Maytower Apartments - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A client's experience of Maytower Apartments:

Staying in KL during Ramadan

Ramadan - the Muslim Holy month - is celebrated from the beginning to the end of September and culminates with the celebration of Hari Raya and Adelfitri at the very beginning of October. Each year these dates vary slightly according to the new moon. Ramadan is a time of fasting during daylight hours for Muslims. The majority of Malays are Muslim, and therefore take part in fasting and celebrating. Hari Raya is a similar day to Christmas Day on the Christian calendar and Adelfitri, similar to Boxing Day.

Staying at the Maytower

The Maytower is located at the northern end of the golden triangle on Jalan Abdullah. It is situated in the heart of Little India. It is an intensely cultural area with a notable lack of tourists compared to the tourist shopping and eating areas of Bukit Bintang. Some rooms in the Maytower overlook the KL Telecom Tower (a similar structure to the Sydney Tower,) and rooms are well appointed, clean, light and tastefully furnished. The motel has a beautiful pool and poolside, separate male and female saunas, and a well-equipped gym. The restaurant offers an array of hot and cold dishes for breakfast, and each morning we were able to eat different traditional foods as well as familiar ones. Restaurant personnel were on hand to offer tea in pots, clear tables and assist in any way requested. There is also a business centre with internet access at a reasonable rate. Note:* with only two available computers, we had to return at later times on a few occasions in order to use the internet. A lack of tourist information in the lobby makes the GG welcome pack, with its maps and tourist literature, a valuable starting point to your stay.

Shopping around the Maytower area

Our stay coincided with the last weeks of Ramadan - a time of busy shopping for locals, similar to the pace of weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year on the Christian calendar. Banking facilities are just across the road at the new Capital Square at the Advance Bank. Here you can transact travelers cheques and access ATM’s. This square was only half completed when we visited. It looked as if it was shaping up to be quite an upscale market, in contrast to the down-to-earth shopping found on the Maytower side of the street. Turn right and walk to the corner—just short of the bus terminal—turn right again, and you’ll find yourself at the Maybank, with ATM facilities; about 30 metres down the street within Little India.

Street Markets and Eateries.

The street markets and shops in Little India were in full swing every day, from early morning hours, to late into the night. This is an intensely cultural part of the city and the laneways, and streets were full of locals, purchasing gifts and foodstuffs for Hari Raya. It was a unique to see so many 'breaking fast' at dusk each night, eating wherever they were in the streets. There are so many hawkers’ stalls with a plethora of incredibly cheap cultural foods to try, and some wonderful Indian eateries along the Klang Canal walkway, within the precinct of Little India. It is truly an eater's paradise with the best naan bread you could ever wish for - cooked fresh and served hot with a variety of flavorings to choose from. Real shopping bargains were plentiful and included bags, watches, clothing, (cultural and non cultural,) food, jewelry, DVD's, perfumes, electrical goods and materials. Many stall items have fixed prices, as do the small departmental stores. Unlike the aggressive bargaining that can occur in Chinatown, bargaining in Little India was much easier and to the point. On Ramadan eve the bargains are real and especially good as stallholders reduce their prices even further.

Departmental Stores in Little India

Sogo on Silk Street, a large Department store that can be compared to Grace Bros or David Jones in Australia, is a five to ten minute walk from the Maytower. It has all the brand names but at greatly reduced prices during the last weeks of Ramadan. It houses a large top floor food mall, a pharmacy, a supermarket and takeaway food outlets; all well worth visiting. Sogo also has an ATM on the ground floor to the left as you enter, which is handy. Because it is within easy walking distance to the Maytower, we bought supplies of all sorts here, including bottled water and bakery goods each day. It was an ideal place to buy gifts for family and friends at tremendously good bargain prices. To get to Silk Street from the Maytower: turn left and walk past the Hindi temple and the small bus shelter to the corner. Turn left again and walk past Semua House right to the end of that street (Masjid India). You are now on Silk Street. Cross at the traffic light and turn left. Walk to the next block until you come to Sogo on your left.

Semua House and Noble House

Semua House is set up like malls with individual stores. Semua is a very cheap eatery in the basement, and is easily recognizable due to its deep orange façade. Semua is just around the corner (turning left for a small block and then left again,) from the Maytower, and next door to Noble House. On its winged verandahs it houses two outdoor/indoor restaurants – the Kopitan, which serves Malaysian food, and the Indian Restaurant, which is known for its fabulous curries and breads. Both restaurants have scrumptious foods and are a good value. Semua sells everyday items including jewelry, DVD's, cosmetics and clothing. Noble House is a major outlet for the tailor, Noble. Some of the shop fronts in Little India sell tailored Indian wear, with the tailoring of suits, carried out at the Noble House.

The Bazaar

The Bazaar is an undercover area filled with stalls within Little India. You can shop for trinkets, watches, glasses, bags and clothing. The Bazaar is open each night, regardless of the time of year, and is not just bustling during Ramadan.

Getting Around

Taxis during Ramadan can cost up to thirty ringgits, due to the fact that traffic is often at a standstill, during otherwise quiet times of the day. We found the bus and train system to be a little longer but a great way to get to and from the Maytower. During other times of the year, we have been told that a taxi can cost as little as five ringgits to get to Pavilion or Bukit Bintang (both popular shopping areas). The KL Rapid Bus line charges two ringgits per person and the one ticket can be used all day on any KL Rapid bus. It is a great way to get around. Walking is another great option. You can walk to Chinatown from the Maytower in about 15 minutes.

From the Maytower to:

Petronas Towers and KLCC (Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and up market shopping mall)

Walk to the bus terminal by turning right and walking about fifteen metres. Catch the KL Rapid busline (rather than the privately owned Metro bus line) nos. 26, 29 and 30 will let you out opposite the Petronas Towers.

To return to Maytower:

Catch the same Bus nos. on the Petronas Towers side of the road.

From the Maytower to:

Bukit Bintang offers some great shopping and eating at Sungei Wang, BB Plaza and Loat. There are also the up-market places, like the Pavillion and Lot 10. All these destinations are joined by walkways, or are located across the road from each other, and the street is strewn with smaller outlets and eateries.

By Bus from the Maytower: take the same busses as for Petronas, and stay on the bus until you reach Bukit Bintang.

To return to Maytower:

Since we couldn't work out how to get the bus back, we took the monorail, which was very convenient, as it is located right in the middle of the shopping precinct. Buy a ticket (1.20 ringgit) to Huang Tuah station which is two stops. Go onto the platform and take the stairwell to platform B. Exit the station at Huang Tuah and buy another ticket at the bottom of the ramp to Masjid Jamek. From platform B take the train 2 stops and get off at Masjid Jamek. At the bottom of the walkway turn a sharp left and walk on the same road until you reach the Canal. Walk on the undercover walkway with its blue cover and then turn right and walk through Little India. Keep looking up and you will see the Maytower. This is all about a 5 minute walk.

To Chinatown

We walked to Chinatown from the Maytower a few times following our map. It is about a 15 minute walk with pauses included. The motel staff will help you plot the way on your map. Otherwise, a taxi will get you there.