IELTS Holiday Vocabulary

IELTS Holiday Vocabulary


Part 1-style questions

Examiner: What kind of holiday do you like?
Student: I try to avoid tourist traps … I like to get away from it all and prefer going somewhere off the beaten track … last year I had the holiday of a lifetime … a two-week wildlife safari in Kenya.

Examiner: What do you like to do when you’re on holiday?
Student
: I enjoy visiting the local places of interest … I like to go sightseeing and always sign up for guided tours as it’s a chance to be shown around and take photographs … one of my hobbies.

Examiner: Do you have many tourists in your country?
Student
: Yes … we have a lot of holiday resorts along the coast that are popular with tourists … most people come on package holidays and stay in one of the many hotels and self-catering apartments.


Part 2-style task

Describe a beautiful place you once visited. You should say:
  • when you went to this place
  • where it was
  • who you went with

and say why you liked it so much.

A few years ago I went on a long weekend to the Lake District in the UK … it’s a very popular holiday destination in the north of England … I went on my own and had a wonderful time … I stayed in a youth hostel and met some really nice people … but the most memorable thing about the holiday were the breathtaking views … and lovely picturesque villages … it can get very busy with hordes of tourists so I decided to go out of season in the autumn  … the weather was fantastic and the shops were full of local crafts … a really great holiday … it’s certainly not the kind of short break for someone looking for a busy nightlife but if you want to relax in the middle of stunning landscape I would certainly recommend a holiday to the Lake District.


Part 3-style questions

Examiner: What do you think has led to the growth in the tourist industry?
Student
: It’s much easier and affordable to travel now … nowadays you can get cheap charter-flights or all-in packages … to somewhere near or to a far-off destination.

Examiner: How do people tend to choose a destination?
Student: The Internet is a great source of information and high street travel agents are still very popular … that’s where I like to go to get holiday brochures for the place I’m interested in.


Examiner: People sometimes say flying is the most glamorous form of travel. Do you agree?
Student:
 I’m not so sure really … flying can be quite boring  … queuing up at the check-in desk … going through passport control … sitting for ages in the departure lounge … then the flight itself can be quite uncomfortable … no … I’m not sure I agree.


Definitions

  • all-in package/package holiday: a holiday where you purchase the travel and accommodation together
  • breathtaking view: an extremely beautiful view
  • charter-flight: a cheaper form of flying than a scheduled flight
  • check-in desk: the place at the airport where you register for your flight and deposit your luggage
  • departure lounge: where you wait for your flight to be called
  • far-off destination: somewhere a long way away
  • to get away from it all: to take a holiday to escape a busy or stressful lifestyle
  • guided tour: an organised group shown around a place of interest by an expert
  • holiday brochure: a glossy publication with details of holiday packages
  • holiday destination: where you go for a holiday
  • holiday of a lifetime: a special holiday that you are unlikely to repeat
  • holiday resort: a place where lots of people go for a holiday
  • hordes of tourists: crowds of tourists
  • local crafts: objects produced locally
  • long weekend: an extended weekend holiday including Friday or Monday
  • out of season: outside of the main holiday period
  • picturesque village: very pretty village
  • passport control: the place where your passport is checked
  • places of interest: sites of interest to tourists
  • wildlife safari: a holiday, often in Africa, to observe wild animals
  • self-catering: a holiday where you supply your own food
  • short break: a short holiday
  • to go sightseeing:  to look around the tourist sites
  • stunning landscape: extremely beautiful countryside
  • travel agent: a shop that specialises in booking holidays
  • tourist trap: somewhere where too many tourists go
  • youth hostel: a cheap form of accommodation