Patina Maldives: A design retreat for the cosmopolitan traveller

If the Maldives ever feel like Manhattan it would be here. And no, we’re not speaking of traffic or the bustle of the city, but rather the cosmopolitan energy, high end design and culinary mish-mash that defines a metropolis like New York City. Let us introduce you to the Maldives’ newest addition for the cosmopolitan traveller, an eco-conscious individual on the look-out for something unique in the Maldives.

Welcome to Patina Maldives!

But first, here’s a little confession. Before booking this trip the Maldives weren’t really high on our bucket list. We are curious explorers by nature and our travels usually include an element of unscripted nature exploration with a touch of local charm and history. Now, the Maldives, really aren’t the place for those types of trips.

But as this blog is written from the perspective of a couple, that’s only 50% of the story. Me (the editor), Marion, I’m the nature enthusiast with a tendency for off-the-beaten path experiences and sleeping under the stars once in a while. My husband Raffael on the other hand is someone who loves city trips and beach holidays. So frankly this Maldives trip only happened, because his demands for a beach getaway got more urgent… well and Patina Maldives combined both his passions perfectly!

The journey to Fari

On a grey October day we find ourselves at the airport in Malé, whisked away to the boat terminal by the incredibly well organised staff of Patina Maldives. Just minutes later we’re sipping a freshly brewed ice tea on a speed boat somewhere in the Indian Ocean. That’s the beauty of staying in the North Malé Atoll, you’re not far away from the international airport and can travel by boat instead of a sea plane. Just about 45 minutes later we are welcomed by the Patina team, their right hand on the heart, a gesture we’ll experience every day on the island from now on.

The downside of staying at North Malé Atoll and so close to Malé is that things are a bit busier compared to more remote atolls. We pass by neighbouring Ritz-Carlton resort each time we get on a boat, passing by right in front of their villas. Not so much privacy over there it seems. Patina Maldives at least occupies the very last of the 4 isles that comprise the Fari Islands, offering a bit more seclusion. The Robinson Crusoe feeling doesn’t really materialise here though.

A man-made island

We’re staying in a beach villa the next 4 nights, but first our luggage is hoisted on top of a golf cart to get us there. First impression: The artificially made island is already quite green, much greener than we had anticipated. Later we learn that over 350,000 plants and hundreds of palm trees were purchased and planted to create this brand-new oasis. To be honest, there is still a long way to go to catch up to natural islands and their lush vegetation, but things grow quickly in the tropical climate – so one can hope that the island will feel more natural pretty fast.

Our One Bedroom Pool Villa

Our personal essentialist (that’s how butlers are called here at Patina) quickly explains all the features of our room and we are in awe of every detail. When it comes to design there’s an incredible sense of “now” at Patina Maldives. It starts with the contemporary shape of the villas and ends with the material choices and features of the room. The huge sliding glass doors open to a private pool, there’s a high-end Japanese toilet in the bathroom, an indoor and an outdoor shower, an outdoor bathtub and a hammock.

Every detail feels like straight out of an Architectural Digest spread.

Pursuit of Perpetuality

But we’re not (only) here for the design. Patina Maldives’ philosophy is what enticed me to come on the trip as well: Patina calls it the “pursuit of perpetuality”. It’s a sustainability philosophy, that seems deeply committed and sincere. Almost every luxury resort on the Maldives has some sort of sustainability program nowadays, knowing that guests are becoming more invested in ecological practices. Yet Patina Maldives’ commitment to ecological and sustainable practices seems to stretch quite far and deep from zero-waste kitchens to recycling ocean plastic.

We’ve looked at the sustainability initiatives in more detail, as we’re always interested in what it all entails. The Patina program is quite comprehensive and covers many interesting topics, that include:

• ENERGY
  • A focus on solar power: The kid’s club, recreation and dive centres are already 100% solar powered. A first in the Maldives.
  • Using marine offshore solar panels as well as solar panels on the flat roofs of each villa.
  • The goal is to expand the solar plant to provide 50 percent of the resort’s energy needs by 2030.
• DESIGN & BUILD
  • The villas were prefabricated off island to save energy using a technology called “Mass engineered timber” (MET). This reduced carbon emissions by over 6,000 tons (including the production, transportation and modular construction).
  • Instead of typical thatched pointed roofs the villas and other buildings are all designed with flat roofs, so solar panels can be mounted. This way the Fari Islands will be home to the largest solar installation in the Maldives.
  • The prefabrication also made sure there’s minimal runoff into the ocean during the construction.
• CONSERVATION
  • Marine conservation is a key initiative of Patina Maldives, with a dedicated coral propagation project.
  • Guests can take part in conservation activities from building coral propagation structures from clay to beach cleanups.
  • The resort collects 10 kilograms of ocean plastic waste for each guest’s stay, which will then be recycled and repurposed.
• EDUCATION & COMMUNITIES
  • Patina offers free diving classes and certificates to local Maldivian children in an effort to raise the next generation of local ocean advocates.
  • 1% of the gross operating profits from Patina Maldives go to charities that support local communities.
• CONSCIOUS CUISINE
  • As a vegetarian we especially appreciated the signature restaurant at Patina Maldives called “Roots”. It’s a fully plant-based fine dining restaurant operating by a root-to-leaf principle and offering a unique sustainable open air dining experience.
  • There’s an organic permaculture garden on the island.
  • All the drinking water on the island is filtered and produced on the island in a water production and bottling plant. Zero plastic needed.
  • Food waste is used to create organic fertiliser through bio-digesters.
  • Imported food is sustainably sourced and accredited by EarthCheck or similar certificates.

These are just some of the initiatives that make Patina Maldives a quite holistic sustainable resort and that’s something to consider when you visit an archipelago that’s so heavily affected by climate change.

Guest experiences

Now when it comes to experiences Patina Maldives sets the bar high. Their program makes a 4-night stay almost too short. We could’ve easily extended our stay to cover more of the incredible experiences on offer.

It’s not just the “classic” activities like scuba diving, turtle snorkelling or wildlife & sunset boat cruises, but conservation talks with the resident marine biologist or a signature “Ceramics & Coral Conservation Workshop” where we built coral propagation structures from clay. We also got to join a singing bowl concert as well as a plant-based cooking class. There’s not a dull moment on the island.

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