Tired of Other Neopians? Rent A Boat

1. Hire a boat.

Yes, you read that correctly. I want you to hire a boat in Meridell! After you've hired your boat, you'll be doing a good bit of rowing (very good for stress relief!). About three hours of rowing in the general direction of Brightvale, you'll find a cluster of three small islands. These are your first destination! As I said, the islands are very small but each one of them can easily provide you with a full day of adventure. These mini islands might not be big enough to have official names on a map but rest assured there are pets who live there. However, be prepared, these pets are nothing like the ones you meet on the Neopian main land. The islands can be harsh and it shapes their character! My best advice would be to search around the Altadorian Archives for a translation and phrase book to take with you. Even if your best attempts at the language are poor, the natives will appreciate the effort and should warm up to you quickly!

The climate on the islands is on the cold side, which makes them ideal for long hikes across the barren landscape. Don't expect massive trees, sparking streams, and brightly colored fruits here. Because the islands are so small, the intense winds dictate what can and cannot grow. The vegetation is mostly low to the ground and the hills are filled with grasses being whipped in every direction. Depending on what direction you hike, you can also expect some marshlands as well. I'd recommend being sure you know how to navigate in marshy terrain before you get started on this adventure. Although, you might also be able to convince one of the locals to guide you, if they like you enough! I did say the landscape is barren but at the start of summer you can see small delicate flowers waving between the grass. But time your visit carefully because as we go towards autumn the temperatures very quickly drops close to freezing and every flower will disappear.

Now, if you've explored all three of these gems but you just can't get enough of this island atmosphere, it's another three to four hours of rowing to get to the much larger main island. The climate on the outskirts is almost identical to that of the smaller islands. However, it gets warmer as you get further away from the sea and closer to the center of the island. Because the climate is milder, the center is also the place where you'll find the most Neopians. But don't be mistaken; even though their town is bigger, they are still tough islanders like you met on the smaller islands. These folks go out to the sea to fish for their food every day and then walk all the way back into town to go home and feed their families.

If you decide to go for this truly unique experience in Neopian nature, bring warm clothes and a good solid tent that can handle rain and a lot of wind. A pair of tough hiking shoes and some high rubber boots are a good idea as well. Finally, you better like fish and herbs because this is all you'd be eating for a while!

2. Still got that boat of yours?

The second suggestion I have for you is a different group of islands. These sport a climate that couldn't be more dissimilar to the cold and wet of the unnamed islands near Meridell. This time I'm taking about Moltara! Contrary to popular belief, it's not a very popular holiday destination. They get some day-trippers from Tyrannia, Altador and occasionally Shenkuu but that's about it. It's probably due to the fact that temperatures are hotter than hot. Plus, the main part of the civilization actually being below ground in sweltering mine doesn't help. But the mine isn't why I'm recommending this place.

Remember I asked if you still have a boat handy? If not, see about renting one from the docks because we are headed to the islands surrounding the entrance to the core. The main island, which plays home the entrance, is too crowded for our purposes, but there are almost two-dozen other islands! Yes, that many! You could easily keep busy hopping from island to island for months on end. The climate is overall the same on all islands: hot, tremendously hot! The sea doesn't really bring that much refreshment because in this active volcano region the water is always comfortably warm. The ocean provides a beautifully comfortable respite if you ever find yourself too hot on the islands' surfaces.

All the islands have dense rainforests. Everything grows very quickly because of the constant warm temperatures and humidity. Have I warned you of the humidity, yet? No? It feels like you're constantly walking into a 44°C raincloud. Any physical activity is next level hardcore here and it's definitely something you should probably prepare for if you want to experience the peace and the quite of this place without passing out. The climate is the main reason you see so few Neopians on the smaller islands. It's just too exhausting for ordinary tourists once you go in the forest. However, if you train up a bit first (Cap'n Threelegs can help get you in top shape!), you can trek for days in the dense forest surrounded by unique petpets and fruits galore. Before your trip here, you really need to be sure you have the right gear, Good shoes are paramount. These islands are actively volcanic. Seriously. The ground can be extremely hot on some places and you need shoes that can handle that. You're also going to want a recently updated map so you can avoid the (more) dangerous spots. It's easier than you think to get lost in the forest, no matter how small the island. Now, enough about the weather! At the beginning of this article, I promised you incredible views. Moltara and it's islands are situated perfectly to give you stunning views of other lands.

From the southernmost island you can see Lutari Island, the most elusive island of Neopia! I wouldn't advise trying to row to it. The sea can be rather wild here, depending on the time of the year. There are no tour boats going to Lutari Island, either, but if you really want to catch a glimpse of it, this is a pretty good spot. 
If you're quite tired of rowing at this point, the largest island to the east offers boat trips to islands right off the coast of Altador. But do budget for this as the fares are very costly, especially if go during the peak summer season. On the island farthest northeast you get a postcard-worthy view of the Shenkuu Mountains. Sadly, there is no way to reach Shenkuu directly from Moltara but you can always visit on a separate trip (the mountains offer lovely solitude as well!). Last but not least, on the northernmost island, you have a view of Tyrannia. On a clear, sunny day you can see the towering plateau in all its splendor.

Sometimes you have to go to extreme lengths for a little peace and quiet on your holiday! Hopefully this guide has given you enough options that one of them strikes your fancy. If not, maybe you should just stay home and read a good book.