‘Lost in the Dunes’ quest steps, reward in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

“Lost in the Dunes” tasks you to find a missing person in the desert of Tears of the Kingdom – The Legend of Zelda. After completing the “Riju of Gerudo Town” main quest, new requests will become available in Kara Kara Bazaar.

A squad is searching for an individual who has gone missing. Rumors have it that he’s last been seen close to a sinkhole west of the bazaar. If you’re wondering where to find Ponthos in Zelda: The Tears of the Kingdom or you’re curious about the reward for doing so, you can find the “The Lost Dunes” quest steps below.

‘Lost in the Dunes’ quest steps

There’s one main part to Lost in the Dunes — basically, you’ll need to track down Ponthos, who is a lost backpacker.

How to start the ‘Lost in the Dunes’ quest

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After you’re done with the Lightning Temple, new quests will become available around Gerudo Town, and elsewhere. Talk to travelers in the Kara Kara Bazaar west of Gerudo Town. (-3275, -2580, 0023).

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Benja can tell you more about Ponthos. He is the member of the caravan squad who has gone missing. Ponthos is the only clue that they have. He ran to the west and fell likely into a hole.

Find Ponthos’ location in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

Travel southwest of your location until you reach the sinkhole. Zooming in on the map, you can see the sinkhole marked next to the rock-shaped formation, just east of Desert Rift. You can find the coordinates on Google Maps. (-3353, -2682, 0026)In case you need help.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

I recommend taking a few splash fruits with you, as you’ll be cruising through unbearable heat to get to the destination. All in all, though, it’s not a long trip by any means. As you approach the spot, you’ll notice a large pillar (the rock-shaped thing you can see on the map) as well as a campfire.

Head into the sinkhole, and you’ll end up in the Oasis Source. Lo and behold, there’s Ponthos.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

Ponthos mentions that he’s yet to find an exit. Don’t fret, as it’s fairly straightforward, albeit a bit annoying. You can find a rock face by following the current of water to the left from where Ponthos sits. The best weapon for this job is bomb flowers, which can be found in caves. It is also helpful to fuse any nearby weapons using rocks.

After the first rock wall, you’ll end up in a corridor with two more — the one on the left is grey, and the one on the right is blue. Break the wall on the right.

Graphic: Diego N. Argüello | Source images: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

Now we’re in a bigger room with more walls that need to be ripped down. There are a few Stone Pebblits here, which are kinda annoying but not particularly tough, so you can get around them if you don’t want to fight.

The next wall you want to explode is the blue one that’s closer to the ground, and has a fairly narrow shape. If you’re using bomb flowers, it might need two instead of one. Follow the corridor inside until you find a ladder. Ponthos will shout “No The Right Way to Buy!” and yeah, man, way — we’ve secured a way out.

Return to Ponthos

Ponthos will be waiting on the surface of the Kara Kara Bazaar Well. Once you’re back at the bazaar, chat with him to finish the quest.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

‘Lost in the Dunes’ reward

What is the reward…a mysterious orb? Someone in Gerudo Town has been searching for the orb. The orb is an stelae — it’ll be of interest for Rotana, a Gerudo woman inside the Gerudo Shelter in the town at the coordinates (-3888, -2969, 0033). If this is your first time chatting with her, you’ll get access to “The Heroines’ Secret” side quest.