest is also quite extreme—it’s not smooth as most of the infrastructure aren’t been taken care yet.
If you’re starving, along the way to Biduk-biduk, you can stop by to eat in one of the districts. There’s even a warteg (food stall) that charges no fee for tourist drivers.
If you’re starving, along the way to Biduk-biduk, you can stop by to eat in one of the districts. There’s even a warteg (food stall) that charges no fee for tourist drivers.Itinerary
This is how we manage our time to spend 4 days and 3 nights in Derawan to Biduk-biduk (Labuan Cermin, Biduk-biduk beach)
Day 1 & Day 2
Spent the time in Derawan Archipelago
Day 3
11:00 – 11:45 Depart from Derawan Island to Tarakan Port using speed boat
12:00 – 13:00 Otw from Tarakan Port to Bandara Kelimarau to drop other open trip friends in Derawan to the airport
13:00 – 21:00 On the way to Biduk-biduk (including stopovers to eat). Go rest at homestay.
Day 4
05:30 – 07:00 Breakfast, see the sunrise in Biduk-biduk beach accross the homestay
07:00 – 08:30 Enjoying the street Biduk-biduk beach in other places
08:30 – 09:45 Spent some time in Labuan Cermin (Usually around 2 hours is enough here)
09:45 – 16:00 En route to Berau Airport to catch our flight that departs at 16:00
Places we could’ve visited but did not
Our visit inspired us that Biduk-biduk is a worth to visit city beyond only visiting for Labuan Cermin. There are a few places that’s can be a travel destination:
- Teluk Sulaiman (Port of Sulaiman) – Teluk Sulaiman is located on the east part of Biduk-biduk where you can take a boat to go to Kainungan Island
- Air Terjun Bidadari (Bidadari Waterfall) in Teluk Sumbang – They say that the water from the waterfall directly flows to the ocean water of Teluk Sumbang
- Kainungan Island – another island that can be your next destination in East Kalimantan besides Derawan
Cheers,
Sabrina Anggraini
