A paradise just for us. The Anambas Archipelago.

Imagine you are a guest on  "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and the question is:

"Which island group in the South China Sea is among the most beautiful islands in the world that remain undiscovered by tourism?"

If the solution "D" is then the Anambas Archipelago, then log in "D"!

Go ahead! D!!!!DEEEEEHEEEEE!!!!

Okay, let's take it one step at a time.

After leaving Brunei, we made our way along the northeast coast of Borneo to the marina of Miri. A great town, excellent supermarkets, friendly people. We stocked up on provisions for a few weeks so we wouldn't be under any time pressure.

After half a week in the marina and experiencing big city life, we set off to sail across the South China Sea on a northwest course directly to the Anambas Islands, which are about 1000 km away.

Relatively good winds brought us to this forgotten group of islands, which we had already visited with great enthusiasm 6 years ago, after 4 days and 4 long nights.

When you return to a place after many years, much has often changed. Not always for the better—but not here. Most of the uninhabited islands have probably remained unchanged for thousands of years. These islets, with their enormous boulders along the coasts, which from the sea resemble large cities in the distance, slumber in a Sleeping Beauty-like sleep, almost entirely undiscovered by tourism.

Believe me, after having traveled to some beautiful places with Odin over the past 19 years, I consider the more than 100 Anambas Islands to be among the top 10 destinations off the beaten commercialized tourist trail.

We simply can't get enough of the huge boulders that frame countless small sandy beaches.

It is evening, around 6 p.m., the sun sets very early in the tropics.

We sit in the cockpit, watching the magnificent sunset. Monkeys squabbling somewhere in the closely spaced trees of the islands provide the acoustic backdrop for our obligatory sundowner.

It is moments and places like these that make me realize that it was one of the best decisions of my life to explore the most beautiful remote places in the world on my own, with my own ship.