It is widely acknowledged that Japan is one of the more accessible countries for solo and/ or beginner travellers.

That being said, any country provides a different set of challenges from the one you are accustomed to.

Some difficulties

Audrey Chong, 19, shared her thoughts on some of the challenges she faced while on a trip to Japan.

Youth.sg shared some of those thoughts.

Here are some of the challenges she faced.

From the planning stage.

"I faced all sorts of problems, from convincing worried parents and gathering enough money to finding friends who will not bail out before the trip."

To the actual trip portion.

"Even on the holiday, things like Google Maps messing up and us having to share one portable Wi-Fi router while on separate routes only led to more arguments."

A point she raised was about the timeliness of the bus and train services as well.

"But the most challenging thing for a non-early riser like me was being on-time. In a country like Japan, where a bus that comes at 5.01pm is gone by 5.02pm, being just a minute late would require us to change a whole day of plans."

Reactions

Most of the comments did not feel that her concerns were really all that substantial.

With some criticising what they felt to be a generational defect.

While others compared their holidays at 19.

Some did give helpful tips on ways to circumvent some of the issues.

And a timely reminder.

It is, of course, useful to note that this teen was merely sharing some of her difficulties in arranging the trip.

And despite Japan's relatively easy experience for travellers, there are some legitimate concerns such as language barrier and extensive rail system that might confuse a first time traveller there.

However, the main concern by readers appear to be focused on her very last line.

"So, if someone asks about going on a grad trip, I'd advise them against it. Because no staycation in Singapore will ever prepare you for a trip in a foreign country."

That was viewed by many as a rather conservative way, not just to travel, but to live one's life.

As John F Kennedy once said:

"We choose to go to the moon and to do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard."

And that guy was talking about going to the moon.

Here's the full post.

Images by Tsiuwen Yeo and Edutrips

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