Caála, Angola

This small town of 279,792 residents is hardly the idyllic colonial outpost its former name "Vila Robert Williams" may suggest. The population has more than doubled since 2014, straining the town's infrastructure and public services. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with the railway station and lack of nearby airports adding logistical hurdles. The town's origins as an outpost for mining and resource extraction are still evident in the rugged, boulder-strewn landscape surrounding it. Overall, Caála offers little to recommend it for the average expat - this is a place better suited to those with a pioneering spirit and the patience to navigate its administrative challenges.