Speaking Part 2 · PlacesIn the May–Aug 2026 forecast
Describe a New Place You Visited Recently
In short
“Describe a New Place You Visited Recently” is a common IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card. You get 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1–2 minutes, covering all four points below. This page gives you a Band 9 model answer, an idea map so you can make it your own, the Part 3 follow-up questions with answers, and the vocabulary examiners reward.
The task card
Describe a New Place You Visited Recently. You should say:
- •Where this place is
- •When and why you went there
- •What you did there
- •And explain how you felt about visiting this new place
Band 9 model answer
The new place I'd like to talk about is the public library that opened a few months ago in the northern part of my city. It might sound like a modest choice compared to a mountain or a foreign country, but it's genuinely the most impressive new place I've been to in a long while — and it's ten minutes from my aunt's house, which makes it slightly embarrassing that it took me so long to go.
I finally went about three weeks ago, on a Saturday. The honest reason was that photos of it kept appearing on my feed — it's become one of those places everyone photographs — and my initial reaction was pure scepticism. I assumed it would be a case of style over substance: a pretty building with nothing much inside. I talked a friend into coming along mainly so we could judge it together.
I'm happy to report we were completely wrong. The building itself is striking — a huge, airy atrium with skylights, and reading terraces that step upwards like rice paddies, so wherever you sit you're looking over layers of people reading below. But what actually won me over was how alive it was. There was a children's floor with storytelling sessions, a music corner with keyboards and headphones, a repair café where volunteers fix people's broken appliances, and rows of teenagers studying for exams. We'd planned to stay half an hour; we stayed nearly five hours. I read, wrote some overdue emails, drank two coffees on the terrace, and even joined a beginner chess game with a complete stranger.
What struck me most was the crowd itself. It was every age and every background — pensioners with newspapers, toddlers, university students, a man teaching his elderly mother to use a tablet. In a city where every gathering place seems designed to make you spend money, here was somewhere you could simply exist for free, and thousands of people clearly craved exactly that.
As for how I felt — first surprised, then a bit ashamed of my own cynicism, and finally something close to civic pride, which is not an emotion my city usually inspires in me. Walking out that evening, I kept thinking: this is what public money should do.
It's also nudged me into a small resolution: one new place in my own city every month. We save our curiosity for foreign trips and walk past wonders at home. That library reminded me that 'new' has nothing to do with distance.
Make it your own: three angles
A new public building in your own city
A library, park or museum lets you tell a surprise story — low expectations overturned — and the "new place near home" twist feels fresh to examiners.
A weekend trip to a nearby town
The classic reading — journey, first impressions, local food — works well; keep it to one specific day rather than a travel-brochure overview.
A place a friend dragged you to
Framing the visit around someone else's enthusiasm gives you a natural story arc and lets you describe your feelings changing, which nails the last bullet.
What the examiner is listening for
"New place" does not have to mean far away — a new building in your own city is a fresh, credible choice that avoids the memorised-travel-story trap. The final bullet carries the marks: trace how your feelings moved (scepticism → surprise → pride, in the model) rather than announcing one static emotion. Recent past tenses should dominate, with present perfect for the aftermath.
Part 1 warm-up questions
- Do you like exploring new places?
- How do you usually find out about places to visit?
- Do you prefer visiting new places alone or with friends?
- Is there a part of your own city you have never been to?
Part 3 follow-up questions & answers
Why do some people love visiting new places while others prefer familiar ones?
It comes down to what a person's mind treats as a reward — novelty genuinely stimulates some people, while for others unfamiliarity reads as stress rather than adventure. Life stage matters too: with young children or a demanding job, the predictable holiday is the restful one. Neither is superior; I just think the balance shifts across a lifetime.
How do people decide which new places to visit these days?
Overwhelmingly through social media — a place that photographs well now gets visitors that a merely pleasant place doesn't, which is genuinely reshaping tourism. Reviews and star ratings handle the practical layer. The casualty is serendipity: when every stop is pre-vetted, you lose the wrong turns that used to produce the best travel stories.
Is it better to explore your own country or travel abroad?
I'd resist choosing, but I'll say domestic exploration is criminally underrated. People fly hours to admire another country's lakes while never visiting their own, partly because distance itself feels like achievement. Exploring locally is cheaper, kinder to the planet, and builds a relationship with your own country. Ideally, do both — but earn the passport stamp after you know your own backyard.
What benefits do people get from visiting new places?
Beyond the obvious enjoyment, novelty seems to stretch time — a weekend somewhere new feels longer than a routine month, because the brain records unfamiliar detail densely. New places also force mild problem-solving, which builds confidence, and they quietly correct assumptions: it's much harder to hold stereotypes about people whose streets you've actually walked.
Why do many cities invest in impressive public buildings?
Partly for genuine public good, partly for image — a spectacular library or museum signals ambition, attracts visitors and skilled workers, and can rebrand a whole district. The risk is prioritising the photogenic over the useful. The test I'd apply is simple: go on a rainy Tuesday and see who's inside. A building full of ordinary locals has succeeded; a building full of photographers has merely trended.
Do you think people know their own cities well?
Far less than they assume. Most of us live inside a triangle of home, work and a few social spots, and genuinely explore only when guests visit — it's telling that people see their city's landmarks mainly while escorting tourists. I suspect this is worsening as map apps remove the getting-lost that once taught people their own streets.
How important are free public spaces in a city?
Essential, and increasingly rare. Cities are filling with places that look public but require a purchase — cafés, malls — where sitting without spending is quietly discouraged. Parks and libraries are among the last venues where a pensioner, a student and a toddler share space as equals. That mixing is where a sense of common citizenship comes from; without it a city is just adjacent strangers.
Useful vocabulary
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to stumble upon | to find something good by accident |
| style over substance | looking impressive without real quality underneath |
| to win someone over | to change someone's opinion in your favour |
| airy | spacious, bright and full of fresh air |
| an atrium | a tall central hall in a building, often with a glass roof |
| buzzing | full of energy and activity |
| civic pride | pride in your own city or community |
| scepticism | doubt about whether something is really good or true |
| on your doorstep | very close to where you live |
| serendipity | the pleasant discovery of good things by chance |
More cue cards
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