# Describe a holiday you enjoyed: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Places

Describe a holiday you enjoyed.

You should say:
- where you went
- who you went with
- what you did there
- and explain why you enjoyed it

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

I'd like to talk about a holiday I took with my family about two years ago, when we went to a beach town in the south of my country. It was the first time we had a holiday all together for a long time, because my older brother works abroad and he doesn't come home very often.

There were six of us: my parents, my brother, my sister, my grandmother and me. We rented a small house about five minutes from the beach, and we stayed there for one week.

We didn't do anything very adventurous, but that was the point. Every morning we went to the beach early, before it got too hot, and we swam and played volleyball. My grandmother usually sat under an umbrella and read the newspaper. In the afternoons we rested in the house or walked around the town, which had a nice old harbour and lots of small shops. One day we also took a boat trip to an island nearby, where we saw dolphins, which was amazing, especially for my grandmother, because she had never seen them before.

In the evenings we usually ate seafood at a restaurant by the sea. The food was really fresh and not too expensive, and we sat outside for hours, just talking and laughing.

I enjoyed this holiday because it was very relaxing, but mainly because of the family time. In normal life everyone is so busy, and we rarely sit together and talk without looking at our phones. On that holiday, it felt like when we were kids again. I made a lot of photos, and when I look at them now, they always make me smile.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer is warm and well organised, describing daily routines and a highlight (the boat trip) before explaining why the holiday mattered. Vocabulary is appropriate ("adventurous", "boat trip", "family time"), but descriptions are often general ("nice old harbour", "really fresh", "amazing"), and there are typical slips: a missing past perfect in "the first time we had a holiday" (rather than "the first time we'd had") and the wrong collocation "I made a lot of photos" (rather than "took"). Band 8 adds more vivid, precise and idiomatic description and a more reflective explanation.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-holiday-you-enjoyed).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.