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marionpayr

Travel photographer and storyteller. 📷🖋Empowering womxn to explore & create. Engaging in acts of travel, photography & conservation. Vienna based. Member of @bellcollective. Co-Founder of @printsforwildlife.

George Town Mini travel guide 🇲🇾 This was our sec George Town Mini travel guide 🇲🇾 This was our second visit in Penang and we had already seen much of the „must dos“ during our previous stay. Hence we had time to stroll around and discover some less famous places. Penang’s UNESCO-listed heritage core is full of hidden clan houses, local shops, hip cafes, and underrated spots if you know where to look. Save this mini guide for your next wander through George Town: 📍 Photos 1–4: Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi The largest Hokkien clanhouse in all of Malaysia—my favorite were the intricate exterior walls—granite and wood relief carvings that tell Chinese folktales. 📍 Photo 5: Boon Wah Shophouse Beyond the famous street art (with queues to take selfies) I prefer to admire the Straits Chinese architecture. This was one of my favorites. 📍 Photo 6: Swirl Acai Adding this for my husband who loves an Acai (I had a coffee instead 😅). There’s so many nice cafes and speciality shops in Penang, this was just around the corner from our apartment. Another one close by is Emily Darling Café which had incredible sweet treats. 📍 Photo 7: Weng Lee Pork Shop Im not sure they still sell pork here, but its a cool shophouses for photography—a bit raw, unvarnished and nicely symmetrical. 📍 Photos 8–9: Warehouse 129 One of George Town’s beautiful concept spaces (there’s quite a few), set in a historic 19th-century warehouse. Perfect for picking up locally made fashion (if you fit in the „one size“ cut 😅), minimalist home goods and crafts products. 📍 Photos 10–11: Chulia Street No Penang trip is complete without visiting the night markets and street stalls (although navigating this as vegetarian can be daunting). But even for the atmosphere it’s worth a visit. Chulia street is just one of many, we also loved Kimberley Street. If you need a break from Malaysian food there’s Luca’s Panzerotti right on Chulia street which serves an incredible homemade Tiramisu 😉 Drop a 🇲🇾 if Penang is on your travel bucket list!
One of my favorite parts of visiting Penang has be One of my favorite parts of visiting Penang has been staying in a traditional pre-war shophouse ✨ Built before WWII, these unique building structures showcase the brilliant Straits-Eclectic architecture that earned George Town its UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008. Constructed long before air conditioning, the narrow structures rely on clever passive cooling. High ceilings, louvered timber shutters, and open-air central courtyards that function as airwells were meant to keep the upper floors cool. (Needless to say I’m thankful for the upgraded AC units nowadays anyhow 😅). Ground floors originally functioned as commercial storefronts, while upper levels served as private family living quarters. We stayed in the upper floor above a famous breakfast spot in Penang, that had been carefully restored. Traditionally these shophouses did not have indoor bathrooms or running plumbing when they were originally built, so the outdoor bathroom at the back of our shophouse was a later (very welcomed 😅) modification. When modern plumbing was introduced to George Town in the mid-1900s, adding pipes to historic structures made of thick lime-plaster brick walls was a challenge. Therefore rather than tearing into the structural walls or wooden floorboards of the main living quarters, property owners retrofitted bathrooms in the rear yards or outhouses—where water drainage and access to alleyway sewage lines were easiest to install. Today, staying in a restored shophouse offers a direct look at the towns history—albeit with some added comforts 😉
Penang, Malaysia or the mixing and mingling of cul Penang, Malaysia or the mixing and mingling of cultures 🇲🇾✨ For over 500 years, George Town served as a vital trading hub connecting the East and West through the strait of Malacca. Through this trade connection much of the Malaysian coast absorbed architectural, linguistic, and cultural influences from Malay, Chinese, Indian, Arab, and European communities—creating Malaysia’s rich intercultural mixture. When we visited Penang last time we fell in love with this eclectic mix and the unique architecture. The colors of the facades, the intricate shutters, the mix of different tiles—albeit crumbling at times—it all comes together in a beautiful cacophony of sorts, which make the town incredibly charming (and photogenic). Personally I don’t care about the Instagram hotspots like the famous murals or the umbrella road, but I love strolling through the streets just to absorb the historical backflash the town provides. George Town contains one of the largest intact collections of pre-war shophouses in Southeast Asia—over 1,700 historic buildings tightly packed within its core heritage zone alone. In cities like Kuala Lumpur, rapid late-20th-century high-rise development demolished large clusters of these buildings, leaving only isolated pockets (hence my love for Chinatown, one of those preserved pockets). In Penang they are plentiful! The historic core of George Town, Penang, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for exactly this reason. „Boon Wah“ (the first photo in this post) is one of the well-known heritage shophouses and a classic example of the Straits-Chinese (also called Peranakan) shophouse architecture. Here’s a typical covered walkway connecting the front of the shophouses—built for pedestrians, but also used for keeping motorbikes out of the sun and rain 😊 They were built to provide shade for pedestrians in the tropical heat as well as to cool the interior of the shophouse. This is a typical Kopitiam serving one of my favorite breakfasts in the world: Kaya toast. Kaya toast as a complete dish is actually Hainanese in origin, though its core ingredient—kaya—is deeply rooted in Malay and Peranakan culinary history. The sweet coconut-eg
Moments from @elseretreats. (Advertisement) From Moments from @elseretreats. (Advertisement) From a sound healing experience with @shamantearoom to heritage brickwork combined with local artworks and design. Here are a few last photos from our stay in Kuala Lumpur, before we continue to Penang. I have yet to edit all the photos from Langkawi, but I hope I can share some of them with you soon too! ✨ Anyways, I hope you like these Malaysia moments. This time we didn’t have a chance to also visit Borneo, but you can join us there next year! You’ll find all the details on my website www.marionpayr.com. And maybe you’ll also plan a stopover in Kuala Lumpur (which I would highly encourage). #malaysia #kualalumpur
Back in KL, and naturally, right back at @elseretr Back in KL, and naturally, right back at @elseretreats. (Advertisement) This was our second time staying right in the pulse of Chinatown—where street food stalls, historic temples, and vibrant culture meet just outside the door. Housed in the historic 1930s Lee Rubber Building, the architects behind Else have done a remarkable job preserving the original Art Deco architecture while turning the space into a quiet, brutalist-meets-cozy sanctuary. Coming here for the second time feels like returning to a familiar hideaway—a refuge from the city’s humidity and energy, without ever feeling disconnected from Chinatown’s heritage. A few notes if you’re planning a stay: • The atmosphere: The warmth of brick meets soft textiles. Raw concrete meets tropical greens. And a side of locally curated artworks. • The location: Unbeatable if you want to explore KL’s creative core on foot. You’re steps away from Hinduist and Buddhist temples, historic shop houses, plus loads of independent coffee shops and restaurants. • The details: We love their à la carte breakfast menu (definitely try the Pandan jam Kaya toast!!) as well as their curated experiences like the sound healing session we enjoyed with @shamantearoom. If you’re drawn to spaces that respect the story of the buildings they inhabit, put this one on your list. ✨
Chinatown Kuala Lumpur: Mini travel guide 🇲🇾 We’v Chinatown Kuala Lumpur: Mini travel guide 🇲🇾 We’ve stayed in Chinatown during two of our three visits to Kuala Lumpur, and it never loses its charm. If you love heritage architecture, mosques and temples, vibrant street markets, and old shop houses, this is the side of KL for you. Here is a quick mini guide to some of our favorite spots: 📍 Photo 1: Guan Di Temple A view of Guan Di Temple on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee from above, taken from the pool deck of Else Hotel (@elseretreats). Definitely also visit the temple during the opening hours (7:30am-3pm). 📍 Photo 2: Sin Sze Si Ya Temple Inside KL’s oldest Taoist temple. You can buy incense and make an offering here—if you’re unsure of the rituals, the staff will gladly guide you on how to do it correctly. 📍 Photos 3–6: Pejabat Pos Besar Lama The newly reopened and restored former General Post Office. Dating back to the late 19th-century colonial era, this landmark features stunning Moorish/Indo-Saracenic heritage architecture. Today, it’s a lively hub packed with cafés, shops, and restaurants. 💡 Tip: Walk just a few steps further to Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, which shares the same architectural style and houses a museum. 📍 Photo 7: Niko Neko Matcha 6.0 Located right inside the Old General Post Office building, this is one of KL’s most famous matcha brands. 📍 Photo 8: River of Life The peaceful pedestrian path alongside the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers, tucked right behind Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad. It’s a lovely, shaded stretch for a quiet stroll away from the traffic. 📍 Photos 9 & 10: REXKL A transformed former cinema turned creative cultural center. Head straight to the top floor to explore the quirky, labyrinthine bookstore. Downstairs, you’ll find independent local brands, food stalls, and coffee shops—it’s a fantastic spot to pick up souvenirs (don’t miss O For Others!). 📍 Photo 11: The Hungry Tapir Our absolute favorite vegan restaurant. 📍 Photo 12: Our room at Else Hotel, which is the ideal accommodation for your Chinatown discoveries (@elseretreats). What is your favorite part of KL?
Pretending I’m a city person for a few days 😉 (Wit Pretending I’m a city person for a few days 😉 (With @elseretreats | Advertisement) By now I believe most of you know I love nature and quiet. Not exactly how I would describe Kuala Lumpur 😅 And yet there’s something about it. We were on our way to Langkawi and decided to plan a stopover in the city to acclimatize. Based in the wonderfully edgy and unpolished Chinatown we enjoyed a few days of just walking around the neighborhood at a slow pace and without any itinerary. We decided not to plan too many explorations (as we had already been to KL before and had „checked off“ the major attractions), but instead just live like a „local“ (I know it’s a cliché 😅). So we avoided the mid day heat outside, went to artspaces, cafes and restaurants, night markets, local shops and temples. All of it in walking distance of our hotel @elseretreats. We stayed here during our last visit as well and loved the relaxed atmosphere, thoughtful design and historic architecture. And the location smack in the central part of Chinatown doesn’t hurt either. Save this hotel if you’re ever planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur and appreciate small design hotels with a creative à la carte breakfast menu and spacious rooms in a preserved historical building that is an architect‘s dream. 📍Else Kuala Lumpur (@elseretreats) 145, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia 2026. Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia 2026. I just returned from three weeks in Malaysia, a trip returning to some of my favorite places from the last visit three years ago. And a chance to rediscover the fascination I felt the first time here. I think it’s the amalgamation of different cultures, religions and backgrounds that makes Malaysia so interesting to me. There’s something about it, its tangible, but hard to describe. An openness maybe. A curiosity towards—rather than a fear of—the unknown, the unfamiliar. I will always strive for pockets in the neighborhood that feel like this temple. Where aunties and uncles are unpacking a delivery of thousands of incense sticks, while locals come for a quick morning prayer and a grandma is falling asleep sitting on a bench. If you ever make it to Kuala Lumpur, yes—the modern districts, the skyscrapers, the malls are fascinating—but don’t forget the neighborhood temples, the shophouses of Chinatown, the unpolished corners of the city.
Final set from Hungary on assignment for @experien Final set from Hungary on assignment for @experience_balaton365 (Advertisement). Six days, countless liters of sweat (it was hot!), but also many wonderful meals and hours spent in nature kayaking, sailing and swimming. Locations: Photo 1,4,5: @villakabala Photo 2: @sazu_____balaton Photo 3: Szentbékkálla Photo 6,7: Kis-Balaton Photo 8,9: Hévíz We will be back, Balaton! The full travel guide for the region can be found on www.thetravelblog.at.
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