Sydney, Australia

This is our first Vlog as a group!

Our aim was to give everyone an introduction to the beautiful city in which we are lucky enough to live in!

Our Vlog shows the main places where on can go to get some awesome photos as well as some great activities to do.

Within our Vlog, we went to Luna Park, which is a great place to go to for some fun and all ages will enjoy this experience. We also walked over the Harbour Bridge, which gave us beautiful views of the city and was a great experience. We then walked to a lookout and got photos in front of the bridge and the Opera House!

I hope you all enjoy!

Check out our Vlog here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3OMaTPSmD8


Jess, Hasveen, Lauren, Wasen and Chris

Fiji

Although adventure holidays can often be the most fun, sometimes a relaxing holiday is what is really needed. In 2009 Fiji provided this for my family, family friends and I. Fiji is an Island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean, 3,000km North East of Sydney. The country is a cluster of  more than 332 islands with 110 being permanently inhabited.

I stayed in the largest and capital city Suva, on Fiji. I would highly recommend any of the impressive resorts situated on the Denarau side in the town on Nadi. We stayed in the Sheraton Hotel. While Fiji’s main attraction is its white sandy beaches on exotic islands with perfect all year temperature. It also offers many activities in which I enjoyed including banana boating, jet skiing, snorkeling and scuba diving, fishing and day tripping to many other islands. My favorite activity would definitely be jet skiing as we rode from one island to another allowing us to experience a lot more of the country. The cocktails in Denarau are a must have! Or if you are under 18, opt for a fresh coconut cut right from the tree.

Fiji is lucky enough to have tropical warmth all year round. The warmer season ranges from November to April, with May to October being a little cooler but still averaging 22 degrees C. Like all tropical places some rain can be expected. Fiji is a great place to relax and soak up the sun. It’s a great mid-range holiday destination for any group from honeymooner to family trips.

Lauren 

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a city state well known for its dense skyline and its Cantonese culture. The city was formerly a British colony before it reverted back into Chinese control. In Hong Kong, I visited several tourist landmarks such as the Temple Street Night Market, and visited Victoria Harbour.

Victoria Harbour holds light shows synchronised to music nightly. It lasts about 14 minutes and uses lasers and fireworks. 

Another landmark I visited while in Hong Kong was the Avenue of Stars. This walk is modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and includes handprints and autographs of Hong Kong celebrities. It is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront. There are also statues of several celebrities, most notably Bruce Lee.

I also visited the Temple Street Night Market, a street bazaar, which sells everything under the sun including clothing, trinkets, electronics, jade, and antiques. The entire market is held under the bright neon signs which dominate the streets of Hong Kong. There is even a market which sells goldfish in bags, and turtles as well.

Chris

Beijing, China

In early 2008, I had the opportunity to go to Beijing in China. Beijing is one of the most populous cities in the world, and is the capital city of China. Its capital city’s history stretches back three millennia, and it hosted the 2008 Olympic Games at the time.

Beijing has several UNESCO World heritage Sites, which I visited: the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall of China.

The Temple of Heaven was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. The building was used as a Daoist temple and as well as in Chinese heaven worship. The Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties used the complex for sacrifices and prayers for good harvests, on behalf of the nation. Internally and externally, the temple is imbued with symbolism in its architecture. The temple has repeated motifs of squares and circles, symbolising Earth and Heaven respectively. The blue tiles on the ceiling symbolise Heaven.  

The next place I visited was the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is a large imperial palace used by the emperor and was constructed in 1406. The Forbidden City is surrounded by a city wall and a 6 metre wide moat and has 980 buildings within its walls.

The last attraction I visited was the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall has origins from 220-206 BC, its construction started by Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China. The wall that is currently visible originates from the Ming dynasty and was built to keep Mongolian and barbarian tribes from entering China. The wall consists of over a million steps, so any tourists walking on the wall will feel extremely tired and the wall stretches over mountain ridges.

Chris

Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast is a coastal city in Queensland, on the eastern coast of Australia. It most known by tourists for its sunny subtropical climate, beaches, its high-rise skyline and theme parks. I also visited Surfers Paradise, a suburb with Gold Coast city and explored many of its shops and retail centres.

As part of my trip to the Gold Coast, I visited two theme parks: Dreamworld and Warner Bros. Movie World. Dreamworld is Australia’s largest theme park, and has over 40 rides and attractions. One of the rollercoasters I rode on was the Cyclone, one of the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere.

At Warner Bros. Movie World, I watched shows and skits involving Batman, and other various Looney Tunes characters.

One ride I would recommend for any visitors in the Wild West Falls Adventure Ride, a log flume ride with a drop down a waterfall towards the end. 

Chris

Scotland

Scotland, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated and undiscovered countries in terms of tourism. Scotland is the United Kingdom’s most northern country, with a landscape comprising of highlands and lochs.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Scotland twice, the most recent time being late last year. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is very traditional in nature. Streets are cobble stoned and architecture is somewhat gothic. Edinburgh is beautiful in winter, with the Edinburgh Christmas Markets attracting thousands of visitors each year. These markets are conveniently located next to the Scott Monument and are home to hundreds of stalls selling goods from German pretzels to Christmas decorations to Christmas souvenirs. On my visit late last year, my family happened to stumble across these markets one night and were so impressed by our discovery! The atmosphere is incredible, these markets are a must see if in Edinburgh in winter time.

Edinburgh Christmas Markets

The infamous Edinburgh Castle is another must see attraction in this city. The castle sits on a hill, called the Castle Rock, in the centre of the city and can be seen from quite a distance away. There’s a good chance that the hotel you’re staying at would have a partial (if not full) view of the castle! This historic fortress dates back to the 12^th century, and is a definite must see for all people of all ages. Inside the castle, you’ll come across rooms, bathrooms, grand halls and courtyards, all of which have been greatly preserved to provide tourists with an authentic experience. The view of Ediburgh is also phenomenal, as the high Castle Rock location looks down onto the city.

Edinburgh Castle

Another city in Scotland I visited was Aberdeen, one of the most northern cities in Scotland. Aberdeen was significantly less populated than Edinburgh and had a very raw vibe to it. In saying this, Aberdeen is still a main city in Scotland and had streets lined with shops and restaurants. However, there is much less in terms of tourist attractions to see in Aberdeen given it is an oil and fishing centre of Europe and is also a university city. Most of the population who live here in Aberdeen are workers in the industry and university students. I would still highly recommend Aberdeen for a visit, as the peacefulness, rawness and scenery around this quiet town is priceless.

Brig O Balgownie, Aberdeen

Hasveen

Austria

Vienna is well known for its beautiful buildings, churches and castles. As a part of my exchange in 2012, we went to Austria for 3 days at the end of the trip. This gave us the opportunity to experience another country that speaks German and it allowed us to see the subtle differences between Austrian German and colloquial German.

We had a tour of the city, which gave us an overview of the city and allowed us to experience as much of this beautiful city as we could.

We stopped off and had a look at Schӧnbrunn Palace, the Tiergarten, St Stephens Cathedral and Vienna State Opera house!

Each place had its individual history and stories as well as being beautiful in its own way. Each place we visited gave us an opportunity to admire its uniqueness and learn more about its history.

I highly recommend going to Stephansplatz as this is a massive shopping strip, which includes beautiful cathedrals and buildings. This is also a walking street, which is good so that you can take in the beautiful surroundings as well as being able to get to other shops with ease. There are also many fantastic restaurants with amazing atmospheres. I would take a full day to this as there is a lot to do along this main strip!

On our last day, we went on a boat cruise which is called the Danube Valley Day Trip. This is a boat trip along the Danube and is a great thing to do. It gives you a chance to experience a different aspect of this wonderful city. 

Jess

Turkey

Turkey (Istanbul):

One of the places that I always dream to go to is Turkey. Because of the geographic situation of this country it connects Eastern Europe and western Asia, this variety of cultures in one place makes Turkey a unique country. Some attractions in Istanbul are a great opportunity to visit such as:

The Blue Mosque:

This mosque is a historical building and is located in the city of Istanbul. It was built in 1609 to 1616. It’s called the blue mosque because of the blue tiles that is used in the building.

To enter the mosque there are some rules to be followed, such as wearing a cover on the head for women and taking the shoes off.

To see the great architecture of the mosque, we should approach it from the west side. The interior is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles. More than 200 stained glass windows is used to give natural light.

The most important place in the mosque is the (Mehrab) that is made of finely carved marble.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

This building is universally known as one of the great buildings of the world. It was built in the fourth century by Constantine the Great. He was the first Christian emperor and the founder of the city Constantinople. Hagia Sophia was one of several great churches he built in important cities throughout his empire. Then it was changed to a mosque then to a museum.

The architect of the church is rich with mosaics and marble pillars and covering. In different levels of this church we can see the different types of mosaics.

The Bosphorus Bridge:

This bridge called the first bridge and its connecting Europe and Asia. It called the first bridge because also there is another bridge called Faith Sultan Mehmet that connects those two continents.

Bosphorus Bridge is the 4^th longest bridges in the world. it has 6 lanes and 2 emergency lanes and 2 sidewalks. I would love to cross from Asia to Europe on a huge bridge like the Bosphorus.

Istanbul Toy Museum:

The museum was founded by Turkish poet called Sunay Akin in 2005. This museum had 4000 toys and miniatures from turkey and around, some of them are antiques and some are 200 years old. The first floor is an actual toy shop.

This museum in 2012 was nominated for the annual European Museum Academy Children’s Museum Award.

This was a brief list of Turkey's attractions. In every city and every place of this country, there is many different things to see. From shopping to beaches and history that if i need to see them all, i will need a day with more than 24 hours to Turkey is a country with different variety of cultures and religions from Europe to Asia, all in one wonderful country. So by visiting Turkey I can see the two continents in one place.  

Wasen

London

London is a city with a distinct heritage and culture. It is often characterised by its red double decker buses, phone booths and black cabs, however London boasts much more than this perception. London is one of the world’s most visited cities and has a population of 8.3 million people. 

I’ve had the privilege of visiting London on several occasions. Upon my first visit, I was enlightened into how metropolitan the city really was. There is a real diversity in the backgrounds of people, with people from the Middle East, India and Africa contributing significantly to the overall population.

Within London itself, there are several key attractions that are not to be missed - The Big Ben, London Eye and Picadily Circus to name a few. Shopping on Regent Street and Oxford Street, near Picadily Circus, is an experience not to be missed. These streets are lined with big brand stores and have constant sales and stock updates. These places are particularly worth visiting during Christmas time, where Christmas lighting beautifully decorates the streets.

Regent Street Christmas Lighting

Aside from these attractions, it was the museums of London which really drew me into appreciating the heritage of London. The Natural History Museum sits in a grand, Victorian building and contains some of the world’s most prized artefacts in the field of science. The British Museum is another unmissable stop, and contains original artefacts from a range of dynasties and periods through history. The Egypt display is one of the highlights at the British Museum, as there are a number of significant pieces held here, such as Cleopatra’s original mummy!

Natural History Museum

Exploring just outside of central London should not be underestimated. In cities outside central London, there are endless heritage sites and places of beauty to be enjoyed. Windsor, a city in west London, was a place I visited on my most recent trip to London earlier this year. Windsor truly epitomises British culture and is famous for Windsor Castle, Windsor Lake cobble stone streets. The Windsor Castle is a must visit, and gives an insight into the imperial life.  I would highly recommend Windsor to visit as it encapsulates heritage, natural beauty and British culture in one city. 

Windsor Castle

Hasveen

Iran

There are 5 interesting things that makes you go to Iran to see them.

THE ANCIENT CITE AND HISTORICAL CULTURE

Iran has many museums and ancient sites. As well as museums you can find theaters, carpet museums and Tehran museum of Contemporary art, you can also see art galleries everywhere that holds everything from Old Persian and Islamic art to Modern Western Art such as Andy Warhols to keep you busy.

Iran is a very cultured place. You can visit a 1000 bookstores that are available around Tehran. There are books in every subject from Science, literature and western books translated to Persian.

www.datehookup.com

mustsee.ir

AZADI TOWER AND AZADI SQUARE

The 50 m high tower was built in 1971 to memorize the 2500 anniversary of the first Persian Empire. Its structure is a mix of 60’s modern architecture with traditional influence. The exterior is made of more than 8000 cut marble stones inside there is a museum. You can reach the top by stairs or lift.

www.skyscrapercity.com

foursquaresmovements.wordpress.com

MILAD TOWER

This tower is also known as Tehran’s tower. It’s a multi-purpose concrete tower that was built in 2007 with a 435 m heights. The open observation deck of the tower is in the seventh floor of the head at the height of 280 m is a unique experience.

At the 4^th level of this tower the museum of ancient coins is located. Also there is a pleasant café available which is a relaxing place for a hot coffee and nice view. But the most enjoyable part of this tower is the rotating restaurant that is located at the heights of 276 meters of the tower and it is made of two parts, one fixed and the other is rotating around the fixed part, it does one complete whole rotation per hour providing 360 degree view.

The Rotating Restaurant

www.4jok.com

The Open Observation Deck

www.flickr.com

HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

Iranian’s looked after their ancient historical places, and they are the most visited tourist places. Cities such as Shiraz, Isfahan, Yazd and Mashhad are holding a large amount of historical buildings and those buildings are very well maintained and looked after. People from around the world and Iranian’s themselves visit those places regularly.

isfahansites.org

www.thebesthotels.org

www.jamejamonline.ir

IRANIAN FOOD

Iranian cooking is similar to with Middle Eastern cooking, where wheat is the main thing, and lamb, poultry and yoghurt are all popular. Saffron which is naturally planted in Iran is used in the most of their cooking. Also western food like Italian is also served in their restaurants. I guarantee that you’ll love the food there.

www.urbanspoon.comaaaz

NIGHT LIFE IN IRAN

The most noticeable thing in Iran is the night life. As the sun goes down, you see the people start to go out to the streets, shops, restaurants, parks, cinemas, theme parks. All the entertainments, and fun places start working after sunset. So you see people everywhere in the streets at night, in summer theme parks stay working till 2 am. Parks are full of people, families with kids and even students study in the park.

After all that I can bet that Iran is unique with its history, tradition, and the beauty of its cities. Going there is an opportunity to meet all the beauty, art and fun in one place. 

Wasen