We’re in the western end of the chain of islands that run out from the eastern corner of Misool in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

The attraction to here is the walking track to a lookout on the top of the highest peak in the area. Darfat Peak is about 200m high, and is part of this area of karst rock landforms characterised by the undercut sea cliffs that are porous as rain washes away the soluble calcium rocks that were deposited as undersea reefs in another eon, allowing deep sinkholes to form.

The sea bed here is either 25m deep, or exposed at low spring tides. The sandy shallow areas that can be seen in the photos are our playground to explore. The 25m depth requires us to drop all our 100m of anchor chain and hope that it holds.

The walk to the peak top was again over old timber boardwalks and stairs that would have never complied with Australian building codes, even when first built, but now weathered by the tropics and eaten by termites, we have to be careful as we skip over missing treads and hanging boards. But it worth it for the view. From the top of the cliffs, it feels like we’re on the top of the world.