Describe a short trip that was special to you

Band 8 Sample

I would like to describe a short but rather exciting tour that I went on last Saturday, which was a bicycle trip around Hoan Kiem Lake, which is also known as Sword Lake, and is one of the major scenic spots in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

I went on this trip with three close friends of mine, and we agreed on riding our bicycles to the Ly Thai To statue at 5am, which was to be our point of departure. I’m actually quite the early riser so I found it pretty easy to get up that early and be there on time.

And luckily the weather that day was really nice. The air was fresh and the tranquillity of the morning made me feel relaxed but also energetic. We biked around the lake about five times until around 7am when the sun began to rise and the streets started to get crowded. After that, we gathered at our favourite cafe to sip on some coffee chat about our lives.

I really enjoyed that short bike trip due to several reasons. Firstly, it was a great chance for me to see our city from a very different perspective, a peaceful Hanoi without traffic jams and air pollution. I was able to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city for a few hours and recharge myself to get prepared for a new week.

I think that cycling is also a really great exercise that helps me to strengthen my health, build up stamina and improve my immune system. And last but not least, I think this trip was a really great opportunity for me and my friends to get together and chat about our daily lives. You know, we are often too busy to meet regularly, so times like these are really valuable.

Vocabulary highlights:

1. major scenic spots – popular place with natural beauty
2. point of departure – place to begin a journey from
3. early riser – someone who wakes up early every morning eg. at 5am
4. tranquillity – calm, peaceful and quiet
5. sip on – to drink slowly
6. chat – to talk about unimportant things
7. escape from the hustle and bustle – to get away from a busy place or city
8. recharge myself – to get new energy, to feel good again
9. strengthen my health, build up stamina and improve my immune system – to improve the different aspects of your health and fitness
10. last but not least – the last thing, but not the least important