A Traveler's Guide to Lutari Island

Lutari Savings Bank

I’ll start with the Lutari Savings Bank, because who doesn’t like money? (Neopians who reject the principle of monetary success as life’s ultimate goal and choose to live self-sustainingly, that’s who, but I’m not here to talk about them.) This is pretty much like the National Neopian—you can withdraw, deposit, and collect interest. However, if you think about it, it’s actually very convenient. Imagine this: You’re in the Island Market (I’ll get to that later), happily bartering for food and books and the like, when you realize you’ve dropped your money bag and have nothing in your pockets except a broken breath mint and a ball of lint you could swear looks just like your Uncle Egbert. What do you do? Cry? Wait in line for a few hours to take the orb or the boat back to Neopia Central to withdraw more money? Say the ball of lint is an avant-garde take on post-modernist sculpture and try to auction it? No! Because the Lutari Savings Bank is just a bead’s throw away (if you have an unnaturally strong throwing arm, that is), and you can withdraw some money in just a few minutes and get back to shopping at the...

Island Market

See, didn’t I promise I’d get to it? The Island Market is a charming little shop where you can find items that are present on the mainland, as well as those unique to Lutari Island, such as the Lutari Battle Torch and the Lutango. Beware, however, of fearsome crowds—this store sells many items for far cheaper than they can be found anywhere else in Neopia, and avid bargain-hunters have been known to be nothing short of ruthless. I would tell you to sneak to the Market in the dead of night, but there is probably a plethora of shoppers who believe that’s the best time to buy, and would not hesitate to take you down. The last thing you’d see would be neopoint-signs glinting in their wild, wild eyes and—but I digress. If you’re prepared to fight the crowds, the Island Market is a great place to score excellent deals on many rare items. And if you do happen to sustain consumer-related injuries, you can just head on over to...

The Fluorescent Pools

The aptly named Fluorescent Pools are, you guessed it, a smattering of fluorescent pools which have the same effect as the Healing Springs. Like the Springs, you can visit the Pools every half hour; unlike the Springs, there are no random potion handouts—just healing. This is a very popular hangout for those who enjoy the spa aspect of island getaways, so be careful not to step in any vats of mud or seaweed—apparently, it’s supposed to be sanitary mud and seaweed, and people tend to get very angry when it’s contaminated and their detoxifying-and-oxygenated-mud-wrap-massage is delayed. And speaking of mud, once you’ve refreshed yourself with a dip, why not visit the...

Bog of Charity

This is... a bog. A bog where generous Lutari Islanders and Neopians can go to donate items. A bog that, like the Rubbish Dump and the Second-Hand Shoppe, is home to a disproportionately large number of Piles of Dung. (Well, I suppose they have to go somewhere.) To be honest, the Bog of Charity isn’t all too great unless you have the patience and muscle tone to lie in wait for a particularly charitable person to donate an item and then dive for the item you want, but it’s worth a visit. You’re allowed to grab an item once every hour—who knows, maybe you’ll grab a fabulous item and leave with your nostrils still functioning! And if you wish to go with the lie-in-wait method but are just too weak to dive purposefully into a dung-filled bog, you’ll want to take a course or two over at the...

Survival Academy

If the Mystery Island Training School is too intense for you and you think Cap'n Threelegs is a little too careless with that peg arm, the Survival Academy is a perfect medium. Its laid-back approach to training is refreshing—there is no principle instructor, but rather several rotating teachers who are glad to teach one-on-one classes if you need a little extra help in any area. The Survival Academy only accepts payment in the form of Lutari Feathers, which can be found around the island, at the Market, or as a reward for completing a quest from...

Briana

This friendly Air Faerie is quite elusive—quests from her are exceedingly rare—but if you’re lucky enough to get one (I haven’t been, yet), I highly recommend you complete it. Though her requests can be a bit pricey, her rewards are excellent, ranging from beads (which you can put on your Lutari talisman for increased random events and other perks) to Feathers to other valuable items. Though, like me, you may not be lucky enough to get a quest from her right away, you can try your luck anyway with the...

Wheel of Happiness

This wheel, though not quite as good in terms of prizes as some others, is nonetheless worth a regular spin. Costing 100 neopoints per use, the Wheel of Happiness can yield 250, 500, or 10,000 neopoints, as well as Lutari Feathers or a healing. However, it can also result in sickness or non-deposited neopoints being cut in half/stolen by evil. The most commonly-received prizes seem to be the 250 and 500 neopoints; it’s not a very expensive wheel, so like I said, it’s worth at least a daily spin. And once you’re done here, it’s time for our last stop on Lutari Island, at...

Island Gossip

Island Gossip is where the locals like to congregate and discuss the happenings of the Island and of Neopia in general. It’s a nice place to hang out, maybe buy a copy of the Neopian Times (wink wink, nudge nudge), and learn about the latest goings-on of the Island. It’s also a great place to go if you’ve been vacationing on the Island for a while, are about to return to Neopia, and have no idea that, say, Faerieland’s crashed into the ground or something. (That’s just a hypothetical—obviously, that could never happen.)

Finally, though I cannot elaborate on the jungles of Lutari Island, as I have an unfortunate aversion to all kinds of Spyders, I understand that they are ripe with undiscovered plants and species, and can provide outdoors enthusiasts with exciting expeditions (although I do not recommend these be undertaken without an experienced guide). I hope that my much-demanded travel guide is informative, and helps you discover the beauty of Lutari Island for yourself. Though the massive tourist influx that always happens when a new land becomes available may be off-putting, the frenzy should die down soon, leaving a lush paradise where you can spend two days, two weeks, two months, or even two years.