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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe a long journey/short trip you would like to make again.

You should say:

• where it was
• why you went there
• what you did during the trip/journey

and explain why you would like to make the journey/trip again.

Model Answer 1:
I have always loved taking long journeys, especially, if they are taken by train. But, I never thought that a short journey could also be just as much fun as taking a long journey, just as it was when I travelled to a scenic spot, not too far away from where I currently live now.

It was during the weekend about a few months ago when I, together with a couple of friends, decided to get away from our boring routine life in our motorbikes. By the way, riding a motorbike is one of my most favourite things to do. But, it became a matter of excitement when one of my friends had just bought a new motorbike, and we just couldn’t wait to ride that newly-bought bike.

So, as soon as the very next weekend arrived, we took our backpacks and took off. It was only a couple of hours’ trip, but since we were riding our bikes slowly, it took us like almost 2 hours to reach to that scenic spot. It took us that long also because we actually stopped at a couple of places in order to refresh us with some drinks and snacks. Not sure if those snacks were home-made, but they tasted very fresh and delicious. Besides, as we were riding along, we were also singing in chorus in order to make us feel like we were some free birds which just got released from their cage.

We chose that scenic spot, with a beautiful lake in it as well as some really picturesque woodland with all kinds of trees, because it has an elevated landscape from where a picture-perfect sunset could be viewed.

Well, I would like to make that short trip again, mainly because I didn’t really have to make a lot of arrangement for it. Besides, the trip also offered me the opportunity to discover my own city from a different perspective which, up and until then, I had taken for granted.

Sample Answer 2:
Two years ago I went to my sister’s father-in-law’s house and it was indeed a long and exciting journey that I would love to make again. I went there with my parents and my younger brother to meet my newly married sister and her in-laws. This was a suburban area called Villa Maloti and it was so beautiful that I initially couldn’t believe it. The serene and mesmerising nature, lake, picturesque roads and houses and a simple and traditional lifestyle of people took my heart away. It was like a perfect world in someone’s dream.

This area was more than 700 km away from our living place and we needed to change our vehicles 3-4 times to actually reach there. Interestingly instead of making us tired and bored, the journey actually revived us. I can think of three reasons for that. One – we were very excited to meet our relatives; two – the side view was unbelievably beautiful and pleasant; three- we had such a family tour after a long. I actually want to make this journey all over again only because this was quite a remarkable journey and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

After we left our home, we took a taxi to reach the train station. The train was about 40 minutes late and during that time I read a newspaper. I also checked the news on my mobile phone. Our train journey was for 4 hours and during that time I mostly enjoyed the natural beauty of the passing villages. We had our breakfast on the train. After we left the train we had to take two different buses and finally a taxi to reach our destination. During the bus journey, I either talked with my mom or read the storybook I took with me. This was an interesting journey and I enjoyed most of it. I wish to visit that picturesque and beautiful suburban area again and meet my lovely younger sister who got married. The soothing experience of the train journey and the chance to stay away from the busy city life are the reasons I would love to make this journey again. In fact, I am very much looking forward to making the journey once again soon.

Sample Answer 3:
Travelling is a great tonic and a mind refresher. This is why I never miss chances of travelling. In 2013, I went to visit Portugal with my family. The trip was an ever reminding one. I would like to make another trip to the country if I could manage.  

I live in Nepal with my family. My father arranged to take a vacation in Portugal with his entire family. As part of the decision, we all went to Portugal. Being a European country, it is enriched with beauties. The dark blue skies attracted me the most. Moreover, we all visited the attractive places in the country. But initially, it was a problem for us to communicate with the people living there as my father only knew English, while my mother and the other kids – including me, were unable to speak the language. So, we had to remain silent all the time.  

My father is a researcher and was invited to participate in a conference of European environmental researchers which was set in Portugal. So, he planned to make it a family trip and accordingly arranged everything. In fact, the organisation that invited father agreed to accommodate all the members but the expenses should be met by my father's end. When everything was settled, we started the journey and stayed there for over three weeks. My father was busy with his conference while I with the other members travelled across cities and places. I also attended the conference for a session and found it boring to me. So, despite several invitations from father to assist him in the conference, I denied them trickily and focused on travelling on the streets of the city we were staying.

The list will not end if I start mentioning the things I did there. To make the long story short- I did all the possible things a tourist does in Portugal. I visited some of the towns like Evora, Porto and knew about their histories. The background of the cities amazed me. On a weekend, we went to visit Madeira, one of the most impressive spots in the country. We also enjoyed the ruins in Sintra. While travelling through the ruins, I tried imagining the past- how people lived there and what their lifestyle was. In fact, I started roaming in the past of the ruins that developed a sense to realise the meaning of life in me. I also visited the Lisbon Oceanarium, a place of wonder. Walking on the streets and taking food from the roadside stores were remarkable. It was a kind of experience for me.  

I believe that I am a born traveller. It has been over three years since I made the journey. I miss the natural scenes like enjoying the sunset sitting on the hilltop or running across the streets, enjoying movies in theatre halls, delicious foods, the language barriers, the jovial attitude of the natives, sightseeing, etc. My memories remind me of the events in that foreign land. I have visited Nepal completely and Portugal was my first out of the country destination. I have a plan to visit the majority of the European nations but will start it by visiting Portugal. The country charmed be with plenty of its attractions and so I would like to get back to them once again.

More Ideas to talk about this Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card topic:

Topic: Describe a long journey/short trips you would like to make again.

1. I went to Rajasthan last year to attend an event and met some of my relatives and stayed for about a week there. In fact, it was the marriage ceremony of my maternal cousin and we all were invited to the ceremony. I enjoyed my time during the trip and as it was a family trip, all the members were present which made it more enjoyable. I would like to go on such trips again as it was filled with thrills. All the cousins were present and we did lots of exciting things together.

2. I made a long drive to Idaho with some of my friends in 2015. We had a plan to spend three nights together. And it was the best journey of my life. I drove the car during the trip while the other friends sang. played the guitar and did other fun stuff. We listened to music, had campfire nights in the place, participated in dances, slept under the open sky and had more fun. I would like to go on such a trip another time with my friends to recall the memories. And I also have some other plans this time to implement during this trip.

3. It was a 48-hour adventure trip with some of my college buddies. We travelled on foot across the streets of different places in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. In fact, we did not sleep during this time and took breaks in different restaurants for refreshments only. We sang, danced, drank and did many other things on the street. In fact, it was the best short trip of my life and I will remember it until my death. I want to have such a trip again to enjoy the night times in Vietnam.

4. In October, last year, I went on a detoxification trip. It was a completely solo trip for seven days on an island in Indonesia. I went there for detoxification and now communicational devices were allowed there. I took foods prepared without fires, drank some herbal beverages and walked for a long. It was a nice trip indeed. And I would like to go back there again because I felt refreshed after my return from the island. The natural healing elements are present there that detoxifies the body and soul.

5. The one-day river cruise that I took part in was outstanding. In fact, I did not have the idea that it would be so nice and wonderful. I went there as it was organized by my office last December. The entire trip was filled with excitement and fun. Besides, there were different sports competitions and cultural functions as well which made it more engaging. In a word, it was a refreshing trip for me. I had won a prize in chess competition. I would like to make the trip again as it was a highly refreshing one for me. I felt relaxed after I returned from the tour.

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