Why Quezon City is the place to be: A ‘Biyahe Ni Drew’ itinerary

Traveling doesn’t necessarily mean going out to far-flung places. If anything, it’s all about seeking out for a new experience and trying out new activities.

 

It’s a good thing that Quezon City is never a boring suburb.

 

 

The city has nine tourism districts, making it a growing and favorite urban travel destination among tourists. These districts are Civic Center District, Lifestyle District, Knowledge District, Eastwood District, Cubao Growth District, Q.C. Chinatown, Maginhawa Food District, Entertainment District, and La Loma District.

 

So if you want a place where you can appreciate art, splurge on shopping, or go restaurant-hopping, you can never run out of a place to go to in Quezon City!

 

How to get there

 

Going to Quezon City is actually just easy. Located at the northernmost part of National Capital Region, Quezon City can be reached via several mass transport systems such as tricycles, jeepneys, buses, and of course, the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

 

Where to go and what to do

 

GMA Network Center

GMA Network Center, EDSA cor. Timog Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

 

Where else will Drew Arellano bring you first when you happen to travel with him in Quezon City but GMA Network Center, right? Not only because it’s close to his heart but also because it boasts state-of-the-art broadcast facilities that produce high-rating TV, radio, and digital programs.

 

 

Visitors can actually enter the complex and check out the studios. All you have to do is schedule a tour with a tour guide accredited by the network. When inside GMA, you can check out Studio 3 that is being used normally by the Philippines’ longest-running morning news show Unang Hirit; Studio 2 is used by other news shows Balitanghali, News To Go, Balita Pilipinas, and News TV Live; Studio 5, which houses the country’s leading evening news show 24 Oras; and the studios at the GMA Network Studios Annex, where variety and other entertainment shows are typically held.

 

 

And of course, Quezon City wouldn't be dubbed as "The City of the Stars" for nothing, right? Aside from the studios, a tour wouldn’t be complete without chancing upon Kapuso stars and news personalities! It is normal to bump into a celebrity when you’re inside GMA so ready your cameras for a selfie with them!

 

La Mesa Nature Reserve

La Mesa Watershed Reservation, Quezon City

 

A forest within a city? Quezon City has that!

 

La Mesa Nature Reserve is popular not just to nature-lovers who can’t afford to go out of town, but also to those who enjoy physical activities such as cycling, given that it has one of the most accessible mountain biking trails in the metro. They typically come to the 2,700-hectare La Mesa Nature Reserve early in the morning.

 

 

A group of five visitors have to pay P200.00 per head upon entrance, an amount of which already includes the tour-guide fee. Once you’re already at La Mesa Nature Reserve, you can go through the 43-kilometer trails if you want an extreme adventure. But beginners are likewise welcome to do just a few trails or even just to trek.

 

 

“Sa totoo lang, minsan lang ako mag-mountain bike. Usually, road bike [ang ginagamit ko] eh,” says Drew. “Pero kapag mountain bike, man, ito talaga pinupuntahan ko. Sobrang ganda dito eh.”

 

Mystery Manila

Unit 9A JW Plaza Building, 195 Eulogio Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Quezon City

 

If you don’t want the mud, then there’s no need to fret! There are several indoor activities that you can enjoy in Quezon City. If you’re a gamer, you will definitely want to visit Mystery Manila, where you can be part of a game that you were just playing in your PlayStation or Xbox!

 

 

This happens when you enter an interactive room where you can physically interact with fictional game characters.

 

But before you enter, there is a storytelling first to give you an overview of the story of the game you’re entering, as well as your objectives in the game.

 

 

There are some rooms where you need to escape in approximately 60 minutes by answering an overwhelming amount of mind-boggling questions. But Drew says he highly recommends it. So go on, Biyaheros, and unleash the inner gamer in you!

       

Where to eat

 

Kamuning Bakery Cafe

43 Judge Jimenez Street, Quezon City

 

Any place with a superlative adjective is always worth a visit. That’s why you have to go to Kamuning Bakery, the oldest bakery in Quezon City!

 

It has been selling hot stuff since 1939, making it almost as old as Quezon City itself, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

 

Aside from being the oldest of its kind, another reason why Kamuning Bakery is a  must-visit is because it’s one of the few bakeries that still use the traditional way of baking, also known as “pugon baking,” wherein the baker uses firewood and charcoal to heat their products.

 

 

When here, you can try out their fist-size pan de suelo, a traditional Philippine bread that has been existing for more than 100 years now.

 

“Para siyang baguette ng France, pero mas masarap at tsaka Filipino version siya,” notes Drew. “Malutong ang panlabas niya, crispy siya, pero ang loob niya masarap, malambot, at tsaka siksik!”

 

Cool Beans Café

67-A Maginhawa Street, U.P. Village, Diliman, Quezon City

 

For book and coffee lovers out there, you’re in for a treat! Cool Beans Café is the country’s first library café that sells Filipino highland coffee.

 

Here, you can pick up a book from the café’s shelves and read it while enjoying your cup of coffee, making the place perfect for those who just want to reward themselves after a tough day.

There’s also no wi-fi connection here as they want their patrons to be focused on their books and coffees and not on anything else. So leave those smartphones and tablets at home, Biyaheros! You probably won’t need them here.

 

 

Being a student budget-friendly café, their pastry and beverage offerings range from P100.00 to P200.00. So it’s not only just any artsy coffee shop but also a cafe where you can relax without having to spend much.

 

La Loma District

 

Especially if you’re a Metro Manila resident, you don’t need to go far anymore just to buy and taste lechon. In fact, you can taste one of the country’s best-tasting lechon in the La Loma District!

 

It may be heavy in the pockets for some—the cheapest price of lechon can be P4,000.00—but Filipinos always find ways to have lechon in special gatherings, right? Lechon is usually the centerpiece of every dining table during occasions. So here in La Loma District, you’ll find streets where lechon is sold.

 

But be careful, Biyaheros! Your nape might not feel well after your lechon-eating madness!

 

Sisig Society

Fuente Circle, Citywalk, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City

 

Another Filipino favorite is the sisig. That’s why owners of Sisig Society banked on this fact when they opened their restaurant in Eastwood City, a commercial district in Quezon City known for its high-end and even some laid-back shopping centers and restaurants, popular among young professionals.

 

Still relatively new today, Sisig Society has already established its name as a favorite go-to place of students from nearby universities who want to taste something new. Because here, customers have the liberty to design how they want their sisig to be served.

 

Sambo Kojin

West Avenue, Quezon City

 

Filipinos love eating, most especially if it’s a buffet. That’s a fact. That’s why a lot of restaurants with buffet servings have been sprouting around the metropolitan.

 

One of these is Sambo Kojin, a restaurant that serves mostly Korean and Japanese food. In the first place, “Sambo Kojin” means “God of the Kitchen” in Japanese.

 

Sambo Kojin is different from other buffet restaurants because here, you can cook your own meals just the way you like it. But in case that you’re already too hungry, you can just ask the friendly staff to cook your meals for you.

 

And because it’s a buffet restaurant, you can never run out of food to eat (literally!), specifically fresh Japanese food. “Fresh + Japanese food = happy tummy, happy biyahero!” claims Drew while enjoying his tableful of Asian cuisine.

 

Sip & Gogh

Capitol Hills Drive, Matandang Balara, Quezon City

 

If you’re an art aficionado, meanwhile, you can visit Sip & Gogh where you can go through painting workshops and hands-on experiences while also drinking your cup of coffee or any other available beverage.

 

 

But it’s not required that you know how to stroke paintbrushes when you’re here. Even when you have no experience in painting at all, you can still come and at least try painting on a blank canvas. There are artists around who would be willing to help you out. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover that you’re a potential Pablo Picasso!

 

Sip & Gogh can be an ideal place for family, too, as they offer activities for kids all the way to adults.

 

See? You don’t really need to go out of town to taste new food or try out new activities! With Quezon City’s continuous commercial development, you can never run out of things to do. Enjoy your own Quezon City trip, Biyahero!—Juju Baluyot/BMS, GMA Public Affairs

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"Biyahe ni Drew" airs every Friday, 8:00 PM, on GMA News TV. For more information, follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For updates on your favorite documentaries, follow also the official Facebook page of GMA Public Affairs.