Category: Reviews

My most recent travels to me to the setting of Ai-mura, largely created by ラパ (Rapa Tone) and Indra Herouin. Occupying a sky platform covering a little under a quarter of a Full private region which offers the private island Land Capacity bonus, Ai-Mura is held under Rapa’s melodic.one Group and is described as being a part of the Love Project, in reference to the region as a whole and the multiple settings available within it – some of which I’ll be covering in these pages in due course.

Ai-mura is an engaging Japanese themed setting, with very good use made of the available space, which has been split into roughly three primary areas.

As you step off the train at Ai-mura station, you sense there is something magical about this small village by the sea. Refresh your body and mind at the local onsen, explore the bustling neko village, wander the paths to find your perfect picture spot, and come listen to amazing DJs while dancing your cares away in a beautiful, open-air venue.

– Ai-Mura Destination Guide entry

The train – more a tram, really – referenced in the setting’s Destination Guide entry sits in the south-east corner of the setting, stopped at the terminus of whatever line it has followed to reach this point, having to to it via passage through a nearby tunnel. The station located just below the elevated tracks has something of an industrial feel about its insides, resembling more of a pumping station than a ticket office or anything. Alongside of it is the entrance / exit to a subway system, suggesting another means of reaching the setting.

A bamboo path offers two routes down from the station, it and the tram track being the highest accessible points in the setting. The first is to the north, where a gatehouse and stone steps allow visitors to descend from the station’s rocky table-top and reach the neko village also referenced in the Destination Guide entry.

The second arm of the path turns west to pass under a Torii gate and again descend via stone steps to provide access to the west side of the setting. In offering the way to their respective destinations, both arms of the path pass over a fast-flowing stream that tumbles from above vias falls and then further falls and rapids before eventually passing into a tunnel of its own, effectively isolating the station’s rocky highland from the rest of the landscape.

The neko village is, as the name suggests, a village of kitties – u10 nitta’s (shiro0822) ever-engaging {-Maru Kado-} kitties to be precise. Unsurprisingly, given the local inhabitants 🙂 the majority of the businesses in the village square are given over to eateries with all sorts of foods on offer – including fish. The latter are being offered via a warehouse linking the village with a fishing wharf where a couple of boats are tied-up, most likely having recently delivered their catches.

Packed with little details waiting to be found, the village is a simply charming setting ripe with photo opportunities. One of my favourite elements – aside from the kitties – is a sign board sitting above the the village providing information on where Rapa –  an SL DJ – might be, giving both her DJ appearances and the times she’s asleep  with “zzzz”.

Steps on the west side of the village provides access to an open meadow which in turn connects to the west side of the region, the majority of which is given over to a field for music events, with the field set to host a Progressive Music event on Tuesday, July 30th from 16;00-22:00 SLT, hosted by Coley Magic, who will join Rapa and five other DJs presenting sets during the event.

South of the music venue is a raised courtyard which connects to the second part of the path running down from the tram station. The courtyard seems to function as both an overspill area for the music events field and as an open space before the setting’s osen.

The latter is entirely open-air and without either accompanying bath house or changing area. Instead, the main pool sits within a oval of large stones and appears to be heated from a natural source below, the water’s surface misted with steam. Whatever the source of the heat, it must be powerful: the pool appears to be fed by cold fresh water tumbling from more of the falls at the setting’s southern highlands; water which drops over stepped falls and then rushes through more little rapids to flow into the larger body of which the onsen pool is part.

For those who would like a more private spa, a second hot spring and pool can be found on a shoulder of rock overlooking the main falls and stream. It is reached by turning off the path down to the onsen from the tram station before it crosses the stream via a red bridge.

There are one or two roughly little elements where the landscaping could perhaps be tidied in little more, but these don’t really intrude into the setting to the extent them we show up in photos. The sound scape – birdsong and trickling water – could perhaps do with a little more, but again, its entirely possible most visitors will be dropping in for the music, and so won’t notice. Certainly, the overall photogenic nature of the setting cannot be denied, and the look and appeal of Ai-Mura does much to commend the rest of the public spaces within the region as being destinations to add to an itinerary.

SLurl Details

• Ai-Mura (a love Project, rated Moderate)

Summer has brought with it time for me to make a visit to Luane’s World, the estate held and operated by LuaneMeo and her publicly-accessible Full region – Le Monde Perdu (The Lost World). It’s been a while since my last visit, and the region has been beautifully redressed for the summer, offering a mix of a beachy cove, woodlands, a lake, and open lands cut through by a mix of streams and footpaths.

The landing point sits on a ridge which runs from east to west across the landscape, rising from each coast to form high cliffs overlooking the beach with is deep-cut cove to the south, whilst falling more gently away to the north west to meet the lowlands. The upper reach of this ridge is home to the region’s landing point. This provides information on the estate’s rentals, a teleport board (including the the sky region destination and the store space Luane shares with Méli-Mélo). A further board provides information on the region’s photo contest running through to August 12th, 2024, of which more below.

There are two main ways down from the ridge, again to the east and west. The former descends via a trail and steps cut into the hill slopes before crossing one of the region’s streams to provide access to the east side of the cove and the beach. Along the way it is possible to turn north and access the lowlands, where multiple places to sit and pass the time might be found along the hill slopes.

To the west, the slope proceeds gently down in a gentle curve to the south, eventually meeting with the beach, the foot of the sandy hill sculpted by successive tides. Again there are multiple places to sit along the way – including a cosy summer house – whilst steps cut into the north slope again provide access to the northern lowlands.

Facing off-region islands, the beach and cove are naturally formed, the beach offering a gentle sandy walk under the lee of the cliffs before shelving away sharply under the surf to form a deep water bay that’s home to orca, fish, an ancient wreck and a great white minding its own business. The fact that it is seemingly content to keep to itself will likely be good news to those who wish to take a dip or make use of the lidos, floating seats and rings in the water. For those of a less daring disposition, a RHIB sits in the bay, one of several boats around the region, and offering a place from where the local rays can be watched.

With all these sights and locations the beach and cove are attractive and photogenic and certainly not not be missed. However, given I’m personally not a great beach person, the north side of the region with its lush grassland, trees and flower, is the real attraction. The lake takes up a good portion of the north-west side of the setting, and while it may not have the richness of undersea life within it, it is still the home for swans, geese and turtles, as well as offering the opportunity to take a swan boat out on the water from the dock alongside of the lakeside cottage.

The latter is a cosily-furnished mix of home and studio, a wooden boardwalk winding from its and front door to pass around the edge of the lake, paths here and there offering ways up the slopes behind. Making its way past another deck, the boardwalk eventually climbs steps up to another platform at the eastern extent of the lake, where gates set into a high, ivy-draped wall close by provide access to the lands beyond the lake. Although before passing through them, there is also the opportunity to take a walk around the north shore of the lake, which is again photogenic and relaxing.

For those who don’t fancy walking all around the region, horse rezzers available, although walking perhaps offers the best opportunity to catch sight of all the animals and birds also occupying the setting. for those would would like to the the region as a bird might, then the hot air balloon floating to the north-east might be attractive. As already noted, the region is rich in places to sit throughout, on the beach, around the lake, on the hill slopes, and so on, although I particularly enjoyed the Café de Paris, tucked into a corner of the region and guarding the path leading to / from the familiar bridge connecting le Monde Perdu with the rest of the region.

Photo Contest

Running through until Monday, August 12th, 2024, the Luane’s World / Le Monde Perdu photo contest offers a prize pool of L$ 8,000 plus a  choice of pose packs from Méli-Mélo and Luanes Poses. Full details and rules can be obtained from the contest board at the region’s landing point, but in short:

• Up to three entries per person may be submitted.
• Entered photographs must:
  • Be taken within Luane’s World ground-level setting (not Luane’s Magical World, the sky-bound setting) and be clearly recognisable as having been taken within the region.
  • Have a primary focus on the landscape (although avatars can be show in images, they should not be the focus).
  • Not include porn, obscenity, racism, child play, or violence. doing so will result in automatic disqualification.

• Entries:
  • Are made via the Luanes World – Le Monde Perdu Flickr group.
  • Mist be set to Public viewing.
  • Must be labelled LUANES WORLD – LE MONDE PERDU PHOTO CONTEST Summer 2024, followed by any title you wish to give the image and then 1, 2 or 3 if you submit multiple entries. the SLurl to the region must also be given within the image description.

Good luck to all who enter.

All of Luane’s designs, developed with Gorba McMahon, are eye-catching, highly photogenic and created with keen eyes for detail. Summer 2024 is no exception to this, and I highly recommend a visit.

SLurl Details

• Luane’s World (le Monde Perdu, rated Adult)