Honest review
Patina is a resort we don't just film for reviews — we choose it for our own holidays: I have been here twice, once with my whole family, and I remember that trip with delight. This is "a different Maldives": a Singaporean brand, the Fari archipelago in North Male Atoll, its own marina for yachts up to 80 feet and a whole street of restaurants and bars where music plays in the evenings.
The design is by Marcio Kogan: straight lines, stone, concrete, wood, no plastic anywhere, shades of olive, beige and grey. In the Sunset Beach Villa three of the four walls are glass, and the mangroves cast a lacy, sun-pierced shade — you feel you are living in the jungle. In five years the vegetation has swallowed the island so completely that the buildings are invisible from the shore, and your neighbours even more so. My favourite spot is the linen hammock on the terrace: I spent most of my time in it.
The food is taken seriously: at breakfast much can be ordered from the menu and brought to your table, no need to walk to the buffet. Around the island there is a Greek restaurant right on the sand by the water, the Lebanese Arabesque run by Ritz-Carlton, Japanese cuisine, and the steakhouse Brasa with dry-aged cuts. Don't miss the sunset cocktail with the management — the drinks there are free.
The practical side: the speedboat from Male takes 40–45 minutes, soft drinks in the minibar are included on all meal plans, the kids' club is free for ages 4–12, and your child gets three meals a day even if you are on half board. An honest note: the art cube with its starry sky remained a mystery to me — but perhaps you have grown into it.
A resort for couples and families who value aesthetics, privacy and an atmosphere that is alive rather than museum-like.
First-hand experience of the Maldives Expert team — we have been here ourselves
Video review
