Marielle Descalsota/Business Insider
Wendy Noble lives 15 minutes away from Malaysia's Forest City, across the border in Singapore. One Friday, after a tiring week at graduate school, all the 25-year-old wanted was to lounge by a beach.
A quick scroll through online photos of a pristine beach and luxurious golf resort inspired her and her roommate, Ree Nemis, to head to Forest City the following day.