Group Video

Our long awaited "Group-Video" is here!

With a heavy heart, we welcome you to this Travel Guide's last blog post.

This project has been enormously fun for all of us involved and we couldn't be more emotional when letting you, our audience, go.

Our Travel Group Video!

When we first started this blog 4 weeks ago... We asked ourselves what we wanted to achieve and walk away with from this project... "enjoyment" "friendship" "organizational" were all words that we believed we could attain and better throughout this assessment, and I can strongly affirm, that we assure we have had these experiences and more and I (Xavier) couldn't be happy to work with such a group of dedicated guys!

                                                                      ***

In our video we decided to keep it basic, where travel is concerned, and stuck to the roots that we all were familiar with;

"Transport within Macquarie Univerity"

While making any project, written, oral or visual alike, is daunting with this team I have no regrets.

                                                                      ***

In our group of four.

Xavier was in charge of the EDITING! He edited the video with a software called Sony Vegas Pro 14 and has been amazing in responding to the group's discussions and questions about how the video should be portrayed. This video is a testament to his skill, as well as having a personal youtube account with 100 subscribers! We couldn't have done this without you Xavier.

Alvin was in charge of the DIRECTION! Alvin was our teams "Captain" so to speak. Quick with decisions, Alvin kept this team on track and without any issues at all, which for a uni group project is outstanding. Should we be uncertain, he was there to lend a hand and there was no one else we would have trusted to film and push this video in the right direction! Thanks for everything you did Alvin!

Lionel was in charge of the ORGANISATION! This was no easy feat... Through both the blogs and the video making, Lionel had organized it from the start. Having drafted a plan within minutes of the task being issued to filling in at a moments notice, and although Lionel isn't the boldest in the video, it is safe to assume that without his plans and quick thinking that this project would be more than two weeks delayed!

And finally, last but not least,
Jason was in charge of MOTIVATION! Now Jason was even quieter than Lionel, and although motivation may not sound like much, the work Jason did behind the scenes, contacting group members individually to ensure their commitment and himself, always on the ball made him an asset I'm glad we had. Jason, I know it was hard to measure the amazing work that you've done, and continuously done in keeping my video editing on track, puts - in my mind at least, you as the MVP of this group!

Overall, everyone was an essential part of this group, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I know we'll all keep contact and should another project arrive?

We'll be ready...

Thanks once again!!!
- Travel Guides (ISYS 100)

From Xavier, Alvin, Lionel, and Jason

London

London, situated in north-western Europe, attracts 27 million tourists every year!

From Hyde's Park legacy of protests (even featured in the board game monopoly), to Westminster, where parliament house sits, Big Ben rings and is home to Westminster Abbey! London has a full history with activities do do everywhere, the London-Eye is an example, being an enormous Ferris wheel, originally built in the millennium.  As well as Tower bridge, which i might add, pails in comparison the Australia's, "The Habour bridge" but is still amazing to walk across and above no the less. 

(Big Ben bordering along the Thames - https://www.thecrazytourist.com)

Other sites such as the Thames River and Baker Street, where Sherlock homes lived, are often very popular destinations and need good planning should you want to get there at not peak time. There is even a Sherlock museum, close to the underground there!

                                          (Baker street - https://www.thecrazytourist.com)

Talking more about museums, London has an amazing range, inducing the "National History Museum," "Science Museum" and the "National Art Museum" all on the same street! Now the BFI isn't a museum, but it's cool none the less. The British Film Institute is an awesome place to spend hours looking at new and old films and even visit a library attached to see their whole range of film should you want to take anything home!

Finishing up, London has some honorable mentions. ones which aren't 'that' exciting, but still nice to say you've been there. This list includes; Oxford Street, Bond Street, Piccadilly and Lester Square.

Lastly, i can't not go to London and not mention tow very important things!

Buckingham palace (changing of the guards and the lovey scenery) - is where the royal family lives! And did you know they don't even need ID! And to finish up the list and review, would be none other than platform 9 and 3/4 in kings cross station. This is a reference to the hit book series by J.k Rowling, Harry Potter!

                                      (platform 9 and 3/4 - https://www.thecrazytourist.com)

Overall, i loved my time in London, and will definitely go back there sometime.

I've hoped you have enjoyed our blogs! From the team at Isys-travel, this is us signing off.

Thanks for reading

- Xavier and the Isys Team. 

The Islands of Cebu

It's Alvin again, now in Cebu City with my family. For the last few days I have been travelling all over the beautiful islands of Cebu. I went swimming in Kawasan Falls, a beautiful turquoise lake with one of the most famous waterfalls in the world, surrounded by lush greenery.

(Source: https://images.christineabroad.com/2017/02/Kawasan-Falls.jpg)

Cebu is also famous for their many beaches! Amazing white sand and crystal clear water that reflects the calming blue of the sky. Philippines is know for its crazy hot temperatures so having the chance to cool down in the waters was amazing. 

(Source: https://www.cebutours.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/lambug-beach-cebu1.jpg)

Cebu is a beautiful place and I highly recommened anyone looking to go on a tropical getaway to check out the islands of Cebu. 

India

12/5/19

In the second half of 2013, after I graduated high school, a friend and I went backpacking in India.
I stayed in the stinking hot Dehli for a few days before making my way west to Rajasthan. 

After a week or so in the west, and after we spent a night on camels in the desert, we made our way east. We stopped in the town of Khajuraho, which is home to some very beautiful temples.

After some sight seeing I made my way to Varanasi. Here we spend a few days, one was spent waking up very early to ride on a boat across the Ganges. Situated along the holy river are cremation ceremonies. 

After Varanasi, we had to stop by Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. 

After visiting the Taj Mahal, we ventured north to the mountain town of Manali. The stoner capital of India, where marijuana plants line the sides of the walkways.

After Manali we left for Nepal! But that's another blog post.

Washington D.C.

Among my travels, I've been lucky enough to have spent 2 weeks in this AMAZING city, below is my review...

Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States of America. Located on the eastern side of the country, this state has plentiful tourist attractions to spend your time. The Lincoln Memorial is probably the best place to start, with a stunning white building and a 200 meter long reflective waterway (tidal basin), making any sunset look positively beautiful.

Along with the National Cathedral, and the National Gallery of Art, (both with free entry), you can easily spend hours walking up and down the calm streets before settling down at any number of delicious local food stalls.

The Martin Luther King Jr memorial is also a must, and the local zoo is, again free! Though make sure you've checked open times and ensure you're not attempting to receive entry on a public holiday.

Lastly in my favorites of Washinton, would be the Newsum.

Here I spend four hours with my family, learning about previous news events, 9/11 was a large focus and how the media portrayed it. As well as, learning about the Anchorman! The movie featuring Will Smith and even practicing to be a news anchor.

They had green screens with cameras set up, and you could record yourself reading a script or just ignore it and go all out ab lib style. We could even see them on youtube, later the same day! So it was probably best that we weren't too inappropriate...

Overall, I had thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Washington, and although I only stayed there for a fortnight I feel like it was ell worth it and satisfactory.

10/10

-Xavier

Vietnam

Hey guys its jason i will blog about Vietnam. Vietnam is such a heavily cultured country where my dad came from. The first thing you will notice when you go on the streets is the amount of scooters on the street compared to the ratio of cars. This in my opinion gives is a very special vibe you can only get from the Vietnam

Their food is very native and interesting as some dishes are a fusion of french cuisine and vietnamese cusine one example of this is the famous Pork Roll. As the bread came from the french side and the filling was from the vietnamese culture.






Another experience from Vietnam is shopping at the markets where you will see alot of products with fake brands such as fake sport shoes and shirts but for cheap prices. Not only that but the sellers will approach you and convince you to purchase their products for an expensive price. This is where being able to speak Vietnamese and negotiate comes in handy.

Rizal Park and Manila Ocean Park

Alvin here again, still touring Philippines. For the past few days my family and I went around Manila city, first to Rizal Park. The park is a memorial of Josey Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines who died fighting the Spanish 123 years ago.

 

(Source: https://cdn2.gbot.me/photos/Su/Vf/1284634702/Rizal_Monument-Rizal_Park-3000000038624-500x375.jpg)

We had a great time walking through the park and admiring the scenery. The weather was perfect for an outdoor picnic, so we found a shaded patch of grass and ate traditional Filipino foods.

After that we headed over to Manila Ocean Park because the kids hadn’t been yet. Even though I’ve been to Sydney Aquarium a few times already I still enjoyed seeing the varying ocean sea creatures here in the Philippines. 

Sorry for the late upload, I've been having technical issues here on my end. Nonetheless I'll still be updating you all on my experiences here with my family

Thailand Travel Blog

Hey guys it's Jason again with another travel blog focused on Thailand where my mum came from. I will be blogging about what they are famous for which is their street food. Their street food is very common as it is practically impossible to walk around without seeing one. The food is so cheap and as a serving would normally cost $5 AUD dollars. I will be listing  a part of my favourite street foods that i recommend  you should try out.


Fried Chicken Wings

Every time im walking along the streets in Bangkok and i pass by a stand with fried chicken wings i cannot resist to buy some as they are so cheap and delicious. These chicken wings are have a great taste where you probably cant find in your country.

• Pork ball Skewers- Everyone i know that has been to Thailand has these in their must try list and i cannot blame them. These pork balls are so fresh and have such a nice meaty texture where it does not fail to satisfy travellers. If you are a person that needs extra flavour, don't worry these are commonly served with Sweet Chilli Sauce.

• Thai Boat Noodles- Out of my recommended list this is probably the most valuable and flavoursome dish. These Thai Boat Noodles have such a unique and dark broth filled with flavour added with different types of meat such as the pork balls i listed earlier. In my opinion this combined with a nice thai milk tea from seven eleven is a great deal to go together. as it will probably cost altogether under $5 dollars.

• Thai Mango Stick Rice

We can't blog about Thailand street food and not include the famous desert dish Thai Mango and Sweet Sticky rice. This dish is so popular it is in almost every Thai restaurant i have dined in. Though in the street markets or streets it is five times cheaper and fresher. This is a perfect choice for desert if you are looking for something refreshing after a meal.

Komodo islands, Indonesia

8/5/19

At the start of 2014 my family and I went to Indonesia. After taking a ride in a tiny aeroplane, we landed in the Komodo islands.The Komodo islands are a group of islands named after it's main island, which is host to Komodo dragons. These lizards are extremely dangerous and as a result, we had to be very careful when exploring the island.

We stayed on a boat for 4 days and 3 nights, while exploring the various islands and the scuba diving sites they offered.

The dive site that stands out is one where we went Manta Ray watching.
This was very difficult as the current was extremely strong. The only way you can move around is by crawling on the corrals on the sea floor. Manta Rays love this area as they have powerful wings that can weather the storm, allowing them to be stationary in the current and feed on the passing krill.

Scuba diving here was a dream!

Inca Trail

Inca Trail

The trail itself is located within Peru. The four-day trek starts at Chillca and ends at Machu Picu, an amazing place, and destination of the Incan King Montezuma. Lasting around 50km, the walk can be long but is enjoyable with friends and family. With groups of 8-12 pairing up to traverse these wondrous sites.

Carrying four days worth of food and water, plus bedding equipment is a daunting task. That is why a set of porters walk and work with every group. With around 1.5 porters to guests, there is a merry cohort of travelers!.

It costs around $700 USD not including any money you would like to tip the porters for their hard work *and* at the end you can pay an extra $100 to climb the mountain next to the countryside giving an outstanding view!

Taytay Rizal, Philippines, featuring street food!

Hello everyone, it’s Alvin again. Right now, I’m in the Philippines to visit more family in Taytay Rizal. We have awesome food carts on the streets full of authentic Filipino cuisine and desserts which include sweet tofu, which is sweetened tofu in caramelised sugar mixed in water,

(Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Taho2.jpg/240px-Taho2.jpg)

Halo-Halo, a chilled dessert drink made with many different ingredients. "Halo" in english means "mix" so the drink is a mix of many different ingredients. Halo-Halo is mostly made with sweet beans, crushed ice, evaporated milk, ice cream, coconut, and some other various fruits,

(Source: https://www.thelittleepicurean.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Halo-halo-1.jpg)

and turon which is banana wrapped in rice paper, caramelised, and deep fried,

(Source: https://recipenijuan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Turon-Recipe.jpg)

I just arrived so I've only been around the corner of my place of residence. I haven’t seen my relatives in almost a decade, so it was great to see them again. In the next few days I’ll be travelling around Philippines visiting some major cities like manila, cebu, and others I’ll surprise you all with later so make sure to follow us.

Travel Blog JAPAN!!

Japan

Hey guys it's Jason from and i will be sharing my experience with you guys on the highlights to my trip to Japan in this Blog. I will layout my blog into numerous different sections so you guys can navigate easier. At the moment i will be focusing on food and snow. :)

Food

When it comes to food in Japan it's impossible for me to not start with their most popular cultural dish RAMEN. Within my 3 weeks in travelling i have tried out different types of ramen restaurants where they all have specific approaches, which makes it more exciting as eating the same dish over and over again can get sickening. For my first ramen experience in japan i went to Ramen Street at Tokyo station.

I would say the average price range for a bowl of ramen would be $12-$15 AUD and majority of the restaurants have a self serve machine where you can order and customise your own ramen. Which is really helpful as it helps the line go a lot faster. The broth of the ramen is really flavoursome and rich, where it is really hard to find in cuisines in Sydney. Their servings are pretty generous though when it comes to pork slices they will only offer two so if you are meat love i recommend ordering extra. 

Snow at Tokyo

Since i was at Japan when it was winter, i made the decision to go to the snow which ended up being the best decision i have made in Japan. Firstly Japan has one of the best transports so it took me only 2 hours to arrive because they have a train line directly from Tokyo to the snow resort. and i also had a bullet train pass :>.

The first thing that amazed as soon as i saw the snow was the scenery of the snow fall and its softness compared to Australia's snow. To compare it, if had to fall down into the snow i would be scared in Australia but in Japan i would just fall down on purpose.

Jason

Vava'u, Tonga

 Hello, my name is Lionel and I’ll be recounting my experience in Tonga when I was young. 

In the early 2000s my family and I travelled overseas to Tonga, for the purpose of scuba diving and whale watching. We travelled during the peak season for humpback whales to give birth. This occurred on the island of Vava’u just north of Tonga.

This was not ordinary whale watching though; it was up close and personal. At times we were within touching distance of little calves exploring the waters, the mothers watching closely. It was definitely one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Emerald, Queensland

Hello everyone, Alvin here! I just came back from visiting some family in Emerald, Queensland a few days ago and so I'll talk about a few notable experiences I had while I was over there.

Emerald is a town in the central highlands region of Queensland, located approximately 270 kilometres west of Rockhampton and only has a population of 13,500 people. The town is so much quieter and warmer than Sydney and I found it to be a great change of environment and scenery. the roads are wider and they had this strip of road in the middle where people can park their cars. I thought that was so convenient. There aren't many places to visit if I'm being completely honest, I was really just there to visit family.

A few days in and we decided to drive to Rockhampton and stay the night. It was a three hour drive and the first thing we did was visit Mount Archer. The scenery was absolutely beautiful! you could see the whole city of Rockhampton from the lookout.

(not my image, source: https://guidetocentralqueensland.com.au/assets/images/Rockhampton_from_Mt_Archer-featured.jpg)

We did other things that didn't really involve travelling so I'll spare the details. We drove back to Emerald the next day. Emerald is home to many miners and industrial workers due to its proximity to the coal mines. It's quiet and peaceful and I really enjoyed my time there, or maybe it was in the company of my old relatives! Anyway, thanks for reading, I'll be going home to the Philippines in a few days from now so follow our blog to read about my experiences there and my fellow classmates' experiences on their travels.

Travel Blog 2!! The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands

Situated off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands have been a national park since 1959 however was only classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

                                              (a picture of the scenery on Isabela Island!)

It is a small collection of volcanic islands that have been shielded from predators because of the vast ocean surrounding it. And until a man, called Charles Darwin, discovered it in 1535, it was untouched by human hands. This lack of contact and human settlement has enabled a girth of wildlife to flourish. Furthermore, each island has its own unique flare as cross-pollination was nye impossible due to the large seas between the formations leading to more than 2,000 endemic animals!

Popular activities in the Galapagos include scuba diving, with warmish water in summer, reaching anywhere between 18-30 degrees! Watching the wildlife is also a large part of tourism, as with so many native species - you're guaranteed something different on every island!

                                              (two Blue-footed Boobies in the Galapagos!)

These islands were formed through lava seeping from underneath the earth's crust, and through the mantle. The volcanic hot spot that is these islands continue to be made as the tectonic plates continually shift northward.

These islands are an amazing place to travel, and I'm glad I got to experience the liveliness of the wildlife both on the ground and under the water. (My biggest spot being a 4m hammerhead, and although they're harmless I was out of the water very fast!)

My only concern for is travel destination would be the cost, not to mention the rules and regulations restricting items you can bring onto the island, because of the limited number of tourists a year allowed each year, week trips on boats can cost around $5,000 each.

However, even in light of the cost, I still rated this holiday a 9/10 because of it's sheer beauty!

Thanks for reading!
- Xavier

Tune in tomorrow to read about Alvin's experiences in Emerald, Queensland!