travel & environment

escape the crowds

go where there are not many people

get off the beaten track

go to places tourists don't normally go, somewhere different/unusual

get back to nature

live a natural, rural style of life

tourist sector

tourist industry

discerning

showing good judgement, especially about style and quality

boast

for listing the good qualities of a place

hordes

crowds, in a negative sense

wealth of

large amount of

flora and fauna

plants and animals

national parks

areas of land protected by the government because of their natural beauty or history

nature reserves

areas of land protected to keep safe the animals and plants that live there

tracts

areas of land

virgin

original and natural

seeking

looking for something (rather formal)

out of the ordinary

different or unusual

unwind

relax, reduce your general level of stress

recharge

get back your energy (like recharging a battery)

the bush

wild areas covered in grass, bushes or trees (especially in Africa and Australia)

4x4

four by four, vehicles with driving power on all four wheels

waterfront

on the edge of the sea or of a river

stunning

extremely beautiful

unbeatable

no other company can offer cheaper ones for the same service

awe-inspiring

it fills you with a sense of the power and beauty of what you are looking at

ramble

a long, pleasant walk, not too demanding

hike

a more demanding walk, suggesting more difficult terrain

trek

a walk usually of several days over wild country

unrivalled

no other holiday programme can match this

scenic

having views of the attractive, natural things in the countryside

paradise

a perfect place or situation

ecotourism

the business of organising holidays in a way which helps local people and does not damage the environment

savour

enjoy or taste (often used in advertisements)

heartland

the inland areas furthest away from the sea or borders

build something/someone up

to praise someone or something in a way that will increase expectations of them

cement

to make relationships more solid (noun or verb)

come up against a brick wall

to meet an immovable barrier

ceiling

a limit placed on something

glass ceiling

an invisible barrier that stops people, especially women, from rising to top positions at work

the roof fell in on my world

my world collapsed completely

go through the roof

to increase in a rapid, uncontrolled fashion (referring to prices)

hit the roof

get very angry

window of opportunity

a chance to do something special

go out (of) the window

depart or disappear (referring to a quality or idea)

ivory tower

a place or situation where you do not know about the unpleasant and ordinary things in life

tower of strength

someone who is extremely strong in an emotional sense

towers above

outstandingly tall or outstanding in some other positive way

gateway to

gives an opportunity to get somewhere

opens doors

creates opportunities or makes things easier

close the door on the past

make a fresh start and leave past events behind

through/by the back door

doing something unofficially or secretly

behind closed doors

suggests secrecy or privacy

key

suggests the extreme importance of something

seeds of

the start of an idea or feeling (e.g., success, discontent, revolution)

root(s)

the origins of something (e.g., traditions, problems)

putting down roots

settling down and making your home in one place

take root

when an idea becomes known or accepted

grassroots

the ordinary people in an organisation or society, not the leaders

deeply/firmly rooted

strongly fixed in the past or origins

stem

originates in something else (verb)

nipped in the bud

stopped before it develops into something

budding

showing promise of future development

branch

something that grows off or branches out from a main organisation

weed out

get rid of older or less experienced staff

prune back

cut or limit proposals/spending

reaping the rewards

getting good results from efforts

reaping what we sowed

experiencing the logical results of our actions (usually negative)

dug up

discovered interesting facts

germinating

was beginning to develop (referring to an idea)

sprouting up

appearing quickly in large numbers

flourishing

doing very well

green shoots

first signs that the economy is improving

shed

loses/gets rid of (e.g., employees, worries, weight)

thrive

grow or develop well and successfully

fade

becoming smaller or weaker (referring to hopes)

shrivel

become less or shrink (referring to revenues/profits)

wilt

lose energy or strength

withering

make the recipient feel scorned (referring to a look or remark)

mammal

animal that gives birth to live babies, not eggs, and feeds them on milk

marsupial

a special kind of mammal whose young grow in a pouch in front of the mother

rodent

gnawing mammal (e.g., mouse, rat)

reptile

cold-blooded vertebrate (e.g., snake, lizard)

carnivore

animal that eats a diet that is mainly or exclusively meat

herbivore

animal that eats a diet that is mainly or exclusively grass/vegetation

predator

animal that hunts/eats other animals

scavenger

animal that feeds on dead animals which it has not killed itself

warm/cold-blooded

animals whose temperatures stay the same / control temperature using surroundings

docile

behaves very gently

tame

not afraid of humans, usually because of training

domesticated

live with or are used by humans

wild

undomesticated

savage

extremely violent or wild

fierce

behaves aggressively

natural habitat

preferred natural place for living and breeding

migration

when animals travel long distances to get to a different habitat

flightless

unable to fly (referring to birds)

extinct

died out completely

game reserves / game parks

areas of land where animals are protected from hunting

sanctuary

protected natural area where birds or animals can live and breed

animal shelter

place where stray pets are given food and a place to live

blood sports

sports whose purpose is to kill or injure animals

fur trade

the selling of animal furs for clothing