Katha, Myanmar

Forget any romantic notions of living in an exotic Burmese town - Katha is a hot, dusty administrative hub with a population of government offices and civil servants. While the town sits 124 meters above the Irrawaddy River, its tropical savanna climate means sweltering temperatures year-round, with a summer wet season that makes travel a "bumpy ride." And with the main economy centered around fishing and kidney bean farming, don't expect a cosmopolitan hub. This town is for dedicated civil servants and rural workers, not expats seeking an escape.