The Experience
We'd built up a fairly fixed idea of what a Maldives arrival looks like, long seaplane transfers, jungle covered islands, that whole barefoot castaway routine. Patina threw that out almost immediately, a short slick boat ride from Male, a glass of something cold pressed into our hands before we'd even properly stepped off, and we were on the island within the hour. It set a very different tone from the start, less expedition, more arrival.
Patina sits on one of the Fari Islands, a man made cluster of islands in North Male Atoll, and the design here couldn't be further from the jungle, Robinson Crusoe feel of other Maldivian properties. Everything is considered and minimalist, clean lines, a Swedish influenced central pavilion and library, and a network of walkways linking the villas to restaurants and the spa across the island's beaches. It feels less like a desert island escape and more like staying inside a beautifully designed gallery that happens to be surrounded by water, which is its own kind of impressive.