📌 A2EN

Backpacking Across Southeast Asia

A ready-to-use A2 English lesson — reading, questions and answer key, built by teachers on TeachIn.

This lesson has 3 sections in total — including the full answer key.

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📖 Reading

Last summer, Maria and her brother Tom went on a trip to a small island in Greece. They saved money for a whole year because they wanted a special holiday. When they arrived, the weather was sunny and the sea was a beautiful blue color. Their hotel was small, but it was very close to the beach. On the first day, they were relaxing on the beach when a man came to them with a boat. He asked if they wanted to go fishing with him. Maria was not sure, but Tom said, "Let's try it! We have never been fishing before." So they went on the boat with the fisherman for three hours. They didn't catch many fish, but they saw dolphins, and it was the best afternoon of the trip. The next day, they decided to visit an old castle on top of a hill. It was a long walk, and it was very hot, so they had to stop and drink water many times. When they finally got to the top, the view was amazing. Tom took a lot of photos, and Maria bought a small postcard to send to their parents. On their last evening, they had dinner at a restaurant next to the sea. They talked about all the fun things they did: the fishing trip, the castle, and the delicious Greek food. Maria said, "This is the best holiday we have ever had. Next year, we should visit another Greek island!" Tom agreed, and they are already planning their next adventure.

🗣️ Speaking — discussion

Context

Backpacking is a popular way for young travelers to explore multiple countries on a small budget, staying in hostels and using local transport.
Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) attracts thousands of backpackers each year who follow similar routes and share experiences in guidebooks and online.
Backpackers often visit iconic places like temples, beaches, and night markets, while also meeting locals and other travelers along the way.
This travel style offers both adventure and cultural exchange, but also raises questions about tourism's impact on local communities and environments.
Social media has changed backpacking by making destinations more crowded and influencing which places travelers choose to visit.

Themes

Budget Travel and Affordable Adventures — Exploring how travelers can see the world without spending large amounts of money by using hostels, public transport, and local food instead of expensive hotels and tours.
Cultural Exchange and Meeting Local People — The importance of connecting with local communities during travel, learning about their traditions, and sharing experiences with other travelers from around the world.
Tourism and Environmental Impact — How popular travel destinations can become overcrowded, leading to damage to nature, local culture, and the quality of the travel experience itself.
Independence and Personal Growth — How traveling alone or with friends develops confidence, decision-making skills, and self-discovery through navigating new places and cultures.

Personal Response

Have you ever traveled to another country? Where did you go and what did you enjoy most?
Would you like to go backpacking? Why or why not?
What is the most important thing for you when you travel—the cost, the activities, or meeting new people?

Themes & Ideas

What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of staying in hostels instead of hotels?
How can travelers learn about local culture without disturbing it?
Is it better to visit famous places or less popular destinations? Explain your opinion.

Critical Thinking

What problems can happen to popular travel destinations when too many tourists visit?
How has social media changed the way people choose where to travel?
What is the responsibility of travelers to protect the places they visit?

Cultural & Social Topics

Is backpacking more popular in some countries than others? Why might that be?
How do you think local people in Southeast Asia feel about backpackers visiting their communities?
Can tourism help or harm a local economy? Give examples.

🎭 Classroom activity

Travel Diary Role-play: Divide students into pairs. One student is a backpacker who has just returned from a Southeast Asian trip; the other is a friend asking questions. Use the conversational phrases and vocabulary from the discussion to create a realistic conversation about the trip. Then swap roles.

✏️ Questions

Last summer, we ___ (visit) a small island in Greece for our holiday.
While we ___ (walk) along the beach, it suddenly started to rain.
If it ___ (rain) tomorrow, we will stay in the hotel and play games.
This is the ___ hotel I have ever stayed in during my travels.
The tour guide said we ___ arrive at the airport two hours before the flight.
I have ___ visited Japan, so I am really excited about this trip.
Why did Maria and Tom save money for a year?
- a) Because they wanted a special holiday
- b) Because they wanted to buy a boat
- c) Because their hotel was expensive
- d) Because they wanted new photos
What happened on the first day of their trip?
- a) They visited an old castle
- b) A man invited them to go fishing
- c) They had dinner next to the sea
- d) They bought a postcard
Why did Maria and Tom stop many times on the walk to the castle?
- a) Because they were lost
- b) Because they wanted to take photos
- c) Because it was very hot and they needed water
- d) Because the fisherman told them to rest
What can we guess about Maria and Tom's feelings at the end of the holiday?
- a) They were bored and wanted to go home
- b) They were disappointed with the trip
- c) They enjoyed the holiday and want to travel again
- d) They didn't like Greek food
What is the best summary of this passage?
- a) A fisherman teaches Tom how to swim in Greece
- b) Two siblings enjoy fishing, a castle visit, and good food on a Greek island holiday
- c) Maria and Tom buy a house on a Greek island
- d) Tom and Maria get lost while climbing a hill
In the sentence "Their hotel was small, but it was very close to the beach," what does 'close to' mean?
- a) Far away from
- b) Similar to
- c) Near
- d) Inside of