My friend dislikes traveling abroad alone due to language barriers

Unable to speak even basic English sentences, he mostly booked tour packages through travel agencies to visit even nearby countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

He explained that although there are some limitations and inconveniences when going on tour packages, he feels more secure when he at least could communicate with a Vietnamese tour guide if any issues arise.

Recently, a tourist from China expressed her dissatisfaction with Malaysia and vowed never to return to the country after facing "unexpected" experiences with public transportation at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, largely due to language barriers.

Her post, recounting the incident, went viral on social media, with many netizens advising her not to travel alone without English proficiency.

I could relate to that. I recently traveled to Singapore and also chose to book a tour package despite some colleagues suggesting I should embrace solo travel to save on costs.

Singapore has strict laws and regulations, and as a first-time visitor, I wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble that could start from minor misunderstanding.