Kiko Lake - The Other Forgotten Holiday Destination

Now just like any great holiday destination, Kiko Lake has a great mode of transport to get there. Roo Island has a ferry, Mystery Island has a ship (which is massive to handle the enormous amount of tourists) and Kiko Lake is more unique. They both use boats. Kiko Lake doesn’t use boats (apart from the glass bottom boat which is reserved for tours) as they can harm the waters around the lake and wreck homes of the inhabitants. Oh no, Kiko Lake has a very special way to collect visitors - NOTHING! Apart from your tour guide; a few scuba diving masks; breathing equipment; flippers - that is all you will possibly need (and it is all provided anyway! How fortunate) to get to Kiko Lake. You will be escorted to the magical Rainbow Pool and be told to dive in (if you use a paintbrush, you get a new colour as a bonus!). You will probably be thinking that the Rainbow Pool is only a ‘pool’, but it is not! It is a long and beautiful underwater tunnel towards the sea. Beautiful coral reefs are growing on the rocky walls and seaweed will tickle your feet as it pokes out from the sand below. Once you are out of the tunnel, you will be in the wide ocean. You will be just a short swim away until you arrive at the lake’s shore (as long as you avoid being eaten by the giant Jetsam that populate the ocean).

Once you arrive, you will be on the sandy beach. Breathe deeply and take in your wonderful surroundings. It is very small and cute and dainty and definitely unique. You can only see three buildings, which are all shaped like Kikos, one red, one blue, one wooden, a boat floating around the water and a giant paintbrush sticking out of the surface of the water. The water is bright blue and crystal clear, with a beach surrounded by soft sand. I think you will agree it is most charming.

I would recommend that you go to the red building on the east side of the lake first. Open the tiny wooden door and you will hear a golden bell chime. You will be standing on a polished wooden floor, surround by tables and chairs and bookcase, all with massive pots of candy and sweets and all kinds of treats to stick your teeth into. At the back of the store, there is a brown wooden counter, where a cheery purple Kiko wearing a chef’s hat and holding a spoon greets you. Look around until you find some tasty treats which take your fancy. My own personal favourites would be the ‘Fruit Surprise Rock Slices’ and the ‘Chocolate Orange Kiko Fudge’, but you take your pick out of the tasty selection of treats sold there. After choosing, paying and maybe having a little nibble, say farewell to the happy purple Kiko and leave the tiny shop.

After buying some delicious sweets and snacks from the Kiko Lake Treats Store, head to the wooden building. You will have to walk across a wooden pier to reach the entrance. Once you walk in the door you will notice a lot of wood and tools lying around. You will also see lots of seaweed and coral looking type things and a counter at the back, where a yellow Kiko sits on a stool, with a hammer in his hand and some nails in his mouth. This is Kiko Lake Carpentry, where they sell aquatic related furniture and some Kiko related furniture as well. My own favourites are the ‘Orange Coral Wardrobe’ and the ‘Kiko Arm Chair’, but you buy what you wish. The furniture sold here is perfect for any aquatic pet like Peophins, Koi and Acaras - my red Peophin Taemii is always begging for furniture for her room from here.

After finding the perfect addiction to your neohome, and head to the blue building situated near the shore of Kiko Lake. This is the place where you go if you wish to take a Glass Bottom Boat Tour, a unique tour exclusive to Kiko Lake - much better than those Tiki Tours that Mystery Island offers. A new tour begins every hour or so, and if the boat hasn’t arrived yet you could occupy yourself munching on that yummy sweet you bought from the Treats shop, or admire the unique style of your new piece of furniture from the Carpentry. Or you could just sit quietly and gaze up at the sky, guessing the shapes of the swirling clouds. When the boat finally arrives, you are in for a real treat.

You step on board, and the first thing you will notice is the glass floor of the cute and quaint little yellow boat that you have set foot on. There will be a driver at the front of the boat (most likely a Kiko) and a Neopet (which is often not a Kiko) standing on the other side of the boat in a uniform. There will most likely be other passengers sitting on the six, comfortable green seats lined at the side of the boat. When the boat leaves, you and your Neopets will be able to spy on the wonders of Kiko Lake without getting wet. If you have an aquatic pet (Flotsam or Jetsam are some examples) then you should let them swim beside the boat and enjoy the water. Once you have set off, you should hope that you brought your camera with you - as you are about to see some breathtaking underwater sights!

Your tour guide will tell you all about whatever underwater treasure you are passing at the present time. If you are passing the coral reefs and seaweed gardens, he will most likely inform you of the types of coral and seaweed that have been planted. You will be taken over the most fantastic and magnificent buildings ever built in the underwater town - and some of the oldest and most fascinating ones too. You will be driven across the high street (where you will most likely see lots of Kikos doing their shopping) and all the gift shops. They encourage the use of cameras, so snap away! At the end of the tour, they hand all the passengers some snorkels and scuba diving kits, and you all dive into the water, unless you have a reason not to.

You will be enchanted by seeing the underwater village closer than ever. The tour guide will show you towards a strangely shaped building, which seems to be made out of a giant piece of coral - and looking up at the surface you realise it is the giant paintbrush. You step inside, and you will be surrounded by crayons, pencils, paint brushes and all kinds of arty things. You can colour in many pictures inspired by Kiko Lake and take them home with you. They are all on water proof paper, so they won’t get all soggy. You will soon be escorted to the boat and will be returned to the shore.

You will be tired now and you should head to the peaceful forest now. You will notice that the trees are covered in darling little tree houses - this is where you will stay. Find a house right for you, unpack your belongings (you did bring belongings, didn’t you?) and collapse into your bed.

In the morning it's time to hurry home! Or you could always stay an extra day? Don’t forget to tell your Neofriends about your trip! Thanks for reading! Don’t forget your sun lotion!

* This is the sequel to ‘Roo Island - The Forgotten Holiday Destination’. Just so you know. ;)

** If you are reading this then this is the third time that I’ve got into the Neopian Times! Yay! Have you ever noticed people always do ‘if you are reading this....’ whenever they get into The Neopian Times? Yeah... weird. =D