Tibati, Cameroon

With a population of just over 72,000, Tibati is a sleepy outpost in Cameroon's Adamawa Region, far from the glitz of the capital Yaoundé. The town was founded in the 1820s by Fulani immigrants and has long been a center of slave-trading, though it's now better known for its modest fishery industry. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache here, as the local Lamido (monarch) has had a rocky relationship with the German colonial rulers and Cameroonian government over the centuries. While Tibati offers a glimpse of authentic local culture, its remote location and administrative challenges make it a poor choice for all but the most intrepid expats.