I have been travelling around East Africa, as a freelancer in the humanitarian sector since 2001. Based in Nairobi, my first mission was exactly a week after 9/11 and I went to Ethiopia. My trip took in Mekelle in the north - a couple of hours flight from Addis - and Awassa in the south - about 3 hours drive south of Addis. Despite a nine hour delay for my flight to Mekelle, I felt privileged to have the chance to see parts of Africa unknown to the regular tourist and to meet people who, though I didn’t know it at the time, I would never forget.

Since then I have travelled to every East African nation, including Somalia, and learnt a few lessons on the way. Even 10 years after my first trip, I was still learning when I almost had my hand luggage stolen on my flight from Gode in the Somali region of Ethiopia, en route to Dire Dawa. If I had been only half asleep during the transit at Jig Jigga I would have lost my laptop, video camera and numerous items that I always travelled with.

Despite working for a renowned international organisation that took care of its staff, I learnt that things don’t always go according to plan. Drivers for instance, might take the opportunity to do a little business of their own during that five hour trip across country. Or hotels that you thought you had booked  turned out to be full when you arrived. Or the flight to take you back to the capital just didn’t arrive.  I would have liked the number of a safe taxi, a quiet, safe hotel, and a decent place to eat, but in most of those interesting days I had to rely on word of mouth and hope for the best.

Fortunately I rarely got sick when I travelled, and if I had, I know my employers would have looked after me. But not all freelancers are so lucky. How do you find good medical advice when you are hours from the nearest big town, or too ill to go anywhere?  Where do you go when you need some spiritual time? And which is the best mobile network to use?

If you have ever asked yourself these questions when far from home, how did you find the answers? Kushiriki’s recommendations are supplied by others like you and are double checked before publication. Use them please. And make life easier for others by adding your own. There’s no rating system. If you liked it, recommend it - it’s quick, it’s easy. Let’s share information. Let’s kushiriki.