Best Places to Travel in 2025

Are you tired of winter? Have you had enough of chilly nights, foggy mornings, rain, sleet and gale-force winds? Of course we are right in the middle of winter, halfway through the winter solstice and the spring equinox, time to celebrate the Gaelic Imbolc festival or the Christian Candlemas feast or St. Brigid's Day in Ireland..., or time to start planning your next holiday!

If you want to learn which are the coolest (and the hottest) holiday destinations this year you can read the BBC report The 25 best places to travel in 2025, and you will find sustainable holidays in exotic landscapes like Haa Valley, Bhutan (above) or the Western Australia bubblegum-pink lakes (below). The article is a compilation of 25 short, but vocabulary rich, descriptions with a picture, where context can help you to guess the meaning of unknown words, so the article (or a selection of destinations) can be recommended for highly-motivated B2+ students, C1 students and above. Here you can find a lesson plan for B2/C1 students with reading, vocabulary and speaking tasks (for the Word version, please click here). Some of the expressions students can pick up are:

 

[pink] bubblegum-coloured, to connect, to peer, the edge, a crashing [waterfall], sawtooth [spires], wondrous, to overwhelm, to grapple with [the negative effects], overtourism, a spot, the [cultural] heritage, to compile [a list], to soar, a bucket-list [destination], to trek, glamping. Dominica: a sperm whale, a groundbreaking [commitment to marine conservation], sustainable [tourism], to ease [arrival], to launch [a direct flight], to top [a list], a [hidden] gorge, a towering [waterfall], to feast, an eatery, a burgeoning [model]. Naoshima: polka-dotted, connoisseur, copper, to smelt, stunning, dwindling [population], unveiling of [artwork],  to scatter, one-of-a-kind, an [art] installation. The Dolomites: sawtooth [cliff], to be overwhelmed, a detour, rugged, a limestone [cliff], to sprawl, [Italians] in droves, stick-to-your-ribs [dishes], to be overlooked, to be poised [to change], to be stated [to co-host the Olympics], a ski lift, to enhance [connections to public transit], a cable car, a trail. Greenland: to span [more than 2 millio sq km], an ice cap, unspoiled wilderness, a coveted [geopolitical entity], stunning, spellbinding, dog sledding, a bucket-list [destination], a pledge, a launchpad for [hiking], a waterfront, glamping, a gateway, a jaw-dropping, gorgeous, scenic [green hills], dotted [with sheep farms]. Wales: awe-inspiring, up-and-coming, to showcase, to position [yourself], at the forefront, sustainable. Western Newfoundland and Labrador: mainland, a rugged [region], windswept, a towering [iceberg], to underpin, a boardwalk, a settlement, to enhance, to upgrade. Tucson, Arizona: to mark [an anniversay], a [hiking] trail, squash, to meld, a crop, a staple, edible [cacti], a prickly pear. Western Australia: to play second fiddle, a gateway, an [aviation] hub, to be poised [to become], to span, to encompass, pristine, bubblegum-pink [lakes], towering [forests], a winery, to snap [a selfy], a foraging [tour]. Sri Lanka: misty, a roaming [elephant], rolling [surf], to tick a box, bankrupcy, resilient, to get back on your feet, an oculus, to stargaze, to launch, a coolcation, a mixologist, to put your spin on [arrack], a startup, a tuk tuk. Panama: to hand [control], namesake, a waterway, to hint at [a possibility], to reseize, timely, to weave, lush, to boost, staggering. Rif Mountains: snowcapped [mountains], sweeping, [cultural] heritage, an earthquake, a medina, an [almond] grove, cedar, craggy [peaks], unwinding, white-washed. Bradford: to be poised [to step out], a mill, a brass band, an array of  [warehouses], a moor, rugged, an accolade. Jordan: breathtaking, stunning, to weave [through], rust, to be teeming with, illusive, to dwell, a gorge, to dive. Haa Valley, Bhutan: mesmerising, erstwhile [kingdom], nestled, pristine, graze, a bid for [visitors], canopy, a [bamboo] grove, a homestay, a glimpse. Hawaii: to devastate, a downturn, to embody, stewardship. Uzbekistan: to take over, to strive [to maintain], a startup. Haida Gwaii, Canada: off the coast, groundbreaking, [envisonmental] stewardship, a murrelet, to underscore. Emerald Coast, Nicaragua: mist-shrouded [rainforests], set [to be completed], a sprawling [capital], a [surf] hub, to lure in [backpackers], ridley, a leatherback [turtle]. Isle of Man: to be ringed, a cliff-fringed [island], Manx, brew, to partake, myriad, craggy [coastlines], a trekker, a wind-whipped [summit]. Gilgi-Baltistan, Pakistan: a slew [of initiatives], a coveted [trekking visa], a glance, to be dubbed, to brim with [lush valleys], pristine, cradled, a [cherry] blossom, an [apricot] orchard, undulating, to venture. Azores: marrooned [in the ocean], a [steaming] hot-spring, sparkling, to boast, a coral reef, a boon, eager, a scenic [drive], to hop your way, bubbling, lush, a [leisurely] stroll, bonafide. Kansas City, Missouri: a glow-up [year], heretofore, barbeque, slated [to open], renovations, an upgrade. Bolivia: to stargaze, a salt flat, to sip, a booming [town], an up-close [look], a capybara, a cougar, a macaw. Botswana: to be hailed as [a leader], high-income, to usher in [a new government], a cache, to bolster [tourism], to grant [free entry], a wetland, a cheetah, savannah, a [luxury] lodge, a blend, mokoro, an armchair safari, an owl. Oslo: tongue-in-cheek, to nod, overetourism, to sully, to showcase, to lure [visitors], [organic] produce. 

A very different list of destinations is provided by Lonely Planet, you can check it out at "Best in Travel 2025". But if you want to watch wonderful videos, you can click below on Ryan Shirley's "Top 10 Places to Visit in 2025 (Year of Travel", which is recommended for C1 students. 

Happy Imbloc/ Candlemas/ St Brigid's Day!

Best Wildlife Photographers and (Silly) Pictures, 2024

In October, the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award 2024, was announced by the Natural History Museum in London, and Alberto Román Gómez (Spain) won the under 10 years award with the picture "Free as a Bird" (left). You can gaze at the stunning photos and read the descriptive captions in The Guardian report "Wildlife photographer of the year 2024 winners -in pictures". The captions are very succinct and precise so, rather suitable for C1 learners and above, where these words, among other, will come up: record-breaking [59,228 entries], an exhibition, a tadpole, a swarm, to snorkel, a lily pad, a stonechat bird, hefty, tricky, ownership, to roll [a log] over, to fruit, [slime] mould, a springtail, a split second, focus stacking, to mirror, a spot, a [camera] trap, a prey, an [elusive] lynx, fungi, gnarled, a birch tree, a lichen, a timeless [beauty] etc. 

NPR also covered the same competition with a more factual article, "Lynx, tiger and tadpoles, oh my: See the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners", which is longer, more cohesive and easier to read perhaps, so, it can be recommended for B2 students and above, who will find words like: a lynx, a tadpole, a swarm, a lily pad, to lay [in wait], to track [animals], to set up, [camera] traps, to frame, a shot, to seize the moment, to stretch, to wrestle, a yacare caiman, a falcon, underwater, to narrow down, to be featured, a venue, to spark [creation], to coil itself, a snout, to snorkel [painstakingly], a lily pad, silt, to dodge, stunning, to hatch, wetlands, to rally [the community together] etc.

To add a touch of humour to wildlife art, B2 students can either have a peek at the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Gallery of Winners and Finalists 2024 or read the USA Today report on the winners of that competition, "'Squirrel stuck in a tree' tops funniest wildlife photos of the year: See the pictures". The final list of goofy winners was published on December 10th.

The pics will certainly bring a sunny smile (or raucous laughter) to learners, who may pick up new words like: a squirrel, [stuck], to stick, smooching, owlets, to highlight, a compromising [position], a [tree] hole, hind [legs], a statement, a raucous [laughter], to be shortlisted, ecstatic, to narrow down, a standalone [photograph], to showcase etc.

Back in April, the winners of the World Nature Photography Awards 2024 came out. B2 learners and above can click above to look at amazing pictures, and find interesting words in the captions and explanations like: hired, waterproof, a gannet, to dive into [water], anglerfish, a reef, a cheetah, a herd, a topi, dotted [across the valley], to cling [onto a foal], to launch, iconic [iguanas], a lizard, to bask, and many more.

Other interesting wildlife photography awards to check out are the British Wild Photography Awards and National Geographic best wildlife photos from 2024.

"Dear Life", by Alice Munro (1931- 2024)

Alice Munro, the short-story writer and the winner of the 2013 Nobel prize has died aged 92, you can read her obituary and listen to a compilation of interview clips on "Alice Munro, Canadian author who mastered the short story, dead at 92", written by Rhianna Schmunk for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Alice Munro was a small town girl, a mother of three girls, a bookshop owner and a writer in her free time, until her literary success took up most of her time in her mid-forties and eventually was hailed as "a master of the short story" by the judges of the Nobel prize for Literature. Three of her short stories, Chance, Soon and Silence, from her book Runaway, were made into Almodovar's film "Julieta". 

Her stories are often set in Huron County, in rural Ontario, they deal about human existence, moral conflict and revelation and they can be a first step for C1 learners to start reading authentic, unabridged fiction. Here you can find her memoir, "Dear Life. A Childhood Visitation", with a reading comprehension task & its key for C1 learners, who will find descriptive words and collocations like: to pull off, rickety, a mill race, contempt, unsoiled, a Highland fling, clicking [shoes], to dig [dug, dug], a well, to drill, to honk, to summon, shuddering, a crinkly [smile], a [drinking] pail, a trapline, an [animal] pen, a hayfield, to cull [animals], manure, to tell on [somebody], jolly, to dawn on [somebody], to dwindle, downsloping,a cedar [tree], troll, a miscarriage, a flurry, a dumbwaiter, hemstitching, to pelt [the foxes], a downturn, molten [metal], a [metal] mold, to buckle down to [something], to cram [my head with knowledge], a quavery [voice], a hatchet, to wring [clothes], a misgiving, to keep tabs on [somebody/ something], to grab, to tilt, clatter, a haphazard [way], to wedge, to bang, to rattle, distraught, to stare, a [wild] grin, a [river] flat, to muddy [up], to commend [Nature], to whale [the unkindness] out of [me], to beat the tar out of [me], to dispose of [a house], for dear life, to spot [somebody].

Alice Munro published several of her short stories in The New Yorker. For further background into her life you can read the interview she gave to The New Yorker when she published her last book "Dear Life" in 2012: "On 'Dear Life': An Interview with Alice Munro". 

Apart from the above-mentioned interview videos in her CBC obituary, "Alice Munro, Canadian author who mastered the short story, dead at 92", you can watch below the conversation she had with Kyle Lanningham right after she received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013. This interview with subtitles is also accessible to C1 students.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas & Let It Snow by Michael Bublé

'Twas the Night Before Chirstmas is a poem originally written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1987 with the title "A Visit (from St. Nicholas)", and still today, it is a favourite bedtime story for children on Christmas Eve.

Here you can find a fill-in the gaps task & key for B2 students based on Michael Bublé's rendition of 'Twas was the Night Before Christmas, with a direct link to YouTube below, and my transcription of Bublé's version plus Moore's original poem.The task is rather easy, but the vocabulary includes many descriptive words which are more C1 level than B2, you will find these expressions: to stir, a stocking, to be nestled, snug, sugar-plums, 'kerchief, cap, to settle down, a nap, the lawn, the clatter, to spring (sprang, sprung), a flash, to tear (tore, torn), a shutter, the sash [window], the breast, new-fallen [snow], the lustre, a sleigh, a reindeer, to whistle,  the porch, to dash away, a hurricane, to mount, the coursers, a twinkling, to prance, to paw, a hoof, a bound, a fur, to be tarnished, ash, soot, a bundle, to fling (flung, flung), a pedler (Am Eng), to twinkle, a dimple, merry, the cheeks, droll, to be drawn up, a bow, the chin,the stump, a pipe, [to hold] tight, to encircle, a wreath, a broad [face], a [round] belly, a bowlful of jelly, chubby, plump, jolly, an elf, a wink [of his eye], a twist [of his head], to dread, a jerk, to lay [a finger], to give [a nod], to rise (rose, risen), a whistle, the down [of] a thistle, [out of] sight.

If you want to listen to another Christmas song by the contemporary clooner from Canada Michael Bublé, you can play the song Let It Snow, and do another fill-in the gap task with its key, which is also accessible to B2 students. Some interesting words you will find here are: frightful, delightful, to pop, [the lights are] way [down] low, to kiss good night, [to hold somebody] tight. 

 

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You can find more texts and recordings about Christmas on the following entries in this blog: Christmas (18/12/20), The Magic of Christmas (25/12/22).

Thanksgiving

Today, Thursday 23 November, 2023, I would like to thank an American family, the Dolbeys, who welcomed me as a foreign AFS exchange student over 40 years ago and taught me English around a dining table. 

Thank you, Boyd, Lynn (R.I.P.), Charlie, Cathy and Christie, in times of joy and in times of sorrow.

*****

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States, Canada, some Caribbean islands and even in Liberia. Wikipedia explains the history and traditions of this peculiar holiday all around the world, in an article which is rather long and complex, so it is recommended for C1 students if you want to read it all . Some of the interesting words you can find in this article are: blessing, harvest, failure, settlers, to flee, God Almighty, to be prompted, relief, siege, to beseech, sham, to observe a festivity, to dub, a feast, staple, non-denominational, crop, barley, oats.

The Farmers' Almanac offers a more light-hearted, hands-on approach to celebrating Thanksgiving: recipes, helpful hints, traditions, trivia & nostalgia.  Each separate section could be accessible to B2 students. Some interesting words here are: to observe a festivity, to scour, a hint, to dig, to browse, mouth watering, cranberry, squash, stuffing, pumpkin, leftovers, heartburn, moist, fluffy, mashed [potatoes], yummy, stew, a riddled, jellied.

There are several videos on YouTube which give you complementary views of Thanksgiving. An easy video to introduce foreign students to the basics is Thanksgiving History & Traditions. ESL/ESOL/EFL A1- A2, (3:47) which, despite its title, is more suitable for B1 learners (you can read the subtitles). Some interesting words you will find are: an occasion, pilgrim, voyage, to land, crops, to grow [corn], harvest, roast, turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, parade.

A more detailed account of the story of Thanksgiving can be found in The Real Story of Thanksgiving, (11:42), where you can thoroughly learn about the sailing difficulties of the Mayflower, how the Pilgrims built the first settlement and the story of the individual Indians and tribes that hepled the settlers: Sumoset an Abenaki Indian; Squanto, a Patuxet Indian who was kidnapped and taken to Spain and England where he became fluent in English and the Wampanoag tribe who formed a military alliance with the Europeans against other Indian enemy tribe, namely, the Narragansetts. This video with subtitles is fast and dense, and it contains a lot of technical and colloquial expressions, so it is recommended for C2 students and above. Some interesting vocabulary: kumbaya, pier, bound for, a spit, speedwell, ungainly, to make it [to America], dissenters, haunt, to have more say, a printing press, a bad rap, flattering, creaky [boat], undaunted, glee, to be refitted, to botch, to cram, a snap, a beam, a spare, buckling, delays, a screw, to be kicked out, to cite land, to set up anchor, dodgy, to be set down, scurvy, icy, to send out, to be aboard, to drape, arrows, muskets, pilgrims, to search the area, claws, riddled, timber, to be wiped out, picky, to huddle together], to thaw, the crew, a storehouse, the locals, promptly, supplies, to swap, the chief, to be beset, a cannon, unlikely, tutelage, to thrive, bounty, game birds, waterfowl, deer, eel, crab, harvest, to set aside their differences.

A more critical view of the encounter of the two civilizations can be seen in the First Thanksgiving video (6:09) which takes pride to show the "true events" behind the fairy tale that is taught at primary schools: the complex political and religious background to the Mayflower Pilgrims's exile into the New World and the troubled relationships between the native Americans and the Pilgrims. This video is fast and quite complex in content so, it can be suitable for C2 students. Some interesting expressions are: dawn, deceitful, settlement, in droves, to be wiped out, the fate, pilgrims, to flee (fled), the congregation, to pay off the debt, to be spotted, a grave, a storage pit, furs, a hostage, to keep an eye on, bountiful, to entertain, settlers, to fast, to be up to something, to overthrow, swift, sachem, a conspiracy, preemptive, to outnumber, godless, the outcome, to surrender, short-lived, zealous beliefs, to wipe away, the fairy tale.

If you want to find out about how Thanksgiving is celebrated in other countries around the world, like Canada, China, Korea, the Caribbean, Liberia, Germany or Japan, you can watch Thanksgiving around the world (7:01). The script in this video with subtitles is more simple, colloquial and the delivery is less fast, so, perhaps it can be OK for B2 students and above. Some interesting expressions are: a feast, to compile, to get together, mashed potatoes, to chow down, casserole, cranberry, crew, treacherous, pastry, a filling, goddess, the eve, quality time, a bonding activity, odd, tiny, to be overthrown, a coup, a whaling ship, a whaler, a feast, a harvest  festival, the bounty of crops.

A final option is to watch the video The History of the Holidays: the History of Thanksgiving (3:25). This is a summary of the history of the festivity and the modern celebrations, a short version of the texts and videos above. The language is not too hard, so it can be accessible to B2 students.  You can also find the video at the bottom of this entry too. Some interesting vocabulary that you will find here: iconic, a feast, their bounty, staple, codfish, lobster, fasting, prayer, bountiful harvests, drought, to decree, to set about establishing, to urge politicians, leisure, to boost attendance, fledging, a kickoff, to brave the cold, a collective breath, to reconnect with loved ones. 

 

In 2023, Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Thursday 23rd November in the USA.

Best Winter Sun Holidays & Places to Visit in 2023

Playa de los Cristianos (Tenerife) has been named the best winter sun holiday destination in Europe by Holydo, a holiday rental search engine in the UK. Spain tops the list of winter sun destinations, but other featured destinations are Agios Nikolaos in Greece, Siracusa in Italy, Luz in Portugal and Cala Rossa in France. A list of the sunniest cities in Europe has also been published by Holydo Magazine, and, surpisingly enough, Zaragoza ranks number 12 in Europe!

In this article, which is suitable for B2 students, you can find descriptive adjectives and other interesting words like: average, whopping, dreamy, charming, a coastal [town], to beat, to check out, waterfront [restaurants], nearby [abandoned castles], stunning [streescapes], breathtaking [beaches], impressive [cliffs], turquoise [waters].

If you are already looking for ideas to travel in 2023, or you just want to do a little bit of online travel while it is cold and foggy outside, you can read this article from Afar.com, an experiential travel magazine from New York and San Francisco, with the 12 Best Places to Travel in 2023. The article comes with a video with subtitles (see below), which can be watched by B2 students, where you will see words like: to await, a seaside [village], to prevail, renovations, a hub, steamed [crabs], seasoning, freight, freshwater, to hop, glaciated, lobster rolls, heritage, to boast, to sit [on the shores], endangered species, vineyard, highlights, to debut, a flea market, entrepreneurial, the culinary [capital], pumpkins, meadows, to strech for [618 acres], to rewild, a cheetah, wetlands, grasslands, conservation, to figure out, to showcase, snow-capped [peaks], a thriving [art scene].