Tarhuna (Tarhunah), Libya

Tarhuna is no vacation destination. The town of 13,264 people sits 65 kilometers southeast of Tripoli, with a population of around 296,000 across the broader Tarhuna District. While the region is known for its olive oil, cereals, and other agricultural products, the area has also seen its share of violence - a memorial commemorates a local hero killed fighting Italian colonizers in 1915, and the town was dominated by a notorious militia from 2011 to 2020. Bureaucratic hassles are a persistent headache, and the discovery of mass graves in 2020 serves as a sobering reminder of the region's tumultuous history. Tarhuna may appeal to those looking to immerse themselves in local Libyan culture, but it's hardly an idyllic expat haven.