Speaking
Practice

A trip I had been looking forward to but which was delayed was a flight to Hanoi for a short holiday with two friends. We had planned the trip for months.

None of us had visited Hanoi together before, and we had already booked a hotel, listed places to visit and planned to try several local dishes. I was especially looking forward to walking around the Old Quarter and spending a few days in cooler weather.

On the morning of departure, heavy storms affected several flights. Our airline first announced a two-hour delay, then later cancelled the flight completely because of bad weather. We were disappointed because we had already reached the airport. The airline kept passengers updated and offered us a flight the next morning. We accepted, contacted the hotel and rescheduled our airport transport. In the end, we lost almost one full day of the holiday but still managed to go.

I had mixed feelings about the experience. I was frustrated because the delay reduced our time in Hanoi, but I also understood that flying in unsafe weather was not worth the risk. Once the trip finally started, the disappointment disappeared quite quickly.

An occasion when I used a useful map was during my first visit to Bangkok. I used a digital map on my phone to find several places in an area I had never visited before.

I was travelling alone for part of the day and wanted to visit a market, a temple and a café. The streets were busy, and some smaller lanes did not have clear signs in English, so I did not feel confident relying only on memory.

Before leaving the hotel, I pinned all three locations in a navigation app. The map suggested a walking route and showed the nearest train station. After getting off the train, I used turn-by-turn directions through several narrow streets. At one point, I accidentally walked past the correct lane, but the app quickly changed the route and guided me back. It also helped me estimate how long I needed to walk between places, so I could plan the afternoon better.

I found the map extremely useful because it helped me get my bearings and avoid getting lost in an unfamiliar city. I felt much more independent using it. Without the map, I probably would have spent a lot more time stopping to ask for directions.

A road trip I really enjoyed was a drive from Da Nang to Hue with two friends. We made the trip during a short holiday and chose the coastal route rather than the fastest road.

One friend had a car, and the three of us shared the driving. We left after breakfast and planned to reach Hue by early afternoon. The main reason for choosing that route was the scenery, especially the mountains and sea views.

For the first part, we made good time and stopped at a viewpoint to take photos. Later, we found a small roadside café and decided to stop along the way for coffee. The unexpected stop lasted longer than planned because the owner started chatting with us and recommended another viewpoint nearby. We followed his suggestion and found a quiet spot overlooking the coast. As a result, we arrived in Hue nearly two hours later than expected, but nobody minded.

I loved the trip because the journey itself became part of the adventure. Instead of treating the road as something to finish quickly, we enjoyed the scenic route and allowed plans to change. That made the road trip feel relaxed and memorable rather than simply practical.

An important journey that was delayed happened when I travelled to another city for a job interview. It was about two years ago, and the interview was scheduled for early afternoon.

The position was one I was genuinely interested in, so I had prepared carefully and planned the journey in advance. I chose a morning coach that should have arrived more than two hours before the interview, which normally would have been enough time.

Halfway through the journey, there was a serious traffic accident on the main road, causing major transport disruption. The coach barely moved for nearly an hour. I started worrying that I might miss the interview, so I emailed the company and explained the situation. When traffic finally moved, I checked the arrival time and arranged an alternative motorbike taxi from the coach station instead of taking a local bus. I reached the office only twenty minutes before the interview.

I was stressed but also proud that I kept calm and communicated early. The experience taught me not to cut it fine when travelling for something important. Even when delays are outside my control, leaving extra time gives me more options to solve problems.

A trip I took by public transportation was a day trip across Singapore using the metro and buses. I was there on holiday with a friend last year.

We chose public transport because it was clean, reliable and much easier than renting a car. We wanted to visit several city landmarks in one day, so we bought travel cards and planned a route before leaving the hotel.

We first took a metro line to the city centre and walked around the waterfront. After that, we transferred to another line to visit a large garden. In the afternoon, we caught a public bus to a neighbourhood known for colourful buildings and food stalls. From the bus, I enjoyed people-watching and seeing ordinary residential areas that tourists often miss. The signs were clear, so even changing lines was easy. We returned to the hotel in the evening without needing a taxi once.

I felt very positive about the trip because public transport made it easy to get around without much stress. It was affordable, efficient and gave us a better sense of the city. The whole day felt organised but still flexible.