Category: Travel English

Types of Holiday and Holiday Activities

21/1/2019

(Photo Credit: Artiom Vallat; Santorini, Greece)

In this lesson, we are going to focus on six types of holiday and the activities you can do when you choose each one of them.

You are going to learn how to describe the type of holiday you like.

This knowledge is especially important when you want to talk about your holiday and what you did.

There are different types of holidays. A lot of people choose a tourist destination first instead of thinking about the type of trip they are actually looking for.

A BEACH HOLIDAY (A SEASIDE HOLIDAY)

go and sunbathe | do some sunbathing
walk along the sand (phrase)
be lying on the sand (phrase)
build a sand castle (phrase)
play in the sea
sit in the sun | sit in the shade

Examples:

My ideal holiday is relaxing on the beach and swimming.
Our kids love playing in the sea and building sand castles.
We love playing volleyball and Frisbee on the beach.
I love looking for some seashells to take back home.
I always have a great time just lying on the sand or walking along the sand.
When I'm on a beach holiday, I tend to sit in the shade and read.

A CITY BREAK

A city beak is a short holiday or weekend break spent in a city.

buy souvenirs
try the local cuisine
do some sightseeing | hop on a sightseeing bus
a real learning experience
stay in a hotel in a historic city
spend a fortune on entrance fees
meet people and learn about other cultures
sample the local nightlife

* When you go on a city break, you can try a hop-on hop-off tour to do some sightseeing.

Examples:

I really like looking around museums and art galleries, and going to cathedrals.
I usually take photos in front of historic buildings.
I like exploring the city I'm in by hopping on a sightseeing bus.
Sightseeing is great, but you can easily spend a fortune on entrance fees.
The guided tour of the old town was a real learning experience.
I spent the weekend in a fascinating small town with lots of impressive buildings.

A SKIING HOLIDAY

go skiing | go snowboarding | go snow scooting | go ice skating
horse-drawn sleigh rides
go sledding | go dog sledding
hit the slopes (= ski on them)
snow covered mountains
enjoy the mountain air | enjoy the mountain scenery

Examples:

If I’m on a skiing holiday, I enjoy catching the cable car to the top of the mountain and then I like zooming down and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
You can gaze at the stars. The clear mountain air can give you a breathtaking view of the stars at night.
I'm not a fan of skiing, so when I'm at a ski resort with family or friends, I tend to seek out other winter activities.
Some ski resorts offer helicopter rides. You can get a bird's eye view of the snow-covered mountains.
You can go sledding or dog sledding, with sleds pulled by huskies.
The only reason why I go to ski resorts is simply to enjoy the fresh mountain air.
Switzerland has plenty of good skiing.

AN ACTIVITY (AN ADVENTURE HOLIDAY)

Some people may want to go on an activity or adventure holiday.

go sailing | go surfing | go windsurfing
go canoeing | go kayaking
go snorkelling | go scuba diving
go hiking
go bungee jumping

Examples:

I really like activity holidays where I can do lots of fun things, like mountain bike riding – that’s my favourite – or canoeing, and I like horse riding too. Personally, I think holidays are for doing exciting things.
I'm big on outdoor activities like hiking and mountain biking.
Bungee jumping seems dangerous to me, so I would think twice about it.

VOCABULARY

be big on something (phrase) - to be very interested in something
think twice (phrase) - to consider something more carefully

A CAMPING HOLIDAY

Camping can be lots of fun. It's the perfect type of holiday for those who enjoy sleeping outdoors and getting away from the daily routine.

pitch a tent | set up a tent | put up a tent (collocations)
take down a tent (collocation)
sleep in a tent (collocation)
sing around the campfire
relax and listen to nature
go hiking | go rock climbing
go fishing | go swimming
go bird watching | go animal watching
gather rocks or flowers
sleep under the stars (collocation) - in a place with no roof

Examples:

We pitched our tent as soon as we got to the campsite.
We took down our tent early in the morning.
I love camping holidays and being outdoors. I like getting closer to nature, waking up in a tent and then going fishing all day.
We went on a camping holiday in southwest France. The campsite was huge -- with a water park and an immense beach stretching as far as the eye can see. We explored the inland on horses and we also hired bikes a few times. That's probably the most memorable holiday I've ever had.
We stayed at an amazing campsite in the mountains.

VOCABULARY

a water park - a place where people can have fun in swimming pools or go down water slides

as far as the eye can see (phrase) - for a long distance until something is so far away that it cannot be seen any more
a memorable holiday (collocation) - one that will always be remembered
in the mountains (collocation) - in an area where there are a lot of mountains

A CRUISE

sit on the deck
look out to sea
watch a sunset (or a sunrise) over the ocean
sit in the sun
swim in the pool
take on-board classes

Examples:

Cruise holidays are great because you can sit on the deck, relax and look out to sea.
You can watch a sunset (or a sunrise) over the ocean.
You can sit in the sun by the pool or swim in the pool.

Other lessons:
Story Time: Travelling in Spain
Story Time: Travelling in France
Travel Tips: How to Ask for Information and Make Recommendations

English conversation lessons:
English Conversation: Travel opinions
English Conversation: Travel experience
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia

IELTS Speaking Part 2:
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe your perfect holiday
IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe an area of your country that is well known for its natural beauty

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Travel Tips: How to Ask for Information and Make Recommendations

25/6/2018

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London, UK (Credit: Luca Micheli)

In this lesson, we are going to focus on phrases you can use when asking for information and making recommendations. We usually need some advice when we decide to travel abroad.

Let's focus on some polite ways to make requests and recommendations in English.

SPEAKING STRATEGY: MAKING POLITE REQUESTS

I was wondering if you could...

As you're from there, I was wondering if you could give me some tips?
I was wondering if you could suggest a good place to stay?

Do you think it's a good idea...? | Do you think you could...? | Do you think I should...?

Do you think it’s a good idea to travel alone?
Do you think you could suggest a few places to see?
Do you think I should exchange money at a bank or bureau de change?

Is it worth …? / Is … worth …?

Is it worth visiting Dubai? / Is Dubai worth visiting?
Is Singapore worth visiting? / Are Melbourne and Canberra worth visiting?

Would you recommend...?

Would you recommend going to the National Museum?
What places would you recommend visiting in Spain?
Which city in your country would you recommend people to visit?
Where would you recommend to stay?

SPEAKING STRATEGY: MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS

To recommend someone does something

It’s worth …ing.

It’s worth going to Italy in spring or autumn.

You should definitely…

You should definitely rent a car.

I recommend (that) you…

I recommend you pack clothes that can be mixed and matched easily.

I recommend …ing.

I recommend trying some local food instead of eating at fast food restaurants.

To recommend someone doesn’t do something

Don’t bother …ing.

Don’t bother bringing toiletries when travelling. They’re cheap and easy to find everywhere.
Don't bother going to this place. There's nothing much you can do there.

It’s not really worth …ing.

It’s not really worth spending a lot of money on flights.
I think this tourist attraction is a bit overrated. It's not really worth seeing in person.

I wouldn’t … if I were you.

I wouldn’t go to Vietnam during the rainy season if I were you.

TASKS:

Imagine you are going on a trip to the UK. You know someone who is from there. Ask politely for information: accommodation, transport, safety, money, food, shopping, sightseeing.
Make recommendations to a foreign friend of yours who is coming to visit you in your country.

Other lessons:
Story Time: Travelling in Spain
Story Time: Travelling in France
Phrasal Verbs: Phones and Technology
Commonly Used Phrases in Spoken English

English conversation lessons:
English Conversation: Travel opinions
English Conversation: Travel experience
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia
English Conversation: Buying sunscreen products at a store

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English Language Blog

Types of Holiday and Holiday Activities

DO YOU WANT TO PRACTISE SPEAKING ENGLISH IN A GROUP?

Travel Tips: How to Ask for Information and Make Recommendations

DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS?

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English Language Blog

Types of Holiday and Holiday Activities

DO YOU WANT TO PRACTISE SPEAKING ENGLISH IN A GROUP?

Travel Tips: How to Ask for Information and Make Recommendations

DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS?

Author

​NEW!IELTSSPEAKINGPART 22019 & 2020Exam Topicspractice​&feedback

Thanks for visiting the blog! :)

Archives

Categories

​Receive our Newsletter

Do you want to receive English lessons via email? Subscribe and we will take care of that.

Online Courses

Company

Support

​Our Contact Info:

NEW!

IELTS
SPEAKING
PART 2

2019 & 2020
Exam Topics

practice
&
feedback

Receive our Newsletter

Our Contact Info: