Mpanda, Burundi

With a population of just under 59,000, Mpanda is a modest city that offers little in the way of creature comforts for most expats. The Mpanda River running through town is prone to dramatic floods and droughts, leaving residents to contend with unreliable water access and infrastructure failures. The ongoing saga of a stalled $54 million hydroelectric project highlights the bureaucratic headaches that plague development efforts here.

While Mpanda's natural setting within Burundi's Kibira National Park has some appeal, the daily realities of life in this remote outpost are a far cry from the idyllic visions that often draw foreigners to relocate abroad. This town is best suited for intrepid adventurers undeterred by the region's persistent challenges.