Haut Robinson Crusoe Vibes
A short 20-minute boat ride from Male International Airport in the sparkling waters of the North Male Atoll is a tiny coral island – a tropical paradise reminiscent of a scene from Daniel Defoe’s novel, Robinson Crusoe.
Blending seamlessly into the dense native vegetation of this island is a luxury resort that not only looks like a setting from the famous book but echoes the same ‘desert island’ philosophy at every touchpoint. At Gili Lankanfushi, shoes are stowed away, guests move around the island on foot or bicycle, and friendly reef sharks and turtles swim right up to the jetty.
A Robinson Crusoe spin on Maldivian island life permeates every aspect of Gili Lankanfushi; from a copy of the book in every room to the series of thatched, overwater villas that feel perfectly in tune with their otherworldly surroundings, and an array of beautiful barefoot dining options.
Life on this laidback island seems to hark back to simpler times. The accommodation offerings are luxurious, yes, but the design is simple. There’s a plethora of activities for guests to choose from, but also plenty of space to simply enjoy the tropical foliage, white-sand beaches, and the vibrant sea life of the turquoise lagoon.
Making your time here even more simple – and luxurious – is the staff, including your personal butler. Named after Robinson Crusoe’s loyal assistant and dear companion, Mr. Fridays are Gili Lankanfushi’s private guest experience hosts. On call no matter the time of day, Mr. Fridays will make your stay seamless from the moment you step off the plane in the Maldives. Ask for help unpacking luggage, arranging dinner reservations, keeping the little ones entertained, or setting up a bed under the stars. No matter what you need, your dedicated Mr. Friday is on hand.
As soon as you arrive on the island, your personal Mr. Friday will hand over your keys, and show you around the resort and your villa. Here, the service is so personalised that even the resort manager makes time to receive and farewell guests, and within a day, you can expect every team member to greet you by name!
Barefoot Luxury Mentality
Gili Lankanfushi’s approach to hospitality is barefoot luxury, which translates loosely to mean luxury your own way, at your own pace.
Did we mention that the moment you step onto the boat to transfer you to the resort from the airport, one of the resort’s team members will collect your shoes in canvas bags, to be kept out of sight for the rest of your trip?
The resort’s no shoes ‘rule’ is a beautiful and surprisingly freeing metaphor for casting aside the shackles of regular life. Here you’re free to simply relish the feeling of the sand beneath your toes and the warm ocean lapping at your ankles. You can turn your clocks forward too… you’re on resort time now meaning an extra hour of sunshine!
Barefooted staff wear linen uniforms you’ll wish you owned, and the restaurants are casual yet atmospheric, with authentic food showing off the Indian Ocean’s treasures.
The entire resort was built with sustainability in mind, leaving guests feeling closer to nature than they may have anticipated. Bathrooms are outdoors, wooden tables are parked on the sand and the main pool area is situated around soaring palms. Bicycles crafted from Bamboo are peddled around the island and Gili even has its own time zone – an hour ahead of Malé to make the most of those glorious sunsets.
Sustainability at Every Touchpoint
One of the things we love the most about Gili Lankanfushi is that they genuinely care about their natural habitat. The resort is a pioneer of sustainable tourism in the Maldives, a country at the forefront of the battle against environmental degradation as a result of climate change.
Sustainability is at the heart of Gili Lankanfushi, with an emphasis on preserving the natural environment, protecting the fragile surrounding marine ecosystem, and leaving only footprints behind. The resort is committed to minimising its environmental impact by upholding a range of sustainable initiatives and following detailed action plans to reduce energy and water usage, effectively manage waste, and work closely with EarthCheck to constantly explore new eco-friendly measures.
Every aspect of the resort is designed with sustainability in mind. All buildings are constructed using sustainably sourced plantation teak, palm woods, bamboo and palm fronds, while the overwater villas and jetties are supported by recycled telegraph poles.
There’s an onsite veggie garden on the island, which services the resort kitchen. Gili Lankanfushi employs two dedicated marine biologists, working from the island’s marine biology shack, Gili Veshi, which is the island’s central hub for all environmental and sustainability concerns. The resort offers day visits for local schools to Gili Veshi, offering school children the opportunity to learn about the environment through an Eco Tour. They’re also encouraged to explore the natural world under a telescope in the Gili Veshi lab.
