It is just a short steep climb up bare karst rock to the lookout on Mount Pindito in the Wayag archipelago, but the view is stunning.

The track to the summit begins in rainforest jungle at the edge of the beach, but soon becomes a scramble up an almost vertical wall of rock. The karst rock is porous and has a surface picked with hollows and clefts, so provides excellent hand and foot holds for climbing. Leaves and vegetation from the jungle provide a carpet over the sharp rocks, and I was able to climb in bare feet.

The summit is reached suddenly, with little warning that it is approaching, and the view is breathtaking. There is a rough track around the top, providing an outlook around more than 300 degrees. From this altitude, the colour of deep water and shallow sandbanks and coral reef stand out in contrast. On the descent, we had to pause for several minutes while a group of eight guests from a visiting tourist boat scrambled up past us.

A quick snorkel off the beach was a perfect way to cool down afterwards .