We each have our own idea of paradise. To Adam, Paradise was home. For writer Jorge Luis Borges, Paradise is “a kind of library.” For some, it’s a slice of Basque cheesecake; for others, it’s crate digging at a new vinyl store. For me, paradise was first glimpsed on a website, researched and then booked. From Maldives’s Mali airport, it would still require a 50-minute boat cruise to get to the Fari Island in the unsullied Indian Ocean… and then there it was, Patina Maldives, even more unreal and utopian than you can imagine.

This is a gateway in all senses of the word.

Patina is a “created island”, utilising a sustainable yet sped-up process of dredging sand from deep water (no corals or reefs were disturbed) to deposit on a shallow lagoon. When implemented with care — the “Bird Island” that existed in the lagoon was retained as a bird roosting site — nature can recover and replenish quickly. What we are seeing before us is a human-made paradise on Earth.

Patina’s island is engineered to accommodate the predicted changes in its lifetime, speeding up its resilience and making it safer compared to other islands.

The coconut is a poignant symbol of the resort’s commitment to perpetuality. The drupe is a survivor and a nourisher; it strives to propagate and to provide, and only by producing it can grow and give back. The exterior is created to last the elements; the interior is a world of earthly and ethereal delight. 

This is what a day is like in paradise.

We deliberately left the curtains open so that we woke up to the first whisper of light. Our pool villa, perched over the lapping waves, greets the sun as it interrupts the horizon each morning. (Villas on the other end of the island get the departing evening light.) Our villa is perched over the Indian Ocean, the waters so pristine that we are treated to fish, corals and sand — a veritable IMAX of life, so we didn’t even have to snorkel.

The Water Sports Centre provide jet skis, standing boards and snorkels. Sea sports help to create awareness and develop a passion for raising awareness about the local ocean environment. The resort has also formed a strategic alliance with the Olive Ridley Project, a charitable organisation providing rehab to injured turtles from the Indian Ocean. (Sea turtles are vulnerable to ghost nets and are prone to consuming plastic waste, mistaking it for sustenance and leading to general ill-health and malnutrition.)

Lunch at the main restaurant Portico, one of the more than 10 on the island. More if you count the ones on the next island, which is a mere minutes boat ride away.

Every cocktail and spirit served at Patina Maldives, including the Fari Beach Club, will eliminate 30 grams of carbon emissions compared to drinks crafted at beverage outlets with conventional labels. This is thanks to the world’s first low carbon, low waste spirits distribution technology –
ecoSPIRITS, which nearly eradicates packaging and glass waste from the spirits supply chain.

The main pool cools serenely in the evening as the sun fades in the other direction. 

Surprises are planted all over the island. Food trucks, for instance, don’t go anywhere but still deliver delight. Here you get free ice cream all day and night.

The expansive island is landscaped somewhat like a labyrinth, and you cycle (or buggy ride) from point to point. Trees and hedges block your view of the next turn, which provides moments of delight each time you find a new destination, be it the tennis court, a phalanx of restaurants or a swimming pool.

The resort has also built an on-island organic permaculture garden where fresh produce is cultivated for various departments, reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the supply chain process; guests are encouraged to explore and forage the variety of vegetables and herbs available within the garden.

The sunset cruise took us around the nearby islands, including sister properties Ritz-Carlton Maldives and the upcoming Capella resort — a trifecta of unparalleled luxury.

The ocean around us is an unremitting expanse, and except for the aforementioned islands, we were hoping to see some frolicking dolphins. Alas, we were not able to spot any.

More preprandial cocktails from Helios, the middle eastern/Greek beach restaurant. In the distance is the sister island Ritz Carlton, easily accessible just to visit or to dine in their restaurants. In the immediate distance is a Martini and Whisky Sour.

Patina Maldives commissioned a site-specific light installation from  legendary artist James Turrell, and what they got was ‘Amarta’, which comes alive at night. The austere artwork throbs like a beacon of comfort on the island; the changing lights remind us of our ephemeral existence.

During the day, yoga classes are held inside the spacious installation. At night, the chamber invites you to stare into space while the light undulates. Combined with the quietude on the island and the four walls that envelop you, one can’t help but be compelled to gaze into the skies and contemplate life’s many mysteries, like… why is the ‘e’ in Mercedes pronounced three different ways?

The villas are solar-powered, and energy consumption was reduced by an estimated 12 per cent through sustainable practices such as the use of prefabricated materials, which significantly reduced waste and carbon emissions.

You head back to the villa to get some much needed rest, so you can get up early for…

…nature to recycle so we can get another sunrise in paradise.

This is just beyond. As we waved goodbye and were saluted with their ‘palm on heart’ gesture, we realised we were already planning a return to paradise.

Book Patina Maldives Fari Island

Many thanks to LA and Patina Maldives for the hospitality.

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