Lake Labuan Cermin

Lake Labuan Cermin is one of the fascinating attractions which located in the village of Labuan Kelambu, Subdistrict-Biduk, Berau regency, East Kalimantan Indonesia. Lake Labuan Cermin is a super clear lake that has two type of water in it, i.e. freshwater and saltwater. Both of this water never mixed with each other. Salt water which placed at the bottom lake never passes to the surface where the fresh water is placed.

The color of the water in the lake is graded on the outside area of the lake from dark blue, light blue, white and green. As the name implies, crystal clear water was shiny like a mirror. We can see the bottom of the lake clearly from the top surface of the water even the depth of the lake is more than 3 m. We can swim, dive or snorkel in this place. When we dive a bit into the depths, the boundary between salt water and fresh water will be obvious. It also causes the biota in the lake is very diverse.

If you want to dive or snorkel then you have to bring your own equipment because there’s no diving equipment rental in this place. For those who are not good in swimming there is available life jacket in a rented boat.

How to get there

To get there, let’s assume there is a meeting point in the city of Balikpapan. There are many flights from major cities in Indonesia like Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, Banjarmasin and others towards Balikpapan.

From Balikpapan you can continue by using road route as follows: Balikpapan-Samarinda by bus (IDR. 35000-45000), Samarinda-Tanjung Redeb with rent car Avanza or Xenia (IDR. 250,000-300,000), Tanjung Redeb – Biduk biduk (IDR. 130.000) or you can go directly from Samarinda towards Biduk biduk.

The only weakness of this pathway is its far distance, directly from Samarinda – Biduk biduk may take approximately 20 hours. Moreover you should pass through the city of Tanjung Redeb. If you want to go this path then it will take lot of your time and must be physically tough.

For those who want to be faster you can use the plane directly from Balikpapan to Berau (Tanjung Redeb) then from Tanjung Redeb to Biduk biduk you can rent a car with a distance for about 6-7 hours.

From the village of Biduk biduk to the Lake Labuan Cermin you just need to reach the village of Labuan Kelambu. When you reach in wooden bridge, you can go straight up to the ship which available here to get to the lake. One-way fare is IDR 100,000 / boat.

Accommodation

There are many budget class hotels in the village of Biduk biduk, with starting price from IDR 80.000 up to IDR 250.000. One of my recommendations is the Hotel Selvia, this hotel is new with full facilities with price only IDR 175.000 / night.

For the backpacker group who want to be saver then you can stay in the bungalow belong to Mrs. Hj. Zumaidah which commonly used by anglers. They usually pay IDR 100.000 for one week. For those who plan to stay a few days can directly bargain the price with the owner.

Contact Person:
Hotel Selvia: 081258802020 / 081347838155
Hj. Zumaidah: 081251009250

Tips

1. Electricity only available at night, you can utilize it to charge the battery of your electronic equipment.
2. Bring snorkeling equipment, although there are rentals here, but it’s in poor condition.
3. There are many beautiful beaches, choose which one you like to relax.
4. The local people are very friendly, so mingle.
5. Do not give away your money to a child.
6. Dispose of garbage in its place.