Travelling Neopia on a Budget

This isn’t to say you can’t visit all of Neopia. But there are tips and tricks to making the most of your trips. Make sure your pets have a great time without breaking the bank with these tips for some cheap but exciting Neopian vacations.

Picking a Place

Sure, your Neofriend might recommend Meridell for a weekend trip. But if you live in Altador, Meridell is quite the journey for just a couple of days. Where your Neohome is will affect your travel plans. If you live in Neopia Central, you’re in luck – bring your pets on a day trip to nearby Roo Island or Kiko Lake, and consider Meridell, Brightvale, or Faerieland for a longer trip. But sea voyages to Mystery Island, Krawk Island, or Maraqua should be planned for more seriously. Also, if you do elect to travel for longer, make sure your pets are patient enough to travel long distances. A smart Neopian will stock up on books or cards to stay entertained for the journey. But once again, don’t spend too much on entertainment – looking out the window should be exciting enough, especially if your trip will pass by other areas you haven’t seen before.

Being Prepared

It’s embarrassing to admit, but some Neopians have slunk back to their homes earlier than expected after arriving on Krawk Island with not a Dubloon in their pocket. This is a perfect example of not doing your research. Check out the weather and the features of the area well in advance so you can get what you need from the Shop Wizard. If you’re heading to Mystery Island, a great budget activity can be cooking a new dinner at the Cooking Pot with your pets, in which case you’ll need to check a cookbook to figure out a tasty recipe. Bring your own ingredients, as tourists to the island have reported only being able to find a few cans of baked beans or Musho Mushy Peas when they were expecting delicious fruits everywhere. In general, it’s much cheaper to buy secondhand clothing from another Neopian’s shop than to get it where you’re going. Unless you’re a restocking pro, showing up in an extreme climate like Terror Mountain or the Lost Desert without clothes for the temperature will just end with you shelling out big money to keep your pets comfortable.

Some Cheap but Fun Activities

Every destination has at least one or two budget activities to do, but it can be hard to figure them out, so here’s the scoop on some for each area to get you started.

Neopia Central: Most pets pass through here all the time, but if you’re here for a “stay-cation” or visiting from a far-off land, the Money Tree is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Don’t expect anything great, but people do leave interesting things lying around. Also, check out the Art Centre on a rainy day, as it’s free and you can even teach your pets how to draw each other, or just look at other Neopians’ artistic renditions of their own pets.

Roo Island: Dice-A-Roo has a super cheap entry fee of only 5 NP, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be raised any time soon. You can win snacks from the higher dice too, so if you’re lucky you won’t need to buy a lunch. And as a bonus, the Blumaroos all want to talk as they pass by. Many more games can be found in the huge Games Room, too, where you can win Neopoints for getting good scores. Don’t forget to go outside, though!

Kiko Lake: This is quite a small area if you can’t breathe underwater. Tourists all pile onto the glass-bottomed boat tours, but if you want to skip the entry fee and crowded boats, a hidden gem is the Carpentry store. Although the items may be expensive, the owner has no objection to a few pets sitting on the dock and enjoying the views of the village, no glass-bottom boat needed. And since the carpenters built the dock themselves, even the heaviest pets can sit without worrying about wood splintering and sending them into the water.

Haunted Woods: A lot of folks fall into the trap of walking too close to the Brain Tree or the Esophagor. These fellas will no doubt ask you for a few items, and you’ll be spending your vacation time fearfully asking around for items that may not be cheap. Instead, head to the Game Graveyard to enjoy some ‘vintage’ games. Younger pets may have never even heard of these games, and older pets will appreciate the throwback. Think twice before spending your money on the carnival games in the Deserted Fairground… rumour is they’re rigged…

Brightvale: This is a tricky spot. People place a lot of value on knowledge here. You might spin the local Wheel after shelling out 500 NP, and win nothing but a wise saying. The key to Brightvale is spending time talking to the residents. Since everyone thinks they’re so smart, if you get them going, they’ll talk for hours about what they think is the right way to glaze a window, or how Meridell is behind the times, or whatever. You might have to make up an excuse to get away if they get really into it!

Meridell: It’s easier to spend less here than Brightvale. Although there are still some pricey things to buy from Kayla’s Potionery, skip that and head to Meri Acres farm instead… if you can stomach the smell of dung everywhere. Seriously, why is there so much?

Faerieland: Ever since this formerly floating city fell to earth, you can just walk right in and therefore save a bit of NP on transportation. Now, one activity that can be cheap is helping a faerie with a quest – there are lots of them around, and they ask for cheap items sometimes. But if they ask for something pricey, it might be a good time to go home. Oh, and whatever you do, if you stumble into the Hidden Tower, don’t touch anything.

Lost Desert: It seems like there are too many shops and stalls here to avoid spending money, but make your way to the Fruit Machine and you could be rolling in the Neopoints, or even be the new owner of a rare paint brush – all for free.

Terror Mountain: As I said before, you’re going to need a coat, so that might take some of your budget away before you even get there. I would recommend just planning a trip during the final month of the year, so you can pick up daily prizes at the Advent Calendar. They even give out some Neopoints, so you can use those to buy a scratch card or a cheap but tasty Brucicle.

Tyrannia: If you can make it here, this might be one of the cheapest places to visit. These guys are still pushing rocks around for fun. Grab an omelette and spin the Wheel of Mediocrity for a tenth of the price of the Wheel of Excitement.

Maraqua: DO NOT GO INTO KELP. Apart from that, fishing is a good way to pass the time, but there are a whole lot of boots and sandals down there…

Krawk Island: This island demands dubloons to get any business done, but there are a few free spots. You can always go into the Food Club without placing any bets and see if you can meet the competitors, or ask the locals if they’re up for a game of Deckball. Stay out of the way of any smugglers, as their wares will definitely set you back a few hundred dubloons, if you even have that many.

Mystery Island: Although a little difficult to get to, this island is packed with activities. Most things here aren’t expensive, so just go with an open mind and enjoy the sunshine. My favourites are playing local games like beach volleyball or anything with fruit, or just chucking stuff into the Cooking Pot and seeing what comes out.

Moltara: It’s kind of warm down here. There aren’t too many things to do for free, but rumour is you can sneak past the guard at the Magma Pool if he dozes off... and there has to be something cool to see if they need a guard there all the time, right?

Shenkuu: Much like Mystery Island you can mix stuff in a cooking pot, but Chef Bonju might give you a hard time if you don’t know what you’re doing. Better to go visit the Lunar Temple, as the wise old Gnorbu there is a pretty welcoming master and seems happy enough to teach anyone who wants to learn about astronomy.

Altador: You’d be a fool not to visit here during the Altador Cup at least once. However, merchandise is everywhere and the slushies can be expensive. If you visit during the off-season, this land has many areas to explore both inside the city and out, and seeing the sun setting on the water is always worth it.

As for the Virtupets Space Station and Kreludor, anyone with the budget to go to space doesn’t need this guide, so they won’t be covered. Hopefully, this has opened your eyes to the fact that you don’t need to go withdraw Neopoints at the National Neopian to have a good time travelling Neopia with your pets. And keep an eye out on your travels. Neopia is huge and there are many places that haven’t been fully explored yet…