A Neopian Traveler’s Guide to Affordable Backgrounds

It can be disheartening to see your friends’ vacation photos only to realize that those location backgrounds cost hundreds of thousands of Neopoints, but fear not! No matter where your dream vacation destination is, this guide has arrived to help Neopians achieve stunning world-wide photos for a mere fraction of the price. Away we go on our budget tour of Neopia!

Altador

Ah Altador, a beautiful city returned to its former glory after a thousand year slumber. Even during the off season, Neopets are always welcome to enter the colosseum for a photo. If you dress in your finest team attire (and angle the camera just right) future viewers might even believe there was a game happening right at that very moment!

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If sports aren’t really your aesthetic, there are plenty of ancient and beautiful artwork walls to strike a pose in front of. Take a moment to colour-coordinate your outfit with the stunning and iconic Altador sun behind you.

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Sometimes though, vacationing is all about getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life. There’s no better way to enjoy the quiet countryside than staring peacefully out at some farm fields in a designer straw hat.

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Brightvale

With green meadows, delicious fruit, and the brightest minds in all of Neopia, Brightvale is the place for a studious and photogenic vacation! Be sure to stop in town and take a photo in front of the quaint bookstore. Whether or not you bought (or read) any books from there, your friends will still think you did!

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One of the best times to view Brightvale’s famous stained glass windows (and your profile in front of them!) is in the evening. A quick walk through the streets of the city offers many opportunities to stop and hold up other Neopians while taking the perfect photo.

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Of course if you find yourself in the way of other Neopians too often (or decide to sneak inside for a better photo with those alluring windows) you might just land yourself in the Brightvale dungeon. Assuming that the royal guards allow you to keep your trusty camera, this is a great opportunity for an emotional photo to pair with a future story about your experience.

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Faerieland

What was once a sparkling city in the sky is now conveniently in a far more accessible location. Thankfully, if you miss the gloriously cloudy aesthetic of former days there is a recreation that you can visit for a photo (but trust me, even the best vintage filter won’t fool anyone!).

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One of the best (and cheapest!) ways to experience truly magical photographic opportunities in Faerieland is to book yourself a tour of Fyora’s tower. If you linger toward the back of the tour group, you can get a photo looking out over the balcony as if you’re on a private tour!

Fyoras Balcony

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If you’re wearing shoes that are good for walking and looking for a darker vibe, follow the roads out to Jhudora’s Bluff. It’s better to take a wider photo here since getting too close might get you turned into a purple mortog (and that would ruin the aesthetic!).

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Haunted Woods

Deep in the middle of an old forest lies many creepy photo opportunities for the avid vacationer! Crumbling abandoned buildings give off that haunting feeling and make perfect backdrops for when you want to show off how unafraid you are of old infrastructure!

Spooky Tower Entrance

If you dare to enter the building you might come upon old workshops and abandoned laboratories. Wearing stout shoes and avoiding broken glass is always advisable!

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It wouldn’t be much of a Haunted Woods vacation if you didn’t get any photos with the actual Haunted Woods! If you’re lucky enough to find Illere’s tree you might be able to snap a photo before it spots you.

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As much fun as the games are at the Deserted Fairground our budget tour includes only one stop, the Wheel of Misfortune. Show all of your friends and followers how you laugh in the face of potential disaster!

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Kiko Lake

This beautiful caldera-side tourist destination is a picturesque location both above and below the water. There are many opportunities to photograph yourself while window shopping the lengthy boardwalk.

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If you’re trying to be more in tune with nature (or at least look like you are!) take a stroll out past the boardwalk for a wider view of the caldera.

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Krawk Island

Yar! Bring your cutlass and hold tight to your bag of Neopoints, Krawk Island is a great location for both beaches and danger! Most of us visit the forgotten shore on a daily basis to look for treasure, but have you remembered to stop and take a photograph?

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There’s no better way to show off your strengths than flexing outside of the Swashbuckling Academy. You might not have the Neopoints to train there, but you can certainly look like you do!

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While not the most glamorous place to be, photos with shock value can cause quite a stir! So if you venture down into the fungus caves, be sure to take a photograph to impress (or disgust) your friends!

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Kreludor

It’s the moon! And as amazing as it would be to visit, there are no good space travel options for a budget-conscious vacation. This guide promised you budget tours of Neopia, not space travel! However, with some paint (and Grundo inspired accessories) you can still pull off a Kreludor inspired look that will have your friends looking to the sky.

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Maraqua

The now not-so-secret realm of Maraqua is a great tourist destination for both water and land Neopets! Bring your scuba gear (or ready your gills) because one of the best budget views can only be found deep underwater in the famous Maractite Caves.

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For those of us with fewer swimming abilities, another option is to simply drop into the water! With any luck, a Maraquan resident will find and fish you out, which offers a great photo opportunity for you and potentially also your dashing rescuer! What a story!

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Meridell

Hear ye, hear ye! Hear about Meridell, the land of kings and knights. Although our budget won’t get you into any feasts (or even inside of the castle) you can still take a photo from the surrounding landscape!

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Throw on your wellington boots, because the countryside is peppered with orchards, farm fields and herds of Meridellian Petpets! Embrace the simpler life and take a photograph tasting farm-fresh produce or visiting the Petpet barns.

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The final great opportunity not only showcases your enviable vacation, but also how amazingly thrifty you are! One Neopet’s trash is another Neopet’s treasure, so hold your nose and at least pretend you’re about to dive in! Bonus points if you can humblebrag about the “amazing find" you pulled out of the rubbish!

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Moltara

Deep beneath the surface of Neopia lies a hot destination full of inexpensive photo opportunities. The centre of the main city boasts an industrial landscape for the steampunk inspired vacationer.

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While visiting the city, it’s a great time to pick up a new Battledome weapon. No matter what you choose to buy, be sure to strike a pose with the most expensive weapon in the shop.

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More inexpensive adventures can be found down some of the less travelled caves of Moltara. While not a problem for magma pets, most Neopets should proceed with caution while looking for these hot photo locations!

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Mystery Island

Mystery Island, the quintessential vacation destination! Many of the most popular tourist locations are easily accessible for Neopians of any budget! From beautiful beaches, to outstanding stone works of art. Any time of the year the weather here is perfect for breathtaking vacation photos.

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If you time your visit right, you might be able to catch Gadgadsbogen, the festival of new island fruits! Watch the new fruits sprout up from the ground and then hurry to the local shops to buy some!

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If beaches and fruits sound boring or unimpressive, then don’t forget to visit the exclusive island training school. No codestones needed to go inside and snap a quick photo!

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Looking tough during training might not be enough to impress some of your more adventurous friends, so take those muscles deep into the jungle for a photo with the infamous deserted tomb.

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Neopia Central

When Neopoints are tight and even the most convenient destination seems out of reach, then maybe it’s time for a staycation right here in Neopia Central! Take a little walk down to your favourite shops to showcase how much fun can be had right outside of your own door!

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If you have any neopoints left after your home town shopping spree, stop at the wishing well to test your luck (and try not to get stuck while taking this photo!)

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Of course, if your house and gardens are already complete and you have no need of new items, then don’t forget to showcase yourself enjoying a staycation in your perfectly curated surroundings!

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Roo Island

While there are many fun things to do while visiting Roo Island, taking a budget photo can be tricky! Many Neopians might have forgotten that Roo Island happens to be the home of the game room, a place where everyone is welcome to earn some Neopoints (and take a photo between matches)!

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Shenkuu

Shenkuu, while sometimes difficult to travel to and long famed as a merchant town, has many reasonably priced opportunities for vacation memories! While you can’t get a photo inside, some might say the Lunar Temple is just as impressive from the front steps!

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You also don’t need to go inside to enjoy a view of the famed Shenkuu rock gardens.

Relaxing Shenkuu Rock Garden

It may be a bit of a hike, but the splendid view (and photo opportunity) is well worth the effort of climbing to the top of one of Shenkuu’s misty peaks.

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Terror Mountain

Break out your parka because Terror Mountain is one of the coolest destinations this year (and… every year)! Stop along the way up to showcase how much fun you’re having before you’ve even arrived!

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Renting a getaway cabin on the mountainside gives you a great place to leisurely warm up before and after your cosy cabin photo shoots!

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If you can bear the frosty weather, a quick trip to the Advent Calendar (even if it isn’t the month of Celebrating!) and a visit to the treacherous ice caves really completes your exciting Terror Mountain portfolio!

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The Lost Desert

For a different temperature extreme, a visit to The Lost Desert is in order. Due to Kyrii thieves, both cities are difficult to get photos in. Fortunately, you don’t need to have extravagant amounts of Neopoints just to visit the wheel of extravagance!

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If you dare to venture outside of the city (and perhaps risk getting a little lost!) stepping into the temple of a thousand tombs gives an air of adventure to any vacation photo!

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Tyrannia

If you desire a trip to the past, look no farther than the diverse land of Tyrannia. Give future photo viewers a glimpse of the more polished side of Tyrannia on your way in.

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For a more extreme trip photo, it’s fortunately (or perhaps, unfortunately) quite simple to get quite close to some very active volcanos!

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It’s easy to forget to snap a photo while grabbing your daily free breakfast, so take a moment to appreciate the omelette selection of the day and treasure it forever!

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Virtupets Space Station

I know I said earlier that this guide wouldn’t include any off-world travel but I just found an inexpensive photography-allowed trip to the Virtupets Space Station! The pilot wouldn’t show his face and I had to sign some kind of contract before boarding, but a bargain background in a spaceship is worth it! …. right?

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I hope with the help of this guide that you enjoy your budget travels around Neopia, and also return with enviable photos! If I ever get off of this slothship, look forward to future affordable guides to travelling the world of Neopia!