Watch out Lonely Planet.
If you’re a fan of the whole collaborative Wiki movement, you might be interested in checking out
Wikitravel. The site provided an extensive list of countries and
continents with, as far as I can tell, just about every country covered, if in just a small way. It’s all done in a
nicely organized classic sorta Wiki format with the ability to go deeper and deeper into a subject (be careful…I went
in to look for one thing about an upcoming trip to Armenia and spent an hour clicking around…not because I was lost,
but just kept finding new interesting thigs to read). You can not only improve your knowledge of a particular country
— learn about the political situation, geography and so on — but you’ll also find tips on etiquette,
events, things to buy, and travelogues.
There is also an events section and even a fairly comprehensive phrase book covering NUMEROUS languages (how about
picking up a little Afrikaans?). I am very bullish on this
site and the Wiki concept in general. I use Wikipedia for a good deal of research, even though I am aware of it’s
shortcomings (as should you) and always try and double check various facts. But over time, as this thing grows out, as
Wikipeia has, I bet you it will become one of the more valuable resources on the Web.