IELTS Modest · Cuối khoá · Speaking: Hometown and Travel

Where is your hometown?

My hometown is Hai Phong, which is a port city in the north of Vietnam, about two hours from Hanoi by car. It is famous for its seafood and its beaches nearby.

What do you like most about your hometown?

I like the food most, especially a kind of noodle soup with crab. Also, the city is not as crowded as Hanoi, so life is quite relaxing and people are friendly.

Has your hometown changed much in recent years?

Yes, it has changed a lot. In the last ten years, many new roads and bridges were built, and there are more shopping centres now. But the traffic is also heavier than before.

Is your hometown a good place for young people to live? Why or why not?

I think it is quite a good place. There are many jobs in factories and in the port, and the cost of living is cheaper than in big cities. However, there are not many good universities, so many young people move away to study.

I would like to talk about a trip to Da Lat that I took with my classmates two years ago, after we finished our final exams at high school.

There were six of us, and we decided to travel by night bus because it was cheaper than flying. The bus left Ho Chi Minh City at about ten o’clock at night and arrived in Da Lat early the next morning. It was a sleeper bus, so we could lie down, but to be honest I didn’t sleep much because the road was very winding and we kept talking and laughing.

When we arrived, the weather was cool and a bit foggy, which was very different from the hot weather at home. We stayed there for three days. We visited a flower garden, rode bicycles around a lake and tried a lot of street food at the night market.

I remember this journey well for two main reasons. Firstly, it was the first time I travelled without my parents, so I felt very free and grown-up. Secondly, it was the last trip with my close friends before we went to different universities. Now we live in different cities, so whenever I look at the photos from that trip, I feel happy but also a little sad.

Why do many people prefer to travel by car rather than by public transport?

I think the main reason is convenience. With a car, people can go anywhere at any time and they don’t need to wait at a bus stop. Also, in many cities public transport is not very good, so buses are crowded and often late.

How could public transport in cities be improved?

Firstly, the government should build more metro lines, because they are fast and do not get stuck in traffic. Secondly, buses should come more often and be cleaner. If public transport is cheap and comfortable, I believe more people will use it instead of their own vehicles.

Do you think people will travel more or less in the future?

I think people will travel more. Flights are getting cheaper, and more people have money to go on holiday abroad. However, for work, maybe people will travel less, because they can have meetings online instead of going to another city.

Is it better to travel alone or with other people?

It depends on the person. Travelling alone gives you more freedom, because you can decide everything by yourself. But travelling with friends or family is usually more fun and safer, and you can share the costs. Personally, I prefer to travel with my friends.