The Best Small Towns and Villages

Any Kampung (Tioman Island, Malaysia): Even though Tioman was developed for the tourism industry, you'll never think this place is overdeveloped. The casual and rustic nature of the island's tiny beach villages holds firm, and those who seek escape rarely leave disappointed.

Malacca (Malaysia): As perhaps the oldest trading port in Malaysia, this town hosted a wide array of international traders: Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, English, Indian, and Chinese, all of whom left their stamp.

Kuching (Sarawak, Malaysia): Renegade adventure-seeker James Brooke thumbed his nose at London's colonial office so that he could claim Sarawak for his own and rule as the region's first White Raja. He built a cozy little capital with quaint tropical-colonial architecture, picturesque back streets, and a pretty riverfront.