Free wi-fi is now available throughout the Hong Kong International Airport. Boo-yah!

Hong Kong International Airport Now Offering Free Wi-Fi

Just when you thought we couldn’t get any cooler, we come out with our brand-new, super fabulous Guide to Wireless Access at 80 International Airports. See, we’re thinkin’ about ya and your tech addictions wherever it is that you roam, not just within the US of A.

Where can you find free wi-fi? These airports offer it:

Vienna International Airport

Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport

Madrid Barajas International Airport

Montreal - Trudeau International Airport

Vancouver International Airport

Toronto - Pearson International Airport

Nassau International Airport

Grantley Adams International Airport (Barbados)

Antigua - VC Bird International Airport

San Jose - Juan Santamaria Airport (Costa Rica)

Sao Paulo - Guarulhos International Airport (Brazil)

Beijing - Capital International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport

Osaka - Kansai International Airport

Tokyo - Narita International Airport

Taipei - Chiang Kai Shek International Airport

Each of the above airports offers free wi-fi somewhere - not necessarily throughout the airport. Clearly, Canada and the Caribbean are kicking all our international butts with the free access, though many Asian countries also offer free wi-fi. Check out the chart for more juicy wi-fi info from around the world.

Perhaps you’re jonesing for some of that French rap you heard in gay Paris or the Afro-Peruvian beats you soaked in on Peru’s coast. Hey, you may get back there someday to hear your favorite international music genres in person, but in the mean time, check out National Geographic’s World Music department. You can listen to a bajillion genres you’ve never even heard of, listen to and download your favorites. And there are free downloads offered each week. Cool beans.

I learned of this new development via World Hum. Must give credit where credit is due.

Night shots are hard, man. But still. Doesn’t Hong Kong look like a big, mad, mysterious, postmodern urban experiment in TravelPoster timla’s shot from the famous Peak, big tourist attraction that overlooks downtown skyscrapers? Timla’s blog post The Peak gives basic info on how to get to and from the Peak. If you’re interested, click the pic 4 more.

Okay, unless you’re going to Hawaii, Marriott’s Stay For Breakfast summer promo isn’t being offered in the U.S., but it is good for Marriott hotels in the UK, Australia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Africa. Here’s the deal: Book a two-night stay at a participating Marriott, JW Marriott or Renaissance hotel with your Visa card between May and September, have breakfast at the hotel, and you’ll receive a $100 pounds, Euro, etc., toward a future stay. The deal is also good for Marriott Courtyards, but you’ll only get $50. There are some pesky restrictions, but regular Marriott guests should take note.

Marriott Stay For Breakfast promotion

American Airlines wants its AAdvantage members to head west (or east, depending on how you look at it) this spring. Travelers to Osaka, Shanghai and Australia can earn big bonuses for flying American. For example, fly on the airline’s new Chicago-Shanghai route and earn 7,500 bonus miles (that’s in addition to regular miles accrued) for economy class and 15,000 for business and first class seats. For flights to Australia via Qantas, travelers receive a minimum of 20,000 miles - that’s bonus miles and regular miles grouped together. According to published award travel info on the airline’s web site, most domestic U.S. and Canadian flights can be booked with approximately 25,000 miles.

American Airlines AAdvantage Program offers

Is it just me, or is this photo phiggity phat? I really like the composition. The shot comes courtesy of TravelPoster ronneberg’s blog entry Around Kunming.

Thanks ronneberg!

I wanted to mention something about the many Chinese New Year celebrations kicking off on January 29, 2006, but I just couldn’t decide how to cover it. I mean, it is a global event. And I’m sure there are readers scattered around the world who’d like to celebrate. Luckily, I stumbled upon Chiff’s Guide to Lunar New Year Parades and Events, which links to official happenings in major cities around the globe, including New York, London, Hong Kong, Sydney and San Francisco. If you’re going to be traveling to a major city when festivities are taking place, attending a Chinese New Year event is a great excuse to visit many cities’ downtown areas. Chiff’s site will also give you tons of info about this holiday’s history, background and traditions.

From the AP, A Shopaholic’s Dream is a very nice little guide to shopping Hong Kong.

Lovely shot of the Detian Waterfall by TravelPoster denn, who spent the Christmas holiday in Nanning, China - a city in the country’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region located adjacent to Vietnam and north of the Gulk of Tonkin. You can read about the denn’s visit in this journal post.

Denn reports that Nanning had just as many rock formations as Guilin, a oft-frequent spot for visitors to the region, but has fewer tourists. Denn suggests the following:

If offered the option, do try and squeeze in a visit to Tongling Canyon - lots of steps to go down (and up!), but the scenery is really beautiful and well worth it!

Here’s a map of the region.