Rath checks in: Robinson Club Noonu, Maldives

My arrival couldn’t have been better: just a moment ago I saw the many small and larger islands from above, now club boss Adam Szkopp himself is waiting at the jetty and warmly welcomes the newcomers. Together we go to a cozy lounge corner, I’m served a drink and the reception takes care of my check-in. It didn’t take five minutes and I’m already feeling that typical Robinson family feeling.

A few years ago, as CEO, I was responsible for the Robinson brand. Back then, from Hanover, I tried to keep alive and develop this Robinson feeling that makes the brand so strong. Unfortunately I was not able to do that anywhere.

But here it is there, it is lived. I walk barefoot to my bungalow, shoes in hand. I will no longer need them in the coming days. As on many Maldives islands, everything can be done barefoot here. A great feeling that I love. And it’s easy too. Because the paths are so well maintained that you can even complete the short walk around the island without shoes.

The Robinson Club Noonu is located north of the capital Male in the South Miladhunmadulu Atoll, called Noonu for short, on the island of Orivaru. It is the second club Robinson has opened in the Maldives. A so-called “remote club”. There used to be these long-distance clubs in Mexico, on the Caribbean coast in Tulum, today they are in the Maldives. Even getting there is spectacular: a domestic flight takes you from the capital Male to the island of Maafaru in 35 minutes. From there you can either travel by boat or, like us, by seaplane. Even if the short flight journey costs extra, of course – I can only recommend it. The view is incredibly impressive.

Orivaru is not very big, like so many of the nearly 1200 Maldives islands. It takes me about 25 minutes to walk all the way around. The 150 rooms and bungalows are all very spacious. My beach bungalow is lovingly furnished and offers – surprising for Robinson, I think – a good quality.

All Beach Bungalows are perfectly positioned, with direct access to the beach and built to ensure future guests will enjoy them for years to come. All have their own small pool, including the water bungalows. However, I find the quality of these bungalows less convincing. In addition, you quickly get wind-tired there, and the paths to the restaurants and activities are quite long.

Speaking of the restaurant, the food is great. Significantly better than most other Robinson Clubs. And this despite the fact that Orivaru is exotic and of course rather difficult to reach. I particularly like the evening in the Teppanyaki restaurant, which stands on stilts in the water like the water bungalows.

Before that, however, we enjoy one of these spectacular sunsets of the Maldives in the beautiful sundowner bar with live music: first the setting sun colors everything a warm orange, then the turquoise blue of the sea turns into a warm dark blue, until it turns into this unique purple . It is the perfect way to start the evening and has become a daily ritual for me.

The Robinson entertainment program convinces me during the day. There is a lot on offer here, especially for children. The variety is huge, ranging from the billiard bungalow to the table football corner, from football to table tennis, from adventure trips to sporting events. I prefer to treat myself to the yoga class on the beach, a massage in the spa, a lecture on the flora and fauna of the Maldives and the BBQ in the evening.

The next day I test the club’s diving center and I’m thrilled. On the house reef, just 150 meters away, while snorkeling I encounter orange clown fish, spotted miracle bass, a checkered long-snout grouper, schools of striped snappers, boxfish, surgeonfish, banner fish and butterfly fish. A moray eel and a thorn lionfish peek from their hiding spots on the reef. The guides even go on a dolphin hunt with the guests. In fact, mostly with success, because the human-friendly animals stop by here quite often in front of Orivaru. Another plus: the snorkel rental is cheap.

A small, charming feature on Orivaru are the chickens. Before Robinson built his club on the island, it served as a chicken farm. To this day, numerous hens, cocks and chicks live here and roam freely. They are part of everyday life and yet they are a real attraction, especially for children. My highlight, however, is walking across the terrace to the beach in the morning after the rooster has crowed loudly, with the first coffee in hand. Feet in the warm sand, caressed by the gentle waves, I watch the harmless baby sharks and the sunrise. It’s just great and you won’t find it anywhere else.

My conclusion: In the Robinson Club Noonu you can experience a beautiful and very cheap Maldives vacation. The whole stay here costs as much as in other places in the Maldives for a single night – around 5,000 euros. That sounds like a lot of money at first. But you also have to consider that you have flown halfway around the world and are on an exotic island where everything is very expensive to obtain. What I find really outstanding is this original Robinson feeling that is conveyed here. It would be great if this feeling spread to the many other clubs. And if you would renovate the water bungalows soon.

insider tips

Bar: Ending the evening in the sundowner bar is really uniquely beautiful.

Jogging track: One island tour for beginners, two for long-distance runners and more for everyone who also has marathon ambitions on holiday.

natural beauty: Swim out to the house reef and, equipped with diving goggles and snorkel, watch the colorful world of fish. There you can already experience so much that you no longer have to afford an expensive dive.

Getting there: Absolutely with the seaplane, even if it costs extra. The view of the atolls is priceless.

Rath’s travel rating (current rating in bold):

1. Explicit Travel Warning
2. Better than under the bridge
3. So-so, not oh, là, là
4. Complaining at a high level
5. If only it were always like this
6. Great cinema

About the author: As a former grand hotelier and operator of the Travelgrand.ch travel platform, Carsten K. Rath is a professional globetrotter. He travels to all the hotels he writes about for the Handelsblatt on his own account. Rath is the brain behind the ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany”, whose partners include the Handelsblatt.