Kampar, Malaysia

Tin mining may have put Kampar on the map, but those glory days are long gone. Today, the town's economy is propped up by tertiary education, with over 20,000 students enrolled at the local universities. However, travelers are now bypassing Kampar in favor of the more convenient North-South Expressway. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the town's administrative boundaries were only recently redrawn in 2009. Still, Kampar's fishing spots, diverse cuisine, and historic shophouses offer a glimpse into Malaysia's past - if you can look past its current stagnation. This is a place for those seeking an authentic small-town experience, not a booming metropolis.