Friday, 27 May 2016

Travel with MAPS - ISYS100



Our Travel Video


Our travel video is a combination of all our experiences we have had travelling around the world for the past few years... It is a collage of pictures and videos that displays our favourite memories and adventures from travelling!

All team members gathered pictures and videos to contribute to our final video. Amy put it all together and edited the video. 

Monday, 16 May 2016

No place like home - The Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is perfectly positioned as a destination for business, investment, study, sport, events, tourism and lifestyle.

Situated in the south east corner of the state of Queensland, the Gold Coast stretches along 57 kilometres of coastline and is home to over half a million people. Beyond the city’s beautiful beaches are vast, sub-tropical rainforests with breathtaking scenery. 
Hit the beach
The three-kilometre strip of golden sand between Surfers Paradise and the Pacific Ocean is Australia's iconic beach, a postcard-perfect locale that conjures up 'paradise' to millions.

Throughout the year, the beach welcomes swimmers, joggers, surfers and strollers from around the Gold Coast, around Australia and around the World. 


Mt Cougal national park
A walk along the border fence line to the twin summits of Mt Cougal. There are excellent views from the top!



Hit the iconic theme parks

Take on Movie World’s adrenaline-pumping rides and meet your favourite stars and super heroes. 

Get up close to Sea World’s amazing animals and check out the new Nickelodeon Land filled with family friendly rides and all your favourite Nickelodeon characters.



Plus, beat the heat at Wet’n’Wild with a world class line-up of pools and slides for the young and young at heart.

Cavill Avenue

Cavill Avenue is a street and a pedestrian mall in Surfers ParadiseGold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is in the heart of the Surfers Paradise shopping and entertainment district. 

                                
Sami Chalabi


Bangkok?? Why not...

Bangkok, Thailand, the city that literally doesn’t sleep, from dusk to dawn, there’s always stuff to do when you’re in Bangkok.

Get a massage

Unlike Western massage styles, the Thai massage focuses on pressure points. Treatment often begins with the feet and gradually moves upwards towards the head. Rhythmic compressions and manoeuvres are methods employed in order to relax and realign energies in the body. Varying amounts of pressure are applied to energy lines along the body in accordance with the Ayurvedic principles of balancing one's energy. 




Ride on a tuk tuk

The tuk-tuks found in Thailand are open-air, three-wheeled carriages attached to a motorcycle chassis. Drivers are fond of decorating their rides with lights, colorful paint, and dangling trinkets to get attention. The typical capacity for a tuk-tuk in Thailand is two average-size people, maybe three, but drivers will always find a way to squeeze in an entire family when necessary.



Visit the markets

Markets around Bangkok offer fascinating shopping experiences. Compared to air-conditioned malls, though, they are hot and sticky mazes with alleys after alleys of shops selling everything from one-off fashion accessories to knock-off kitsches to farm-fresh flowers and agricultural produce. 



MBK Center

MBK Center is probably Bangkok's most legendary shopping mall, popular with both tourists and locals, and busy with shoppers every day. There are eight floors packed with 2,000 shops that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, electric appliances, cameras, stationery and DVDs. Launched in 1986, MBK Center is a beehive of activity, especially on weekends, when half of Bangkok converges to shop for bargains. It's not as up-market or stylish as neighbouring Siam Discovery, Siam Centre and the glitzy Siam Paragon, but it offers a mind-boggling range of goods spread over 89,000 square metres and is considerably less expensive.



 Visit the temple

The splendid, much-coveted Thai temple (or wát) is actually a compound of different buildings that serve specific religious functions. Bangkok’s temples provide a multitude of pleasures that range in scope from artistic inspiration to more straightforward urban exploration. Within the temples themselves you’ll see the native Siamese styles of building, as well as examples from historical Khmer, Mon, Lao and northern Thai traditions. 


Sami Chalabi




Roam to Rome!



Hello readers! Marina here, I would like to share with you some beautiful things to do in Rome!

Piazza Navona






The Piazza Navona! 
The Piazza Navona is a beautiful open large forecourt which was built on the stadium of Domitian in the first century AD. In this forecourt you will find restaurant surrounding the outskirts and in the middle a very large water fountain, musicians playing and markets selling artworks. I highly recommend sitting down to a big bowl of fettucine and a glass of wine!

The Vatican! 

I will never forget this amazing experience! The famous Roman Catholic Church is mesmerizing and extremely fascinating. If you can read the history of the Roman Catholic Church and their famous church members, appreciate the intricate artworks and art on the church itself and hustle your way through the crowds then make you way over to the Vatican!
 
I photo I captured of the astonishing art of the roof of the Vatican!

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The Colosseum! 
You simply cannot travel to Rome and not visit the Colosseum! This amphitheater is the largest that has ever been built in the world and is incredibly fascinating!



















Photo of myself in front of the grand architecture!

and make sure you eat heaps of pasta and pizza!






Darwin! Australia's city you cannot miss!

 

If you love sweltering hot weather, crocodiles, rainforests, waterfalls and differing cultural lifestyles, then Darwin is the place for you to travel to!

Darwin offers a vast abundance of activities and sites to see! Here are some of my personal favourites from when I have previously traveled there!

Florence Falls!

Located in the heart of Darwin's popular Litchfield National Park you can find Florence Falls. This place is nothing short of beautiful - with a massive rainfall, tall green trees and water pools. From the carpark it is about a 10 minute walk down to the base, even hardier to walk back up though! But the treck is so worth it! So I highly suggest visiting here, packing a picnic, lots of sunscreen and your camera so you can always remember!

Photo of myself in one of the rock pools
Our picnic we packed! You will need lots of ice to keep the ingredients fresh in the hot weather!

The Wave Lagoon!

Located in the heart of the city you will find a spectacular wave pool! Since crocodiles have claimed the waters in Darwin - swimming in the ocean is not advised nor safe. Therefore, Darwin has provided certain swimming venues over Darwin, which is a good idea to escape the heat! You can bring the kids here and they will love it, with life guards always on duty and a cafe you are set for the day!

My friend and I in the Wave lagoon with inflatables that the venue offers!

The Jumping Crocodile Cruise!

A very popular tourist activity is to go on the Jumping Crocodile Cruise!
This cruise is not for the faint hearted! The crocodiles come lunging out of the water sometimes even jumping out higher than you to engulf large slabs of meat. It is an amazing opportunity to get up close and personal with Darwin's iconic wildlife thriving in their natural habitat. You get a great view of the scenery too as you sail along the river!


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Indulge in Paris!



Image result for paris


Hello readers, Marina here! I have chosen to write a post about Paris, a city that has stolen a piece of my heart.
You could simply not travel Europe without visiting one of the most famous cities in the world. Known for its iconic Eiffel Tower, baguettes and berets, this wonderful city has so much to offer. I have been to Paris myself 4 times, and have never been disappointed! Here are some of my personal favourite things to in Paris!

The Love Lock Bridge!


The love lock bridge


This famous Bridge is famous due to the thousands of padlocks that have been entwined over the entirety of the bridge. These padlocks are symbolic of love in which people inscribe their names with their lovers and then throw their keys away to the padlock to symbolize unbreakable love. It is such a pretty sight to see and a massive tourist attraction.
Below is a picture of my best friend and I who inscribed our names on a padlock! However if you are like us and travel the distance to find the bridge and then find you forgot your padlock (silly I know) then don't fear! Because aligned along the water's edge are markets everywhere selling things from artworks, food, tourist buys and even padlocks!



The Moulin Rouge!

As a big fan of the Moulin Rouge movie, I have always wanted to go to the Moulin Rouge in Paris. If like myself you loved the Moulin Rouge movie then you should definitely go see a live show, it brings your fond memories of the movie to life! The show may seem quite costly, but if live shows is something you're into then it is worth the money! It is very entertaining, amazing acts with an amazing array of skills showcased, brilliant costumes and great service with foods and drinks! It was such a fun night, I highly recommend!



The Eiffel Tower!

This obvious attraction is definitely something everyone should see! And that goes without saying. You can either ascend to the top of the tower or stay at the bottom (if you're afraid of heights), no matter which option you choose - the experience is magical!
I have visited the iconic tower a few times, each time my experience was different. You can go to the top of the tower like I did and embrace the breathtaking views! You can have a picnic at the base of the Eiffel Tower French Style with lots of cheese and wine! Or another fun option is to jump of the bag of a bike carriage and pay someone to zip you around the base of the tower and up the street, making sure you get views of the whole tower! The last option is very fun as some of the men like to be cheeky and give you a fast ride!

Thank you for reading!
Oh and make sure you don't forget to try a baguette, they're delicious!

Places to be, when you’re in Langkawi

Langkawi, Malaysia, has become major tourist attraction in Indonesia. This is because of its relaxing atmosphere, beautiful views and friendly people.

Langkawi sky bridge


The longest free span and curved bridge in the world. completed in 2004, this suspended bridge is built on top of the Machinhang Mountain. accessible from the top station, the bridge is suspended from a 82m high single pylon, hangs about 100m above ground and it can accommodate up to 250 people at the same time. it swings out over the landscape to give visitors a unique spatial experience, and to bring them into otherwise unattainable locations, above virgin jungle with spectacular views.
Skycab
To get to the sky bridge, you have to take the sky cab. Hovering over jungle and climbing over 550 million years old rock, SkyCab gives you more than one unique experience. Be informed, SkyCab is located at the oldest part of South East Asia and the first to emerge from the ancient sea and estuary.

The Base Station is conveniently located at the foothill of the Machincang Mountain. From here, visitors will be taken up to the cool Machincang Mountain via the cable car system. The ride will be an exhilarating experience for everyone to enjoy. You will also be able to catch a glimpse of the flora and fauna that surrounds the area.



Island hopping
The Island hopping tour is one of the most popular activities in Langkawi. It is one of the best ways to see the type of scenery that Langkawi has to offer.

Pulau Beras Basah (wet Rice Island)
So the tour started our adventure at Awana Jetty by Resorts World.
After pulling on life vests the captain transported us to Pulau Beras Basah (Wet Rice Island). This island is a delightful tourist trap. Clear, warm waters on white sandy beaches. 

Eagle watching
Most boat tours will include a stop for wild eagle viewing, where the captain will entice circling eagles with raw pieces of chicken so you get a closer vantage.


 

Tasik Dayang Bunting (Pregnant Maiden Lake)
This is Langkawi’s largest freshwater lake and, when passing by the island, it resembles the outline of a pregnant lady lying on her back. 



Sami Chalabi