We left our screens to craft memories in Kuala Lumpur
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Friday, 19 September 2025 marked the start of something we’d all been waiting for, the tiketdesign team’s annual outing. It’s time for our annual outing and this year felt extra special because, for the first time ever, our team went abroad for the outing. We traveled to Kuala Lumpur with a learning mission:
Creating a KL Destination Guide from the lens of Business & Pleasure.
It was still early in the morning when we arrived at the airport. Some of us were half-asleep, others were hunting for snacks to fill our stomachs, or trying to finish the books we brought along. But everyone looked excited and eager to finally kick off the adventure. This year, we’ve spent months behind our screens, collaborating through Figma and Slack. So this time, we wanted to reconnect in a different way. No Google Meet or Figma tabs. Just travel and fun.
Our first steps in Kuala Lumpur
When the plane landed, my first thought was, “Wow, this is really happening.” And soon enough, each of us started discovering Kuala Lumpur in our own way.
For some of us, this was actually their first time going abroad. Aldi Solihin and Dafina Amira told me they joined the outing because they thought it would be more exciting to go with their close friends. Before the trip, they thought international travel prep would be complicated but it turned out easier than expected. They said this journey taught them how to manage travel preparations on their own and helped them feel more confident for future trips or when friends need guidance for traveling overseas.
While Aldi and Dafina learned how to handle pre-trip preparations, Aufaa Rafi, another first-timer, had a different kind of experience. He said he really enjoyed his days because it was super fun exploring KL. The city felt so much more walkable than Jakarta, and I completely agree. The first thing that stood out upon arriving in KL was the sidewalks: wide, clean, and comfortable for walking anywhere.
Aufaa even spent two consecutive days wandering from 10 a.m. until late at night and still managed to stay up to watch Chelsea vs. MU together at 2 a.m. with Ruland & Arta (of course they did).
Tastes and tales from the city
Let’s not forget that we came with a mission: to create a KL destination guide through the lens of business and pleasure.
Here are some of the observations from the tiketdesign team while exploring our neighboring city.
The Food Trails
You can’t say you’ve been to KL without eating your way through it. Even before we left Jakarta, I could already hear people listing the foods they wanted to try in KL. Nasi lemak, nasi kandar, Hainanese chicken rice, roti canai, and of course, durian!
On our very first night, a group of us ended up at one of the famous Musang King stalls for a durian feast. Raesita Zahra even said she planned to eat durian every day during the trip. To be honest, that was my first time witnessing such a durian-eating experience. Everyone looked so happy! Unfortunately, I couldn’t join because durian just isn’t my thing (I know—it’s such a loss, guys).
Can you smell the goodness and all that happiness around?
Meanwhile, Zahra Auliaul and Michelle Angela had their own stories while trying nasi lemak. Before the outing, Zahra didn’t have time to plan her food list for Malaysia. In KL, there were so many restaurants offering nasi lemak that she got overwhelmed. She ended up picking one randomly, and it turned out to be delicious!
Similarly, Michelle’s group stumbled upon an interesting restaurant when they were already starving and just looking for lunch. Unexpectedly, when their nasi lemak was served, it came with a small flag that read:
“The Malaysia Book of Records — Most Nasi Lemak Plates Sold in a Year 2025.”
She said the nasi lemak was amazing! The chicken was huge, super crispy, and full of flavor. “Hands down one of the best I’ve ever had,” she said, “I’d definitely recommend it and go back again.”
I also thought most of the food I tried in Malaysia was surprisingly tasty even though we often ended up eating randomly at unfamiliar places. And if there’s one thing that united us all, it was always food.
Good bites, loud laughs, perfect mess 🍽️
City Strolls and Hidden Corners
The next day, after all the food adventures, we walked it off and explored more of the city.
The most notable observation from tiketdesign folks about KL was how walkable and accessible the city is, with so many public spaces. For example, most malls in KL are easily reachable by walking or public transport. In terms of size, design, and retail mix, the malls feel quite similar to those in Jakarta. However, Ruland mentioned being amazed by how many malls in KL incorporate public facilities, like parks integrated into the space in KLCC, where you can enjoy fresh air and admire the skyline for free.
At Perdana Botanical Garden, Salvira observed how people used the space for a variety of activities, from picnics and jogging to playing games in the park. These freely accessible, open spaces make KL feel welcoming to both business and leisure travelers.
a good city gives you space to just… be.
It’s all possible because KL genuinely cares about its pedestrians. Besides having wide sidewalks, Sri Izzati observed that many streets feature decorative sculptures scattered around. For example, statues sitting along the pavement edges or in the middle of sidewalks. From a business traveler’s point of view, these could serve as creative inspiration. For leisure travelers, they’re fun incentives to walk around. It adds a sense of safety and even serves as a subtle wayfinding cue. “The statues give a human touch that makes the surroundings feel less foreign or intimidating to me,” she said.
Look, a sidewalk that’s actually for walking.
Personally, I was more drawn to observing pop culture sites. Although somewhat similar to Jakarta, I think KL offers a broader range of cultural diversity. One of the most iconic cultural landmarks among young people is RexKL, a community and cultural hub in the heart of downtown Kuala Lumpur. Its strategic location and variety of activities from discovering food and drinks, joining creative workshops, to exploring thought-provoking exhibitions make it a beloved destination for locals and tourists alike. The creativity here feels limitless—in the best way—making it an inspiring space for both business growth and entertainment. And in many ways, places like this remind me that design exists wherever people gather, share, and create.
I like to think this bookstore at RexKL is a symbol of how limitless and expressive this place is.
Through the lens of bleasure
When I think back on our days in KL, I realized that inspiration doesn’t always come from work. Kuala Lumpur greeted our team with the kind of energy only a capital city can offer fast-paced, multicultural, and endlessly layered. Seeing the city through the lens of business and pleasure made us notice our surroundings more mindfully.
As a design team, I noticed that our way of observing places isn’t that different from how we design experiences: we notice details, find meaning in small things, and always look for balance between purpose and enjoyment. Now we know that travel is a learning process, and as the tiket.com design team, it’s definitely part of our business to do so.
“Bleasure isn’t about separating business and pleasure, but about how the two can overlap and make travel richer. It’s the permeable line between work and fun.”
— tiketdesign
Bonus pic: the author pretending to find balance between business and pleasure on this trip.
This trip has earned its place among my favorite memories with tiketdesign. Experiencing this journey not just as teammates, but as friends, made me appreciate how naturally we work and laugh together.
Sometimes we craft product designs. Sometimes, we craft memories.
We came to Kuala Lumpur with a mission.
And we left with stories.
