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- Maratua Atoll lagoon — The huge, calm inner lagoon framed by the atoll’s reef: impossibly clear water, shallow sandbanks and fast access to dramatic drop-offs for snorkelling and diving. This lagoon is the island’s defining landscape and the best place to watch reef life right off a small boat. (Personal favorite.)
- Maratua house reef and nearby dive walls — Coral gardens, vertical drop-offs and strong currents that concentrate big fish make the house reef right off the resorts and the adjacent walls a must for divers. You’ll see pelagics, schooling reef fish and healthy hard coral structures that feel very different from shore dives elsewhere.
- Turtle nesting beaches and local hatchery — Maratua’s sandy shores are active nesting sites for green and hawksbill turtles; local communities run
- Maratua Atoll lagoon — The huge, calm inner lagoon framed by the atoll’s reef: impossibly clear water, shallow sandbanks and fast access to dramatic drop-offs for snorkelling and diving. This lagoon is the island’s defining landscape and the best place to watch reef life right off a small boat. (Personal favorite.)
- Maratua house reef and nearby dive walls — Coral gardens, vertical drop-offs and strong currents that concentrate big fish make the house reef right off the resorts and the adjacent walls a must for divers. You’ll see pelagics, schooling reef fish and healthy hard coral structures that feel very different from shore dives elsewhere.
- Turtle nesting beaches and local hatchery — Maratua’s sandy shores are active nesting sites for green and hawksbill turtles; local communities run small-scale protection and hatchery efforts you can visit to learn about the season and see hatchlings (when in season). It’s a rare hands-on wildlife encounter that’s region-specific.
- Kampung Maratua (the island village) — local life and smoked fish — Stilt houses, boatyards and small smokehouses where families prepare ikan asap (smoked fish) give a true feel for island life. Walk the village jetty at dusk for fishermen coming in and to taste freshly smoked snacks you won’t find packaged for tourists.
- North mangrove channels (hidden gem) — Narrow mangrove creeks on the island’s sheltered side are quiet in the mornings: mudskippers, kingfishers and small crabs dominate. Locals use dugout canoes here; paddle a short way in for intimate birdwatching and a striking contrast to the open atoll views.
- Western white-sand beach and low-tide sandbanks (hidden gem) — A little-visited stretch of sand accessible by a short walk or scooter from the main village. At low tide it reveals long sandbanks and tide pools perfect for private picnics, shell hunting and sunset photography without the crowds.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.