It’s time to head to Africa again. How to prepare? I pack following the advice in my post on 4 May and consider getting the right information critically important step. Surfing with your favorite search engine is a good way to start. I avoid most government sites (which are usually out-of-date or generally not helpful) and have found these sites worth regular use:

Basic facts: www.worldinformation.com and www.nationsonline.org/oneworld

Connections and travel info: www.lonelyplanet.com and www.matadortravel.com

Political and other background: www.hrw.org and www.countryrisk.com

The development and humanitarian situation: www.reliefweb.int and www.alertnet.org

Currency conversions: www.oanda.com

I also spend considerable time checking out maps.  Several of the sites above have map sections and Google earth is very helpful once you have a general idea where you are traveling.