A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
Updated February 2016
There are now several food parks in the Maginhawa area, but the original one that started the trend back in 2013 is the collective of food stalls known as Z Compound or “The Z”, which can be found in the garden area of an old house on #33A Malingap Street. The Zone has a good mix of budget-friendly and unique quality food, making this one of our favorites in the area. It’s also one of the most bike-friendly places to eat in the area, since you can park your rides inside.
The game is afoot!
Want to practice your detective skills and see if you have what it takes to be a super sleuth like Sherlock Homes? Check out Escape Hunt in Makati, the “ultimate live escape game” where players get one hour to play the part of famous London detectives and figure out classic murder mysteries.
I’m a big fan of point and click room escape games online and horror video games with puzzle solving elements like Silent Hill and Resident Evil. But there’s really something different when you get to play these in real life. You can’t just pause the game to check for walkthroughs if you get stumped. The time element and pressure feels so much more real. It’s up to you and your companions to figure out everything. 
Travel and hotel stays usually involve buffet breakfasts and meals. Here in the metro, eat-all-you-can buffets have become more popular for special occasions, celebrations and food events. As a foodie, it’s an exercise in self-control every time I enter a buffet restaurant. In case it isn’t obvious from all my previous food posts on what is supposed to be a travel blog, food is really my weakness.
Here are a few tips on how to make the most of eating in buffets so you don’t end up in a food coma every time.
I’ve been wanting to upgrade my scooter for a while now. It hasn’t been running as smoothly as it used to no matter how many times we’ve taken it to the mechanic. Visiting Moto Builds Pilipinas was like entering a candy store when you’re sugar deprived. There were just so many awesome custom-built bikes under one roof.
It seems like Cafe Racer and Tracker style bikes are making a comeback in the Philippines and seeing the vintage and classic machines firsthand just reinforced my desire to switch to one. I especially liked this Yamaha Surf Bike by Kratos Customs Cycles.
Last weekend, I found myself trapped in a casket trying to decipher clues to escape from a locked room. The same afternoon, I literally stepped inside paintings and navigated around the biggest interactive art museum in Asia. Nope, I wasn’t traveling to some exotic location abroad. I was right in Quezon City, where I’ve lived for years!
Microtel UP Technohub is Microtel by Wyndham’s 13th and latest hotel property in the Philippines located in the IT and commercial development of UP-Ayala Land Technohub in Quezon City.
*Updated June 2015
Biking has really taken off, not just as a sport but as a lifestyle. Proof of this is the number of bike shops that have mushroomed all over Metro Manila catering to mountain bikers, roadies, fixies, foldies and everything else in between. Another proof of this is the number of cafes and restaurants that use bikes as their central theme.
For those who like to combine biking with food-tripping, here are some distinctly bike-themed cafes in and near Metro Manila. I’ve added some links from Outside Slacker to bike trails & routes you can hit near each establishment to work up an appetite or for post-ride food trips.
Amélie Hotel Manila is a charming new boutique hotel that captures the bohemian spirit of the old-world neighborhood of Manila in a contemporary setting. Everything about the place — from the graphic art deco details of iconic landmarks to the warm and sincere service — makes the hotel stand out from the typical business hotels in the area. The hotel was formally launched amid Chinese New Year festivities last February 19, 2015 to signal the start of a prosperous life in the heart of the city.
Most Pinoys are familiar with Lambanog, a Filipino alcoholic beverage, described as coconut arrack. It’s neither wine, nor gin, nor vodka, but is something uniquely Filipino. I have fond (and not so fond) memories involving lambanog drinking sessions in college, when this was the most cost-effective alcoholic option for students. It’s a staple inuman drink in many provinces, available even in small sari-sari stores in sleepy towns in Quezon and other parts of Southern Luzon. I’ve also shared more than a few rounds of lambanog with friends and strangers during trips around the country.
Lambanog has long been considered a drink of the masses. But Lakan Extra Premium Philippine Lambanog aims to change all that.
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