The Singapore Food Festival begins on the 17th of July, running for ten days till July 26. The theme this week revolves around the native Peranakan cuisine, with ethnic precincts showcasing their respective dishes all throughout the festival.

Of course, you might not know your bee hoon from your char kway teow, but a day or so spent sampling the city-state's many hawker centers will soon have you eating like a pro. Get started on Singapore's wide choice of foods by reading our article on Singapore's hawker centers.

Image © Mike Aquino. Licensed to About.com.

I'm out again, this time in the island of Panglao in the Philippines. Panglao is a hot diving spot, and the resorts lining the beach of Alona Kew all have dive centers or are associated with one.

I'm staying at Bohol Divers Resort (the spot you see above is their restaurant overlooking the beach), and tomorrow I'll be riding a boat booked through Blue Planet Diving to visit Balicasag Island, a popular diving spot. I'll stay topside while the photographer I'm working with on this project (not related to About.com) goes below.

I know, I know, I'm missing out on a lot, but I'd rather see it when I'm ready and PADI-certified.

Cruises keep Singapore tourism alive. AsiaOne Travel reports that cruise vacations are enjoying a growth spurt as other Singapore travel industry sectors spiral down - the passenger count has increased by 21% to 459,000, as opposed to a 14% drop in the number of foreign visitors to Singapore overall in the same period. The signs look promising - so much so that cruise companies like Costa Cruises and RCC are expanding their operations.

New Cambodian State Carrier to take flight at end of July. This just in from Bernama: Travel in Cambodia is about to get much easier, as Cambodia Angkor Airline spreads its wings beginning on July 27. Initially servicing Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk province, the new company hopes to begin offering flights to Korea in the near future.

Deal of the month: Save $200 on a gay vay-kay in the Mekong. Gay-oriented operator Spirit Journeys offers a relaxing jaunt through Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos for only $4095. Gay vacationers will go on a spiritual quest in the East, visiting ancient temples like the Grand Palace in Thailand and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Visit their site for more information.

Surf Girls, Head on down to Bali. Girl Getaways lists their favorite girl surf camps, and wouldn't you know it, Seminyak in Bali, Indonesia is on their list! With Surf Goddess Retreats, not only do aspiring surf goddesses get to practice their craft at any time of the year on some of the sweetest swells in the world, they can also take advantage of "Goddess Glow" spa treatments on their off hours! The whole package costs $2,385 for eight days.

Stay 2 nights, get 3rd night free in Bali! Four Seasons Resort Bali in Jimbaran Bay offers a bonus for Bali visitors, by letting you stay three nights for the cost of two! Suites come as low as $500 a night, so make your reservations now. Offer valid till July 14. More details at balihotelsluxury.com.

Bali Dynasty is getting a makeover. I love the Bali Dynasty, because I'm a sucker for a resort that offers you so much for so much less money than you'd expect. So I'm fairly happy that they've completed the upgrade they were undergoing when I was last there - with newly modernized rooms, refitted bathrooms, expanded windows, and more stuff. For more details, read my Dynasty Bali Review.

We had an extra day in Northern Mindanao, and our photographer George Tapan pulled a few strings to get us an escort into Marawi City and Lanao Lake.

Marawi City was no trouble to get into - this homeland of the Maranao people would only take an hour by car to reach from Iligan. Less certain was our entry into the hinterlands on the shores of Lake Lanao; this was still disputed territory, as far as the Philippine government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF, don't laugh) was concerned.

We went in to see the governor's wife - George Tapan had previously shot her family portrait - and explained we wanted to go to Lake Lanao; there were a couple of picturesque mosques on the lake's shores, and their shots would make a great addition to the project we were working on.

She seemed nonplussed. We were making this request at a very inopportune time, she explained, there was a festival going on and resources were stretched thin. Still, she'd see what she could do.

The rest of the story - and more pictures - after the jump.

Image © 1st Rafting Adventure, used with permission.

The trouble with traveling on someone else's dime is, you don't get a lot of choice where to go.

So for our Cagayan de Oro trip, we were limited to walking through the compact city center, when we had any free time between long jaunts to Iligan City two hours away (and nearby Maria Cristina Falls), and Marawi City three hours away.

Until the second day - the client decided that that was as good a time as any to try Cagayan de Oro's whitewater rafting experience.

Image © 1st Rafting Adventure, used with permission.

Whitewater rafting is the Philippines' adventure du jour these days; the grifter-boaters shooting the rapids of Pagsanjan falls have given way to cooler, cheaper spots like Davao City, but Cagayan de Oro lays claim to having the first truly professional white-water rafting experience in the country.

We signed up with 1st Rafting Adventure, which had served our client a few years back, and who were happy to sign us up again.

The Rafting Adventure jeepney picked us up at the hotel at 7:30 in the morning, then made a couple of stops to pick up passengers before embarking on a forty-five minute drive through rural roads.

We reached the jump-off point in Barrio Mambuaya, some seven miles from the airport as the crow flies. We were asked to sign a waiver before disembarking, so you can imagine how nervous I was.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about. The Beginners' Course was a breeze, and I felt genuinely sorry for it to end. Sure, I got sunburned throughout the three hour, 14-rapid, 12-kilometer course, and the helmet and life vest got pretty hot after a while, but nothing the spray of water from the rapids couldn't fix!

More on the whole white water experience in my article: White Water Rafting in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

It’s always gratifying to see a tourist destination developing from the ground floor. About twenty years ago, I was fortunate to see Boracay back when it was still a pristine paradise, before it was the touristy district it is today. Right now, I’m at Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City, the Philippines, where I’m seeing a similar process unfold.

Maria Cristina Falls is actually a power station, the site for a hydroelectric generator that supplies electricity for most of the island of Mindanao. But it’s also a grand sight to behold (the cellphone photo on the right does not do it justice), and the few kilometers of water between the falls and the spillway show great promise as a kayaking and whitewater rafting destination.

The National Power Corporation, the government agency that manages Maria Cristina Falls, is very conscious of the revenue-generating potential it has on its hands, so certain plans have been set in motion: picknicking grounds are being built, several ziplines are being planned (the longest, promises the guide, will be a stunning 370 meters long), and a crocodile farm is in the works.

It’ll be interesting to see what the place is going to be like twenty years from now. Today, I’m just enjoying the grand sight of thousands of centiliters of water crashing down from a great height, feeling the spray, and wondering where this trip will take me next.

My next post, if all goes well, will be on whitewater rafting in Cagayan de Oro City. Stay tuned. For more details on traveling within the Philippines, check out this article: Travel Guide to the Philippines.

Image of Maria Cristina Falls © Mike Aquino, licensed to About.com.

Jolinda Hackett asks in the Southeast Asia Travel forum: "I've got about 4 days to spend somewhere in SEAsia outside of Thailand… direct flight from Bangkok strongly strongly preferred, but not necessary, must have internet access, preferably wifi … and something fun to do…

“Oh and I also like long walks on the beach and candlelight dinners. :) Haha!”

Jolinda will be happy to know that Bali is a direct flight away from Bangkok (compare prices), and offers all that she needs and more. Plus, Bali is in the middle of a month-long Bali Arts Festival, which means she gets to see so much more of the Balinese arts scene than she otherwise could have expected.

I advise visiting Ubud, the center of Balinese art – more on that wonderful destination here: Introduction to Central Bali.

Image © Chris Clinton/Getty Images

Enjoy Singapore with your loved ones, through this roundup of the best Singapore hotel deals for families.

Swissotel the Stamford's Kid's Room Special lets you book a Grand Room which is then redone to meet your kid's needs. The hotel staff will add kid-friendly beddings, books, and stuffed toys to the 540-square-foot Grand Room, ensuring that your kids get as big a kick out of their Swissotel stay as you do.

The package includes a complimentary breakfast for 2 adults and 2 kids under 6 years of age. The room costs SGD350++, and the offer is valid until December 31. More details on the official Swissotel website.

Parkroyal on Kitchener Road's Family Affair Package offers a Family Suite large enough for a family of four, for as low as SGD330++ a night! The package includes breakfast for 2 adults and 2 kids, 30% off at any F&B outlet within the hotel, and 20% off of selected procedures at the spa.

Plus, if you're lucky enough to be one of the first nine families to book the package, they slash SGD20 off the package rate. How cool is that? Call Parkroyal at +65 6428 3000 or email them at reservations@kr.parkroyalhotels.com to book the package. Offer is good till the end of August. More details on the official ParkRoyal Hotel website.

Shangri-La Hotel's Family Package lets a family of two adults and two kids stay in a Shangri-La Singapore Garden Wing One Bedroom Suite for 50% off the usual price!

Slashed to SGD540++ a night, the suite offers complimentary breakfast and evening cocktails at the Horizon Club, free Internet usage, and much more. The package is available for a minimum of 2 nights' stay, and is good till the end of June. For reservations, call 6235 1666 or e-mail reservations.sls@shangri-la.com.

The Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore's family freebies come with a 50% discount off of their Premier Suite - for a one night stay, the Ritz Carlton offers free buffet breakfast for two adults and two kids; a free Asian Tapas cookbook; an in-room movie; and two free tickets to the Singapore Zoo for the kids. Promo is good till the end of August; call +65 6434-5118 to book a room.

Conrad Centennial lets kids stay for free, on top of 50% off on Suite rates for a minimum of two nights' stay. Suites start from $260++ a night with Executive Floor benefits. Offer good till August 31. To book your room at the Conrad Centennial, email sincici.res@conradhotels.com.

To the left, a nurse shows a blister pack of flu medication Tamiflu; she's in full gear, inside an isolation room being prepped at the Sarjito Hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

With luck, the Sarjito Hospital isolation room will stay empty; no cases have been reported as of yet in Indonesia, while the Philippines and Thailand have reported 193 and 201 cases of H1N1 flu respectively.

This week, Thailand reported its single biggest jump in the infection count, adding 51 confirmed cases to its case file.

The Philippines also confirmed an outbreak in a rural village called Hilera; 20 residents reportedly tested positive for the virus. Health officials are working to staunch the spread of the infection, but are philosophical on the matter. "You can't stop the spread of this virus anymore," said Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. "The mitigation efforts are aimed at slowing it down then working to help villagers address the infections." ("Philippines Reports another Swine Flu Outbreak", Irrawaddy.org)

The Philippines and Thailand are just two of 74 countries tagged by the World Health Organization with some of the 30,000 worldwide cases of swine flu (as of June 12). If you're going to be in the area while the pandemic rages, a little prevention will take you a long way: read our H1N1 Prevention Tips for Southeast Asia Travelers for more information.

Photo of nurse by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images.