Holidays and Trips

ARE YOU A CULTURE VULTURE, A BEACH BUM or AN ADRENALINE JUNKIE?

Fancy a romantic city break to Paris, or maybe you would prefer a quick getaway to the peaceful mountains close to Granada?  If neither of them are your cup of tea, and you are more beach bum that culture vulture, then you might want to look for a last minute beach holiday bargain.  Nowadays, getting away doesn’t cost an arm and leg.  There are tons of websites and no frills airlines offering you the chance to forget your daily problems and concentrate on chilling out and recharging your batteries.  It has to be said, if you don’t like going on holiday, then you need to seek medical attention or possibly book an appointment with a psychologist.

Different Types of Holidays:

1. A camping holiday
2. A cruise
3. A city break
4. An adventure holiday
5. An activity holiday
6. A spa break
7. A beach holiday

Which types of holiday are you keen on and which types of holidays can’t you stand?

No-frills Airlines:

The big budget airline companies for cheap flights and holidays are: easyJet, Jet2 , Monarch, Ryanair, Vueling and BMI Baby.

At the moment, Monarch’s marketing says:

We offer cheap short breaks and weekends away to some of Europe’s most exciting destinations. Why not book a romantic break to Rome, a cultural trip to Venice or a shopping trip to Barcelona? Find a cheap city break with flights or choose to book a flight only.

Which budget airline is your favourite? Which one makes your blood boli?  No names mentioned, but does it begin with an R and end in an R with yanai in between.  Yes, you know what I‘m talking about don’t you!  No letters of complaint please; I have enough to last a lifetime.

VOCABULARY CHALLENGES

ACTIVITY 1: All these words are connected to Holidays and Trips, but what do they mean?

Campsite, camping, tent, pitch, full-board, self-catering, half-board, hotel, hostel, flight, place, cruise, cruiser, cruise liner, cabin, check in, check out, take off, land, budget airline, no frills airline, excess baggage, health insurance, trekking, hiking, snorkelling, scuba diving, sitting around, deserted, unspoilt, bargain prices, exclusive deals, laid back, chill out, to recharge your batteries, to slob around

ACTIVITY 2: Holiday Accommodation

If you were sleeping in one of these, what type of holiday might you be on?

1. A 5 star hotel
2. A bed and breakfast
3. A youth hostel
4. A tree house
5. A bungalow
6. A tent
7. A barge
8. A cabin
9. A chalet or lodge
10. A wigwam

 ACTIVITY 3: Idioms and expressions – What do they mean?

What do the following idioms mean?

1. I’ve got ants in my pants because next Friday night I’m going on holiday. To have ants in your pants
2. I fancy going to Thailand for my next summer holiday. To fancy doing something
3. I am keen on adventure holidays. To be keen on something.
4. I’m a little blue because it’s the last day of my holiday. To be blue. Or, to feel blue
5. I’m running around like a headless chicken because tomorrow I’m going on holiday and I have to find my passport, iron my clothes, pack, print off my boarding pass, exchange some cash and order a taxi to pick me up and take me to the airport. To be like a headless chicken

 Do you want more holiday vocabulary?  Download the Vocabulary Bank Holidays here.

READING

1: City Break Advert:

2: Spa Holiday Advert

3: Holiday Accommodation

An important part of organizing a holiday is to find somewhere to stay. Luxury might ‘be your cup of tea’, so a 5 star hotel would be suitable, or you might want to ‘rough it’ and sleep in a tent. My tastes change depending on the type of trip I am taking. For example, in 2000 I took a 2 week road-trip around France and slept outdoors in a tent under the stars. When I was in Costa Rica on a safari, I slept in a hammock and when I was sailing from Australia to Sri Lanka I slept in a very small cabin.

If I had more time and money, I would stay in an underwater hotel, sleep in a space station, or try an ice hotel.

Where is the most unusual place you have stayed?

4: Holiday Review

Whatever your tastes Thailand can satisfy your holiday hunger!

Fancy a holiday? Not sure where to go?  Look no further – the answer is Thailand.

It is widely reported that Thailand is the country to go to whatever your tastes, and for me Thailand definitely didn’t disappoint. In fact, I’ve been 3 times and spent over 6 months there exploring the well-known hotspots and some of the places off the beaten track.   It is such a varied country, full of so many different destinations, the problem often lies in choosing one in particular to visit: from the bustling, frenzied capital of Bangkok, where you can see amazing sights such as the Grand Palace, the Floating Market and sparkling Old City, to the sleepy beaches of the islands, where your troubles can be washed away with every warm wave.

Many people  go to Thailand to paint the town red at the famous beach parties, the most notorious of which is most likely the Full Moon Party, held every month on the island of Koh Phangan. Phuket is another location that is notorious for its party lifestyle, the go go bars, the cabaret shows and the clubs; it definitely has something for everyone!

Furthermore,  Thailand’s islands are not only great for those who need a break after a week of debauchery, but they are also superb for families, couples and friends whose holiday heaven consists of lazy days by the sea and chilled-out dinners by the beach. Koh Samui is one of the most laid back islands and with so much choice when it comes to resorts and beaches, the perfect one is just waiting for you to hop on.

Last but not least, the beaches you will come across in Thailand are great for the adventurous, with water sports on tap, such as windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and diving. If you are an adrenaline junkie and looking for something to really get your heart pumping, then see if you can handle skydiving near Pattaya, white water rafting in Phuket, waterfall abseiling in Chiang Mai and even elephant riding through the jungle in Kanchanaburi.

Despite the fact that the flights to Thailand cost an arm and a leg, Thailand is really worth it!  If you are looking for a varied holiday, then I suggest that you book your flights immediately.  With so much to do and so many amazing sights to see, once you have been you will want to keep going back again and again and again!

 

LISTENING

1) What would your ideal trip be?

Watch the video to read and hear what some people in London told the BBC. By the way, according to UK government statistics, the most popular overseas country that British people visit is Spain. Of course!

Recording: People in London talk about their ideal trip.

2) Talking about holidays and free time

Listen to an Australian guy talking about holidays and what he usually does during his free time.

He talks about chucks.  What does chuck mean? Video: Holidays and Free Time

3) Song: Madonna – HOLIDAY

 ‘’Holiday. Celebrate. If we took a holiday took some time to celebrate. It would be so nice.’’

I love this tune. It brings back memories of dancing around my bedroom, wearing bad clothes and singing with a hairbrush in my hand.

Song: Madonna – Holiday

4) BBC: The Travel Shop

Listen to podcasts and watch videos on everything connected to trips and travelling

 ‘’Holiday. Celebrate. If we took

Holiday Tunes

Holidays are often about relaxing.  So how do we relax?  Well, Inglés Málaga Clients, we say, bring on the music. We say, put your MP3 player on, ‘switch off’ and ‘chill-ax’.

My top 10 playlist this week has been:
1: Nimrod: Edward Elgar: Classical
2: Hello: The Cat Empire: Ska Jazz
3: Gimme Shelter:: Merry Clayton: Soul Gospel
4:Moves Like Jagger: Maroon 5: Pop
5:Young Hearts Run Free: Kym Mazelle:  Disco
6: Vissi D’Arte, Tosca: Puccini: Opera
7: Road Trippin: Red Hot Chili Peppers: American Rock
8: Titanium: David Guetta ft Sia: Dance
9: High and Dry: Radiohead: Alternative 90′s
10: Close to You:The Cure:  British  80′s Rock

What have you been listening to this weekend? Post your tunes here…

Also, if you think I need a better musical education, please feel free to let me know.  However, I must say for all you Alejandro  Sanz fans out there, I just don’t get it.  Why is he supposedly so good?

SPEAKING

Activity One:  Expressing Opinions

Imagine you work for a youth club and you are organizing a short trip for a group of teenagers.

First, talk together about how each of these trips could benefit the teenager. Then decide which trip would be the most suitable for teenagers.

Activity Two: Can you talk for 2 minutes about….?

1. Your favourite holiday. Where / Why
2. A place abroad you would most like to visit.
3. Why a holiday to the south of Spain would be the perfect family holiday.
4. The problems you might face when on holiday abroad.
5. The things you need to take on a holiday.
6. Your most memorable journey.
7. The advantages and disadvantages of travelling in big groups and independently.
8. The advantages and disadvantages of living in a tourist destination.
9. If you worked for the tourist industry, what would be your ideal job?

 Activity Three: Describing Photographs

Can you compare the photographs, and then say which holiday you think would be the most memorable

Activity Four: Role Play – At the Tourist Information Office

 Do you want to read a sample conversation between a tourist and a tourist information assistant?  Do you want to learn common expressions to ask for help, request information and ask for advice?  If the answer is yes, click here and look under the subsection Role Play.

 Useful phrases to help you say general and personal opinions and ideas

GENERAL OPINIONS  AND IDEAS	PERSONAL OPINIONS AND IDEAS
It is said that…….	I believe that..
It has been reported that…	I think that… / I reckon….
My mother used to tell me that…	From experience, I would argue that..
The majority of teenagers in Spain think that..	It seems to me that..
It is widely considered that…..	From my point of view, I would suggest that

 Useful phrases to help you say more, and organize your ideas better.

Adding Information	Contrasting Information	Giving Reasons	Explaining  consequences	Ordering Information
In addition (to)	However	Because	So	Firstly, secondly, thirdly
And	But	Due to	Consequently	Finally
Moreover	While	Owing to	Therefore	To summarize
As well as	Although	Due to the fact that	As a consequence	In conclusion
Furthermore	On the one hand, ..however on the other hand…..	As a result	Hence	On balance, I think
Also	Despite the fact that
	In spite of

 

WRITING

Activity One:

We are going to launch a new travel section to our international lifestyle magazine.  We would like you to write a review about a town, a city, or a county, anywhere in the world, that you would recommend for a holiday.

Put pen to paper as the best reviews will win a mini-break to Prague.

Activity Two: Write a Report

Activity Three:

Backpacking around the world

You have decided to go backpacking around the world for 6 months.  However, most of your friends are couch potatoes and they don’t want to go with you so you have decided to find some travel mates through the internet.

You are really worried about finding people who you think you will get on well with so you have written a short profile which describes what you are like.  In addition, you have written 5 questions that you want people to answer so you can find out what they are like

1. Write a personal profile in less than 100 words
2. Write your 5 questions.