Three towns that have a quaint past are also gateways to national parks

Under $75 a Day

Where
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

Why
Nestled in the highlands of south-central Madagascar, Fianarantsoa has evolved from a French colonial hill station into an erudite university town and a base for the national parks Ranomafana and Andringitra. Both can be visited on day-trips from "Fianar," or you can organize guides and porters for a walking safari through the parks. The town is worth a poke around, especially the Haute-Ville, with its cobblestoned streets, Gothic-style churches, and handsome colonial town houses.

Room
Tsara Guest House tenders a level of comfort (and cuisine) unexpected this far off the beaten path. The onetime church was converted into a cozy boutique hotel replete with king-size beds, spacious showers, and drop-dead gorgeous views of the surrounding hills (261-20-755-0206; tsaraguest.com; doubles, $20–$56).

Lunch & Dinner
The restaurant at Tsara Guest House is worth frequenting for its luscious food—a broad range of French and Malagasy dishes (261-20-755-0206; entrées, $4–$7). At the cavelike L'Entrecôte du Zoma, down the street, magret de canard and foie gras are among the specialties (301 Place du Zoma; 261-20755-0797; entrées, $5–$8).

Tip
The best place around Fianarantsoa to get close to lemurs is the private Anja Reserve, in a wilderness of granite hills 90 minutes south of town. Owned by local villagers, this tiny park harbors a colony of some 400 ring-tailed lemurs (no phone; admission, $4).

Under $125 a day

Where
Kuching, Malaysia

Why
Kuching rewards visitors with British colonial architecture and a picturesque river promenade. But the real appeal of Sarawak State's capital is its proximity to national parks: At Bako, hiking trails wind through forests inhabited by proboscis monkeys and end on empty beaches and rocky headlands. The mountainous Kubah has waterfalls and bathing pools. The rafflesia, the world's largest flower, blooms all year at Gunung Gading (forestry.sarawak.gov.my).

Room
On the Padang, a grassy field that's a five-minute walk from the river and is used for city festivities and national celebrations, the towering Merdeka Palace has bright rooms, some furnished with hand-carved wooden pieces from Sarawak (60-82-258-000; merdekapalace.com; doubles, $100–$125).