Sailing from Indonesia to Malaysia through Borneo's hidden paradise | S2 Ep 48

Welcome back to Sailing NV, where this week we share with you our exciting passage from Lombok in Indonesia up the Makassar Strait to the Malaysian side of Borneo. We had a crew of 9 onboard for this trip, which meant more eyes to watch for shallow areas, fishing nets, and ships we were bound to encounter along the way. But with 9 of us, we were also packed to the brim with food-plenty to keep us fueled for the weeks ahead! Our first stop was Balikpapan, a busy port city on the island of Borneo. Along this coastline, we came across lots of 'floating villages', built on stilts above the water. These villages are protected from flooding, storm surges, and high tides. Many were traditionally fishing communities, with boats docked right underneath the houses, making access to the sea or river easy. We love going ashore in the places we stop along the way and immersing ourselves in the local culture. The great thing about traveling by sailboat is that you get to visit places off the beaten track, places that would otherwise be hard to reach. One of our last stops on the Indonesian side of Borneo was an atoll called Maratua, a stunning, remote haven consisting of a circular coral atoll surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise waters and fringed by vibrant coral reefs. Entering the lagoon was pretty hair-raising for us, given our large draft, as we had to navigate through a narrow pass with reefs on either side. Once safely anchored inside the lagoon, we were fully immersed in this untouched paradise, free to explore at our own pace. We eagerly set off in the dinghy, discovering hidden coves and vibrant coral gardens. On land, we had the freedom to explore Maratua by scooter, cruising along lush trails surrounded by dense greenery. The tiny island of Derawan was our final stop-another hidden paradise with an incredible underwater world. We're incredibly grateful to have reached these magical places under our own steam and to enjoy them as a family. After the tranquility of our previous destinations, we were now faced with a stark contrast as we visited the bustling border towns of Nunukan in Indonesia and Tawau in Malaysia. Crossing the border from Indonesia to Malaysia meant clearing out of one country and into the other. This involved a lot of paperwork and visits to immigration, customs, and quarantine authorities in both countries. As is often the case in developing countries, no one was in a hurry... 00:00 Intro 02:34 Setting off 03:20 Arrival in Balikapapan 04:12 Building expansion tank for S drive oil 09:28 Exploring the city 10:14 Hoisting the anchor 11:39 Croissants for breakfast! 12:11 Crossing the equator 12:28 Secluded anchorage 14:06 Maratua atoll 17:25 Derawan 18:11 Clearance out of Indonesia and into Malaysia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you'd like to support us on Patreon, our website https://www.patreon.com/SailingNV or with a one-off donation via https://ko-fi.com/sailingnv or paypal https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sailingnv or if you'd like to help us buy something we need, you can check out our amazon wish list https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1G2NJ0EGJLKR0?ref_=wl_share #boatlife #cruising #sailingfamily