IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Topic: Describe a place with a lot of water that you enjoyed visiting

Last summer, my family went on a vacation to Cat Ba island, which is located in Hai Phong city and I was really impressed with the beach there.

To arrive at this destination, we had to take a ferry from the mainland, a journey which lasted roughly one hour. Fortunately, I was not seasick. When we reached there, to be honest, the scenery appealed to me a lot, especially the beach. The beach itself was absolutely breathtaking and the crystal clear water seemed to stretch endlessly to the horizon. In addition, from a distance, huge waves were crashing onto the shore, which sounded like a melody. I was so excited that I just wanted to jump into the sea right away.

On the beach, many people were enjoying the scenery, and some were swimming while their children were making sandcastles. My family quickly checked into the hotel, we changed our clothes and joined the people there.

Actually, this vacation gave me the chance to relax and all my worries seemed to fall away. Therefore, I hope that we will be able to enjoy more holidays like this every year.

– impressed: [adjective] admiring something because it is good or beautiful.
Example: He never quit until he passed the exam, and we were impressed with his determination.

– ferry: [noun] a boat that carries people, vehicles or goods across a river or a short journey by sea.
Example: Some people take the ferry every day to cross Hong Kong harbour and arrive at work.

– the mainland: [noun] the main area of land of a country – not including any islands near it.
Example: The island is a short journey from the mainland by ferry.

– roughly: [adverb] approximately, but not exactly.
Example: I didn’t count them, but there were roughly 50 students in the exam hall.

– seasick: [adjective] feeling ill and wanting to vomit when you travel on a boat or ship.
Example: During the storm, most of the passengers on the boat felt seasick and they did not recover until they reached the mainland.

– scenery: [noun] the natural features of an area, such as mountains, forests, rivers, when you are thinking about them as being attractive to look at.
Example: Many tourists go to Thailand to enjoy the magnificent scenery, especially on the coast.

– breathtaking: [adjective] very exciting or impressive.
Example: My hotel has a breathtaking view of the city – I can see all the famous buildings from the window of my room.

– crystal clear: [adjective] completely clear and bright.
Example: The sea is not polluted on Cat Ba island – it is crystal clear and you can see lots of beautiful fish.

– stretch: [verb] spread over an area of land or sea.
Example: The desert stretches for thousands of kilometres until you reach the sea.

– endlessly: [adverb] in a way that seems to have no end.
Example: The road appeared to continue endlessly into the distance.

– the horizon: [noun] the furthest point that you can see, where the sky and the land or sea appear to meet.
Example: When the ship appeared on the horizon, we knew that it had crossed the ocean safely.

– crashing: [verb] hitting something hard while moving and making a lot of noise as a result.
Example: The sea was crashing onto the rocks and it was much too dangerous to swim there.

– the shore: [noun] the land along the edge of a sea or ocean.
Example: In some areas of the beach, the shore was littered with rubbish left by tourists.

– melody: [noun] a piece of music with a simple, clear tune.
Example: The sound of the birds singing in the morning is so beautiful that it is like a
melody.

– right away: [adverb] immediately.
Example: I would like you to go right away, because the shops will close very soon

– sandcastle: [noun] a pile of sand made to look like a castle [children make these on the beach].
Example: The children made two big sandcastles and put a flag on top of each one.
– checked into: [phrasal verb] arrived and registered at a hotel.
Example: We checked into our hotel and the receptionist gave us the keys to our room.

– fall away: [phrasal verb] gradually become smaller or fewer until they disappear.
Example: When I relax with my friends, my worries fall away and I can just enjoy myself