Cue Card Sample

IELTS Cue Card Sample 55 - Describe an interesting holiday destination

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

Describe an interesting holiday destination.

You should say:

  • what the place is and why you like it
  • what you can see and do there
  • what time of the year is better to be there

and explain why this is an interesting holiday destination.


 

Model Answer 1:
Thank you for allowing me the time to talk about this cue card topic. Spain is a very beautiful country, and it has many interesting holiday destinations to talk about. Today I would like to about one such interesting holiday destination which I have already visited once.

The name of this fascinating holiday destination is 'Gran Canaria Island'. Being considered as the third largest island in canaries’ archipelago, it is located off northwestern Africa. It lives up to its reputation as a continent in miniature, with dramatic variations of terrain ranging from the green and leafy north to the lush mountainous interior and the desert south.

You can, in fact, run headlong into three or even four seasons in one day to capture the breathtaking natural diversity of this stunningly beautiful island. By the way, this holiday destination is also known for its black lava and white sandy beaches.  However, apart from its breathtaking diversity and dramatic terrain variations, I like this island particularly because of its climate pretty much guarantees sunshine and warm temperatures throughout the entire year with temperatures ranging between 20 and 30 degrees. I like this destination also because it is much more affordable than many other Mediterranean resorts. Finally, of course, I like it also because there are plenty of things to see and do there, including visiting Palmitas bird park to see a range of exotic birds and tropical fauna, climbing rocks, seeing sand dunes, and visiting the house of Christopher Columbus and fascinating archaeological cave site, among other things.

Anyway, the best time to visit Gran Canaria is between April and October, even though the main tourist season is between December and March.

I consider this to be a very interesting holiday destination because I can have a holiday here in spring, summer and autumn with loads of different activities with its temperatures remaining unchanged throughout the year.  Besides, its extraordinary terrains, reminiscent of a Martian surface or a lunar landscape, together with picturesque white villages, makes Gran Canaria a very exciting holiday destination for the visitors of all ages.

 


 

Sample Answer 2:
Dartmoor National Park in the South West of England is a really interesting holiday destination. I went there a couple of years ago with my friends and really enjoyed our visit there. This park is a beautiful place with around 368 square miles with magnificent wildlife, wood-made valley, ancient ruins and beautiful moorland. This is a popular and interesting destination for a wide range of tourists.

This area consists about 33,000 population which swells mostly during the pick period of tourists coming there. There are lots to see and observe in this area even the military training. The Standing Stone, which is really rare in other areas can be found there. If you like history, this place would offer you a lot. Walk around the moor and you will find stone circles, stone across the villages. United Kingdom's largest collection of Bronze Age structure and several other stone tors are scattered across this area.

The wildlife, incredible landscape, wide moorland is a perfect place to explore and get active. The apex point on Dartmoor is on the northern moor which is a great place to be. The rivers shaping the landscape is another attraction and to get involved in tourists activity like swimming, catching fishes and to make camp beside.

This is not like other typical tourist destinations where you can either see the scenic beauty or go surfing. This place offers you all. Get there, enjoy the scenic beauty, villages, wild lives, history, military activity, rivers, camp there, stay there, ride there and make all of these activities to refresh yourself and this place is bound to attract you to revisit.

There is no strict time to go there. People visit this place almost around the year. But it is advisable to avoid the snow, rain and extreme cold season. Other than that, you are free to come and visit the place whenever you want.


 

Tips for Answering this Cue Card Sample:

This cue card expects the candidate to talk about a holiday destination (a place where people visit and spend their time during their holidays / more specifically tourist spots). Since this topic asks you to talk about an interesting holiday destination, you should mention about a place which offers different interesting activities and have things of interest to observe.

You can mention either a holiday destination in your own country (even in your own town/ city) or a place which is in a foreign country. Though the topic does not ask to talk about a holiday destination that you have visited, the questions below the topic somehow relate to your experience about the holiday destination. So try to talk about a tourist spot you know about and if this is a place you have visited would be better.

If the holiday destination is interesting or not would mainly depend on your description. With a good description, you can make an ordinary place to be very interesting. So to answer this cue card, pick a place where people usually go to spend their holidays. Talk about things that people do there, what are the things people do there etc. Then add your own experience what you did there and how you found it interesting.

Some of the ideas to describe an interesting holiday destination:

1. An amusement park.
2. A picnic spot.
3. A beach.
4. A mega shopping mall.
5. A famous historical place.
6. A big park or a place near open space.
7. A historical place.
8. A theatre. Etc.

All of the above-mentioned places can be interesting holiday destinations. You can pick one of those places and mention that lots of people visit this place on their holidays. Then mention how far it is and how to reach there. Then give some details of this place and the type of people who often visit there.

Your ability to answer this cue card would help you answer the following cue cards as well:

1. Talk about a place worth visiting.
2. Describe a place where a lot of tourists visit.
3. Describe a famous tourist destination in your country.
4. Describe a place near lots of water or open space.
5. Talk about a place where you spent your holiday.
6. Describe a famous holiday destination in your town.

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