Essay:What does an ideal holiday mean to you? Describe some places you would like to visit and the people you wish to travel with.

I have always enjoyed travelling and look forward to my holiday which I go for at the end of every year. What does an ideal holiday mean to me then? An ideal holiday is for me to recharge my " batteries" , relax, have fun and learn more about the cultures of other countries. More importantly, it is a time for me to embrace nature!

  There are a few places that I have listed on my bucket list, including Japan and Finland. To me, without a companion means that a holiday may be less enjoyable, especially since I consider holidays to be a time to spend quality time with my family members amidst their busy schedules and stressful lifestyles. Therefore, during my ideal holiday, I would like to travel with my family members who are always by my side. In Japan, I would like to experience something that I cannot view in Singapore, such as the wonderful landforms or breathtaking scenery, formed because of Japan's geographical location. In the four seasons, the surroundings of the most well-known mountain in Japan, called Mount Fuji, changes from white in winter to a green during summer. However, Mount Fuji itself remains constant, covered with a layer of snow at the top throughout the year, resembling  vanilla ice cream complementing waffles . From different angles, it appears in a different light but is still magnificent-looking, standing firmly alone among the short architectures.  As such a stunning natural land form, we now know why it is truly a UNESCO heritage site not to be missed.

  Over at the waterfalls during winter, the water violently gushes down and subsequently, it flows into a nearby lake or river. Despite the harsh cold weather whereby most of the ice has frozen, the water braves the cold and continuously flows down, like a tap that is left running all the time. Tourists who stand in front of this amazing waterfall will be left in awe as they can truly experience the power and scenery that mother nature has to offer. Nature allows us to take a step back and reflect on our lives and appreciate the beautiful world that we are living in, which is what an ideal holiday is made of.

  Aside from visiting Japan in winter, I would like to take a trip there during spring when the sakura flowers blossom abundantly into a landscape of pink and white.  The petals of the sakura flowers would be falling gently off from the trees and I would like to walk hand-in-hand leisurely with my family members under them. Families would be clustering the trees on the soft, velvety grass and enjoying picnics prepared with love and the pleasant scent of the blooming flowers can be detected in the air, making the atmosphere even more peaceful and relaxing than before.

  Lastly, another place I would like to visit in the future is Finland. It is a very cold place and during winter, the temperature can drop to as low as -30 degree Celsius! We would have to wrap ourselves in many layers of clothing to keep ourselves warm in such freezing weather conditions. One attraction I am interested in going to is the igloo, located in the rural outskirts of Finland. The illuminated igloo is standing alone and the ice bricks are stacked block by block by hand, forming the hemispherical structure of the igloo. Inside the igloo, a warm cocoa drink will be prepared at the cosy bar and although the temperature of the drink is much higher than the igloo, the igloo will miraculously not melt! In the small enclosed area, it seems as if the ceiling is just within the reach of your hands, as though it is just above your head.  There are also sturdy chairs made of ice and even beds for tourists to spend the night there, coupled with a pillow and a blanket. After a visit to the igloo, it would be fantastic to witness the aurora lights in the night sky.  The whole environment is surrounded by pitch darkness and the rare natural phenomenon will occur after a long wait which seems like eternity. Then, blue and green lights will gradually fade in to join the starry stars in the night sky, appearing prominently in contrast to its background. The crisp wind will caress your face and the soft snow is under your feet, some of it entering your boots.

  Therefore, an ideal holiday to me is to take the time to escape my reality and the present stress to embrace nature's wonders. Actually, any place would be fine for a vacation as long as I enjoy myself with  my family members. I am, however, really looking forward to visiting Japan and Finland in the future!

Score:21/30

Areas for improvement: Can have better flow to your essay

Note: I edited it already :)