"Journeys are often unpredictable, but the memories we make along the way can last a lifetime. I remember my first long-distance trip well. I was only sixteen years old, but I wanted to experience something beyond the small town I had grown up in all my life."
Describe A Journey You Made In The Past
You can't just memorize a bunch of IELTS cue card speaking answers and expect to pass the exam. But a model answer for a topic is useful because it can give you ideas, topic-specific vocabulary, and inspiration.
But each model answer is specific to the cue card topic, and if you get a different cue card, a memorized model answer might not work. Use each model answer as a tool to expand your vocabulary and practice common descriptive expressions.
You need to know how to use them in real-life situations. That's why we've created this free series of speaking tips to help you pass the IELTS.
They show you exactly how to answer cue card questions like "Describe a journey you made in the past that you remember well" with ease.
The IELTS speaking test is all about describing your experience or opinion on a topic given on the IELTS cue card.
Some of the most common topics are:
- Describe an interesting place
- Describe a person who has influenced you
- Describe an important event in your life
- Describe a time when you received happy news
- Describe something that happened when you were young
- Describe your childhood friends
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It’s not as hard as it seems. We have put together some tips to help boost your confidence and help you achieve your goal. You can do this! Let us show you how…
This is an example of an IELTS cue card speaking question from Part 2 of the IELTS speaking test.
IELTS candidates are given a Cue Card (question card) with a topic and they have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes.
Candidates are allowed one minute of 'preparation time' to think about their response, before the IELTS examiner asks them to start talking. You must try to speak for at least one minute on the topic! Try for two minutes to show the examiner you can talk about the topic a lot.
Describe the most interesting journey you remember when you were young
You should say:
- where you went
- who went on the journey with you
- why the trip was interesting
and explain why you remember it.
Describe a journey you remember well
sample answerI remember one particular journey I went on when I was about six years old, with my parents.
We travelled by car up north and the thing that I remember most was the amazing scenic beauty which was quite different from where we used to live.
I couldn’t really remember seeing big mountains before that trip, but the ones I saw were so huge and steep that I recall being seriously impressed by them.
I also saw some amazing rivers running down through the mountains and I can remember there was a waterfall, with the water cascading down the side of one of the mountains, and I also saw a lot of animals that you wouldn’t normally see living in a city.
It was a long trip, I seem to remember it took most of the day, although we stopped every few hours to take a break and have something to eat before continuing.
I remember that for a lot of the time I just sat in the car and my face was like pushed up to the window just watching all these things go past as we travelled along the road.
Every time I thought I had seen the tallest mountain – we would go round the next bend in the road and there was an even taller mountain right in front.
As we went up the mountain road you could see right down into the valley below and I remember feeling a little afraid because I thought if the car fell off the road then we would drop all the way down to the bottom – it was a long way down. It’s funny thinking about it now.
I guess that particular journey was important for me because it was the first time I really remember seeing really different landscape from the normal things I would see where I grew up – so it was really impressive and I can still remember the colours and the different smells in the air as we drove along the road.
Can you remember a long journey you enjoyed?
- Where did you go?
- What did you see?
- Why do you remember the journey?
- How would you descibe it?
How Do You Describe A Journey
What type of journey was it?
- ... took a train journey to...
- ...went on boat journey to...
Some adjectives you can use to describe a journey include:
- long / short / challenging / adventurous
- memorable / unforgettable
- exciting / boring / uninteresting
- pleasant / unpleasant
- comfortable / uncomfortable
Some superlatives you could use to describe a journey you remember well include:
- the best / the worst
- the most important
- the most fascinating food
- the most unforgettable sights
- the most incredible moonlit night
Things you can include when describing a journey that you remember:
- what was most memorable
- what was least interesting
- what was most surprising
- what was most unexpected
- what was most welcome
- what was the most comforting thing
- what was the most inconvenient thing
Describing the destination or a place en route:
- ...we arrived at the local train station in a beautiful coastal resort city...
- ...before the train started, we spent some time in the bustling train cafeteria while waiting...
- my own car isn't good for long distance driving in remote places. so I hired one for the trip...
Some phrases people use to talk about journeys include:
- It was one of the most exciting...
- It was an amazing journey, because...
- It was great because...
- It was not as great as I expected, because...
- It was an unexciting but necessary journey...
- It was a life-changing trip
Some questions you should try to answer when describing a journey you remember well include:
- How did you get there?
- How did you travel? By plane, car, train, boat or bike?
- Why was your journey important?
- What did it mean to you?
- Why did you remember this particular journey well?
Useful phrases to describe travel problems
- my trip was delayed because...
- the flight was an hour late taking off
- the bus broke down on the way...
- the rental car ran out of gas while we were driving along the highway
- the train was overcrowded
- the journey took a lot longer than expected
- there was a lot of traffic on the highway
- the train was delayed because...
- airport security was extremely strict that day, so we almost missed our flight
- our flight was scheduled for early morning, but we were late leaving for the airport and missed our flight
- I left my wallet at home, so I didn't have enough money to buy food or drinks at the airport or onboard.
- The hotel couldn't find our reservation when we arrived, so we had to wait for a room to become available.
Other things you could describe on a journey that you remember well include
- the weather
- the distance
- how you felt
- what you liked
- what you didn't like
- new places you visited
- people you met
- the impression it left on you
- a positive change you made as a result of the journey
Similar to describing a book or film, you need to come up with details to describe the experience/event and give examples.
Common IELTS candidate task card topics include:
- Describe a place that's relaxing to visit
- Describe the best thing about your home
- Describe a recent long distance holiday trip or long journey with family members
- Describe a memorable journey
The more descriptive words you use, the better!
Describe A Journey That You Remember Well
Sample AnswerOne of my best travel experiences was in improving my English skills with an International House exchange student in Washington D.C., USA on a Summer break in 1997.
My journey started when I heard about English language schools in Washington D.C. from an advertisement in a magazine. This was my main motivation to visit the capital of the United States for the first time and learn new things at the same time.
I packed my suitcase with simple clothes because I learned that American students wore casual clothes a lot due to hot weather conditions in summer. Besides, shopping was easy as all stores were open late so I could buy whatever else if needed without difficulty or interruption during my stay in America, according to information printed on travel brochures and recommendations from friends who had visited the U.S.
To be honest, it seemed an exciting journey but also a great adventure for me since it would be something completely different from my daily life as a student.
The flight was long and uncomfortable but when I arrived in the United States it was worth it. New, fresh air and never-ending space gave me complete invigoration.
I had been to America 3 years back with some family members on vacation, but that was a different trip altogether, and so I was very excited to see some exciting places this time around.
When we first landed the place felt unfamiliar as it wasn't exactly what I was expecting from a big city like Washington. It seemed smaller than I had thought. But then there were many skyscrapers which were an interesting sight for me as they stood tall in their glory.
And another beautiful thing about those buildings was that they had a light glittering façade from the sun reflected off mirrored walls during the daytime, giving them an appearance of a huge diamond adorning the skyline.
During my trip, I visited several places of interest, ate some food that I had never tried before, and of course, I improved my English a lot because I was speaking it all the time and my American friends decided to teach me their language.
But I remember two days there when I was just strolling on foot and soaking up the atmosphere, listening to the sound of the city's life whirring around me like an ocean murmur in a shell.
Several skyscrapers were blocking most of the sunlight from reaching street level, casting tall shadows that blocked out everything except the noise of people talking and cars honking.
But it was at night where the city really came alive, even more than during the daytime: lights were shining brightly everywhere you looked. It was almost too bright for my eyes as we walked down streets.
Overall, what I remember well about the journey and experience is all the things I saw, all the people I met and everything else that happened.
I remember how great it felt being in a new place with plenty of new things to see, do and experience.
One thing that struck me about my journey is that there was always somewhere new to go, somewhere you had never been before.
Not only this but the city seemed to have more and more places to go every time you explored it; there were mountains on one side, lakes on another, forests nearby… this made me feel like I could explore for years without ever knowing the entire area.
I felt sad when it was time to leave, even thouogh I was going home. I will always remember the journey as one of the best I've ever experienced!
Describe a Memorable Journey You Have Made
When I was young, my family went on a road trip to visit some of the national parks in America. We drove for hours through the mountains, stopping at viewpoints to take in the stunning scenery. It was an unforgettable experience and one that I'll always treasure.
The most memorable moment was when we hiked to the very top of a beautiful cliff. My parents were guiding my younger siblings down the steep, rocky path that led to the summit.
Suddenly, I spotted something unusual on the ground—a tiny baby turtle, just hatched from its egg! Feeling excited and nervous for the little one, I quickly picked him up and carried him back down towards the water, where it could find food.
Afterward, I walked back up to meet my family, who had been waiting patiently at the top of the mountain for me. It truly was an unforgettable moment.
One good thing about this memorable journey is how close it made my whole family feel.
The trip wasn't without its challenges - we had to navigate narrow mountain roads, and there were moments when we thought we would get lost - but it was all worth it in the end.
Every park we visited was more beautiful than the last, and I feel so lucky to have experienced them all firsthand. If you're looking for an amazing road trip destination, I highly recommend checking out America's national parks!
Discussion Questions
- What was the most memorable journey you ever made?
- Have you ever been in a plane when it experienced turbulence?
- Do you have any travel bucket list ideas that people can add to?
- Why did you decide to go on this memorable journey in the first place?
- Did you meet anyone or make any friends on your memorable journey?
- Did anything significant happen to you during an unforgettable journey that is worth sharing with others?
- Sum up what you learned from your memorable journey and why you think people should do something similar.