IELTS Speaking Topic Travel and Holiday Part 1 2 3 Vocabulary and Sample Answers

Travel and Holiday is a frequently featured topic in recent IELTS Speaking tests. Although the questions are quite familiar, many candidates still struggle with answering them due to limited vocabulary or unclear ideas.

Through this article, IDP will help you strengthen your vocabulary and provide useful sample questions and answers to help you succeed in the test.

Before diving into topic-specific vocabulary, you should understand the basic structure of the IELTS Speaking test. This is a face-to-face interview between the examiner and the candidate, lasting 11 to 15 minutes.

For both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, the Speaking test structure remains the same and consists of three parts:

Part 1: The examiner will ask general questions about yourself. These are common everyday topics such as family, home, hobbies, and education. This part lasts 4 to 5 minutes.

Part 2: You will be given a cue card with a specific topic and one minute to prepare. Then, you will speak for up to 2 minutes. The examiner may ask a few follow-up questions.

Part 3: This part involves more complex questions related to the topic in Part 2, requiring you to discuss and analyze the issue in greater depth.

Question: Do you like holidays? Why?

Answer: Yes, of course. Since I am always swamped with work and deadlines, a holiday now and then is the perfect way for me to escape the mundane day-to-day routine. I love taking short trips to coastal cities where I can enjoy nature and discover new things.

Vocabulary Highlights:

• Swamped with work and deadlines: overwhelmed with work

• Mundane day-to-day routine: boring daily schedule

• Learn something new: discover or gain new knowledge

Question: Which public holiday do you like best?

Answer: I would say Tet Holiday or Lunar New Year, as it is a unique cultural celebration in Vietnam. It gives people a chance to relax and recharge after a long year of work, while also bringing families closer together.

Vocabulary Highlights:

• Distinct festival: culturally significant celebration

• Blow off some steam: release stress

• Recharge their batteries: regain energy

• Tighten their bonds: strengthen relationships

Question: Do you prefer to travel or stay at home during holiday periods? Why?

Answer: Honestly, I enjoy traveling during holidays. It allows me to put my feet up and get away from the hectic pace of life. I also love trying new sports like windsurfing and waterskiing, and tasting local dishes that I can’t find at home.

Vocabulary Highlights:

• Put one’s feet up: relax and rest

• Escape from the hectic pace of life: take a break from busy life

• Take up a sport: start a new sport

• Sample the local food: try regional cuisine

Question: Describe a place you visited on vacation

You should say:

• Where it is

• When you went there

• What you did there

• And explain why you went there

Answer: As an avid traveler, I would like to share my experience of a 3-day trip to Hoi An ancient town, located in central Vietnam. I visited this charming town during a summer vacation three years ago with my best friends.

When I first set foot in Hoi An, I was instantly captivated by its beauty. The town offers breathtaking views and stunning architecture. We traveled off-season, so it was more peaceful than usual, though it is normally packed with tourists.

Hoi An features a unique blend of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese architectural styles. There are many temples, pagodas, and traditional houses that make the city stand out from the rest of Vietnam.

Vocabulary Highlights:

• Set foot in this place: arrive or visit

• Captivated by the beauty: deeply impressed

• Hordes of tourists: large groups of tourists

• Sets this city apart: makes it unique

Question: Do old people and young people choose different places to go on vacation? Why?

Answer: I believe age doesn’t reduce one’s love for travel, but it definitely influences travel preferences. Younger people often look for excitement and adventure. They may visit tourist hotspots or go backpacking off the beaten track.

Older people, on the other hand, usually prefer relaxing destinations such as lakes, temples, or quiet resorts to ease their minds.

Vocabulary Highlights:

• Diminish wanderlust: reduce desire to travel

• Off the beaten track: less popular or remote places

• Ease their mind: bring peace or relaxation

Question: What are the negative impacts of tourism?

Answer: Tourism can severely harm the environment. Excessive construction of roads, hotels, and other facilities can damage natural habitats and spoil landscapes. It also causes pollution and waste. From a cultural perspective, traditional lifestyles and jobs may disappear.

Vocabulary Highlights:

• Detrimental impact: harmful effect

• Cultural perspective: cultural point of view

• Die out: become extinct

Here is a categorized list of vocabulary that can help you confidently talk about Travel and Holiday in the IELTS Speaking test.

Vocabulary for Modes of Transport

• Minicab: rental car

• Bus schedule: timetable of bus routes

• High-speed train: fast train

• Cruise ship: large passenger boat

• Promotion airfare: discounted flight ticket

• Helicopter: air transport vehicle

• Hot-air balloon: flying balloon with basket

• Glider: light aircraft

Vocabulary for Travel Services

• Backpacking: budget travel

• Leisure travel: travel for relaxation

• Ecotourism: environmentally responsible travel

• High season: peak travel time

• Retail travel agency: tour booking service

• Travel itinerary: travel plan

• Travel desk agent: travel service representative

• Package holiday: all-inclusive vacation

• Check-in/Check-out: hotel arrival or departure

• Long-haul flights: long-distance air travel

Useful Collocations and Expressions

• Holiday of a lifetime: unforgettable vacation

• Enjoy local specialty: taste local food

• Laze around on the sandy beach: relax at the beach

• Dispel the summer heat: cool off in summer

• Immerse oneself in nature: enjoy the natural environment

• Exploit and enjoy pristine beauty: explore untouched scenery

• Generate employment opportunities: create jobs

• Widen horizon/outlook on a new culture: broaden cultural understanding

• Weaken the identity of local culture: reduce cultural uniqueness

• Be in the middle of nowhere: remote location

• Exhilarating experience: exciting experience

• Restore historical sites: preserve cultural landmarks

• Have a thirst for adventure: love exploring

• Make the most of your free time: use time wisely

• Gain a deeper insight into other cultures: understand other societies

• Die out: disappear

• Spoil the landscape: damage nature

Common Idioms

• Get away from it all: take a relaxing break

• Have itchy feet: desire to travel constantly

• Soak up the sun: enjoy the sunshine

• Travel on the cheap: travel with a low budget

• Catch the red-eye: take a late-night flight

Ace the Travel and Holiday Topic with IDP

Having a strong vocabulary and knowing how to use common sentence structures will not only help you score high in IELTS Speaking but also improve your everyday communication. We hope this article helps you apply vocabulary in the right context and boost your performance.

To support your preparation, IDP provides useful resources, including IELTS workshops, study plans tailored to your level, and exclusive preparation materials.

When you register for the IELTS test with IDP, you will gain access to premium resources such as step-by-step guides, video feedback on common mistakes, and an online preparation course developed by experts from Macquarie University.

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