From One Country to Two

After my first international trip, I became a little more confident in planning travels.

In 2018, five of us booked a roundtrip ticket to Singapore.

The original plan was simple. Since we would already be in Singapore, we thought about taking a short trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and visiting Legoland just to add another country stamp to our passports.

At least, that was the plan.

Somewhere along the way, someone suggested, “Why not Kuala Lumpur instead?”

Looking back now, that suggestion completely changed the trip.

Instead of a short visit to Johor Bahru, we suddenly found ourselves planning a journey all the way to Kuala Lumpur just to see the Petronas Twin Towers.

It was not exactly the most practical decision considering the number of days we had, but somehow we convinced ourselves it was worth it.

And honestly, none of us needed much convincing.

The Itinerary Planner Strikes Again

Despite still being relatively new to international travel, I somehow ended up preparing most of the itinerary again.

I spent days researching transportation, accommodations, attractions, schedules, and estimated expenses. Everything was planned down to the hour.

At least on paper.

Because as I would later learn, travel plans have a habit of creating their own version of reality.

Singapore and Another Maintenance Surprise

Singapore was exactly what people said it would be: clean, organized, efficient, and easy to navigate.

We visited many of the attractions on our list and spent most of our time walking around the city.

My first cable car experience was also there in Sentosa.

As someone who grew up far from places like that, riding above the city and seeing everything from a different perspective felt exciting and memorable.

Then we encountered a familiar travel pattern.

During my Hong Kong trip the year before, the Ngong Ping cable car happened to be under maintenance when we visited.

This time, the iconic Merlion fountain was also undergoing maintenance.

At that point, I started wondering if our group was somehow bringing bad luck to famous landmarks.

One of the funniest moments happened while riding the MRT.

Out of nowhere, we noticed another passenger wearing almost the exact same outfit I was wearing.

Same striped dress.

Same white shoes.

Same general color combination.

For a moment, it looked like I had accidentally coordinated outfits with a complete stranger.

Naturally, we had to take a photo.

It remains one of the most random travel memories I have from Singapore.

Sometimes the itinerary gives you landmarks.

Sometimes it gives you an unexpected twin.

The Morning We Almost Left Without a Key

One of the most stressful moments happened on the day we left for Kuala Lumpur.

Our bus was scheduled early in the morning, and because we arrived back at our accommodation late the night before, I never got the chance to properly inform the caretaker that we would be leaving before sunrise.

As departure time approached, a new problem appeared.

We still had the room key.

The caretaker had already gone home.

And everyone kept reminding me that Singapore was very strict about rules.

Suddenly, a small room key felt like a major international problem.

Fortunately, there was another Filipino staying at the hostel. After explaining the situation and sending a message to the accommodation, we entrusted the key to him before rushing to catch our bus.

We never really found out what happened after that.

The entire trip to Malaysia, a small part of my brain kept wondering:

"What if the key never gets returned?"

🤣🤣🤣

Five Hours to Kuala Lumpur

The bus ride from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur sounded simple when I first added it to the itinerary.

Five hours.

How difficult could five hours be?

As it turned out, five hours on a map and five hours on an actual bus are two very different experiences.

There were only limited stops along the way, and by the time we finally arrived, everyone had developed a much deeper appreciation for comfortable transportation.

Kuala Lumpur and the Double-Booked Hotel

After finally reaching Kuala Lumpur, we discovered another surprise.

Our accommodation had somehow been double-booked.

Even though we already had a confirmed reservation, there was no room available for us.

So instead of resting after a long journey, we found ourselves walking around and searching for another place to stay.

Thankfully, we eventually found one.

It was not exactly what we had imagined, but considering the circumstances, we were simply grateful to have a room for the night.

The experience also reminded me that even the most carefully planned trips can be disrupted by something completely outside your control.

The Petronas Mission

If someone were to ask me today what we did in Kuala Lumpur, my answer would probably be simple.

We went there for the Petronas Twin Towers. 🤣🤣🤣

Of course, we visited other places, explored parts of the city, and spent time walking around.

We also spent time buying pasalubong and exploring some of the shopping areas nearby.

But if I am being honest, the Petronas Towers were the reason the entire Kuala Lumpur side trip existed in the first place.

And after everything it took to get there, seeing them in person felt like completing a mission.

Mission accomplished. 📸🤣

First Encounters with J.Co

Somewhere between sightseeing and transportation schedules, I was introduced to J.Co Donuts.

At the time, J.Co was not yet something I could easily buy back home.

So naturally, I treated it like a major tourist attraction.

Looking back now, it is funny how excited I was over a box of donuts.

These days, I can simply order a couple of dozen through a delivery app whenever I feel like it.

But somehow, that first box in Kuala Lumpur still tastes better in my memory. 🤣🍩

Racing Back to Singapore

The return trip felt even longer.

By then, everyone was tired.

One of our companions was having a particularly difficult time with the long journey and limited rest stops, which reminded all of us that overland travel is not always as easy as it looks on an itinerary.

By the time we crossed back into Singapore, nobody was interested in additional adventures anymore.

We simply wanted to make it to the airport.

The Perfect Ending

The final surprise happened during our trip back to Singapore.

While arranging transportation from the border, I accidentally booked a vehicle that was much larger than what we actually needed.

Instead of squeezing into a regular ride, we suddenly found ourselves riding almost alone.

There were only five of us.

For a brief moment, we felt less like budget travelers and more like VIP guests.

I am still not entirely sure whether I clicked the wrong option during booking.

But considering how exhausted we were, nobody complained.

Fortunately, we made it back on time.

I still remember watching the clock and hoping we would reach the airport without any more surprises.

Thankfully, we did.

And what a place to end the trip.

Changi Airport was unlike any airport I had seen before.

Even after all these years and all the airports I have visited since then, I still remember being amazed by how beautiful and efficient everything was.

Looking Back

Looking back now, our Singapore and Kuala Lumpur trip was probably more ambitious than it needed to be.

We squeezed two countries into a limited number of days, worried about a misplaced room key, dealt with a double-booked accommodation, survived long bus rides, and chased a destination that was much farther away than it looked on a map.

But somehow, that is exactly what makes the trip memorable.

Years later, I no longer remember every station, every street, or every schedule I carefully placed in my itinerary.

What I remember are the stories.

The Merlion fountain that happened to be under maintenance.

The stranger on the MRT who accidentally became my travel twin.

The room key that almost became an international concern.

The double-booked accommodation.

The first box of J.Co donuts.

The oversized shuttle that somehow became our private ride.

And of course, the Petronas Twin Towers that convinced us to travel across a country just for a photograph.

Those were the moments that stayed.

Not because they were part of the plan,

but because they never were.

And perhaps that is the real purpose of travel.

Not to follow an itinerary perfectly,

but to come home with stories worth telling.