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.

The AAA is warning would-be travelers abroad not to fall prey to international driver’s permit scams, which can result in fake licenses for as much as $350. Why would you want to fork over a hunk of change when a real international driver’s permit costs only $10?

All you need to get your international driving permit is your U.S. license, $10 and two original passport-size photos (or let them take ‘em for you at the AAA office). You can apply for your permit in person or by mail.

The permits are valid - as long as you have your U.S. license to show alongside the international permit - in 150 countries for up to one year. They also have your information printed in 11 different languages - helpful if you’re traveling outside English-speaking countries.

AAA International Driving Permit

If you see Buddha in a tree, shoot him. With a camera. Like Travelposter TomR, who added this pic to blog entry The Road to Chiang Mai. Click the pic 4 more about TomR’s adventures in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

Check it out: Singapore Airlines has added 4 more flight routes (for a total of 7) with wi-fi service. For $26.95, you can surf for 24 hours and on different legs of your flight. Not bad for unlimited access to the internets. The service is now available on the following routes:

San Francisco-Hong Kong-Singapore
Singapore-Hong Kong-San Francisco
Los Angeles-Tokyo-Singapore
Singapore-Tokyo-Los Angeles
New York-Frankfurt-Singapore
Singapore-London
Singapore-Sydney

Singapore Airlines Broadens Reach of Inflight Connectivity

This pic is so peaceful I had to post it. To read about TravelPoster elj82’s adventures
in Vietnam (including simply crossing the street in Hanoi where this pic was taken!),
click on the photo.

Cool shot from TravelPoster steve_corin taken during his adventures through Vietnam. For more about chasing down the perfect sunrise in Ho Chi Minh, click the pic.

Looking for those honeymoon-
perfect over water bungalows somewhere in French Polynesia? The newly opened InterContinental Resort and Thalasso Spa on Bora Bora is the first destination in French Polynesia to only offer over-water bungalows. Most resorts offer a some bungalows situated above the water, with the majority on the beach or in gardens set back from the water. All of the InterContinental resort’s 80 bungalows feature sun decks with outside showers, indoor bathroom with bath and shower, air-conditioning, two flat screen TVs, CD and DVD players, high-speed Internet, 24-hour room service and all the usual amenities you’d find in a luxury establishment (i.e. coffeemakers, hairdryers, minibars, etc.).

The resort’s spa is scheduled to open in September.

Special opening rates start at 644 Euro/night. The rate includes breakfast and dinner for two people each day. The special rate requires a minimum four-night stay.

InterContinental Resort and Thalasso Spa Bora Bora official site

Ah, Bangkok. Gotta love it. This shot from TravelPoster PreciousStone was taken at 6PM (when it starts to get cooler, and everyone emerges to shop, eat and mingle) on Khao San Road, the city’s famous backpacker destination. Brings back memories. It’s the sort of place that’s really cool to visit if you’re between 18 and 25, and you want to meet random people from around the world, buy cheap souvenirs and get fake tattoos and fake dreadlocks. Obviously, not the seat of culture. But so worth a visit for all the colorful sights, sounds and chaos.

Pretty good story from last weekend’s Washington Post about tipping in the U.S. and abroad called Tipping and Travel: It’s No Easy Equation. Sadly, the chart the paper mentions in the story is not available online, but the point of the story is one that will hit home with frequent international travelers: tipping customs vary widely from place to place, and knowing them makes you a kinder traveler when in foreign lands.

The WaPo chart isn’t available online, but the BBC has a good rundown of international tipping customs called International Tipping Ettiquette.

Cool shot from TravelPoster GordyMac, who snapped this pic on a tubing trip taken while visiting Muang Vangviang, Laos. Click the pic to read about the adventure.