Introduction

At the start of 2024, I remember pulling out my phone in January and jotting down a few goals for the year in my notes app. One of those goals was to visit a new country, and I chose Malaysia since it’s one of the closest countries to me.

Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, is just a two-hour flight from Jakarta and a tourist destination I had always wanted to explore. In addition to planning a vacation, I looked for tech conferences to attend and came across the Tech in Asia Conference. It felt like the perfect opportunity to learn, network, and take a break from my daily routine. Excited by the prospect, I bought my tickets for the event and used the Traveloka app to book my flights and hotel.

The Great Hotel Catfish 🥲

I flew directly from Bali to Kuala Lumpur, capturing every moment at the airport with my phone in hand. I shared my travel moments in an Instagram reel. While waiting for my flight, I recorded a breathtaking moment of a plane landing and preparing to park. It made me reflect on my old dream of becoming a flight attendant or pilot. I posted the video on Instagram with the caption, ‘In another life, I’ll be a pilot. There’s something about being thousands of miles above the ground that makes me feel truly happy. By the time I landed in KL, it was late afternoon. The first thing that struck me was how familiar everything felt. I could understand the road signs in Malay because I speak a bit of Bahasa Indonesia, even the vibe of the city just felt like I was in Jakarta. I booked a Grab and headed to my hotel. Captured all the moments in this reel.

Oh, and let me tell you, the online photos of the hotel I booked were deceptive. The room was nowhere near as nice as advertised; classic case of “what I ordered vs. what I got.” On the bright side, it did have an incredible view of the KL Tower, which lights up like a vibrant rainbow disco ball at night. I dropped my bags, went on a food hunt, explored the city a bit, and called it a night.

The City Adventure 🏙️

The next day, I set out on a city adventure, starting with the iconic KLCC Tower. It’s a popular spot for Instagram-worthy photos with the Twin Towers. Since it was close to my hotel, I decided to walk there, it felt nice to stretch my legs and enjoy the clean streets. I noticed Beam mobility scooters along the way but didn’t try them, sticking to walking instead.

When I arrived at KLCC, I took tons of cute photos and made several videos, and posted an instagram reel about it. After soaking in the views, I walked to Pintasan Saloma, a stunning bridge in KL. It’s especially breathtaking at night when it lights up in vibrant colors, including the Malaysian flag. Of course, I made an instagram reel about the bridge too!

Tech Conference and Sky-high Adventures 👩🏽‍💻

The tech conference was schedule for 24th to 25th of July so I did go for the day one. The event was held at the Hilton Hotel, and stepping into that lobby felt like entering a whole new world. I wished I’d booked my stay at the hilton hotel instead cause everything was screaming luxury. The conference itself was buzzing with founders, pitches, and lots of inspiring talks. But here’s the thing, I’m naturally a little shy. While everyone was networking like pros, I was the awkward loner trying my best to navigate the world of networking and talking to absolute strangers. Despite that, I learned a lot and left feeling a little smarter than when I arrived.