It wasn’t my plan to visit this place it was just recommended by my cousin who lived in Bangar the next Municipality of Luna, La Union. At first I was hesitant to visit this place since our original plan is to visit Baguio after our surfing experience in San Juan, La Union.
Some few tips:
If you’re a backpacker like me better rent a “Tricycle” that would cost you php. 200-300 pesos that covers drop off and pick up. If you’re not comfortable with tricyle you can ask your hotel reception for van renting.
A little background about Bahay na Bato;
Bahay na Bato (stone house) is situated in a 35,000-populated municipality of Luna (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2010). In reality, it is not a house made entirely from stones, although the concrete walls are plastered with stones and the floor is strewn with large, smooth, flat pebbles. Adornments of carved stones, woods and World War II items are seen inside the house. Of the two private rooms in the ground floor, the one facing the beach is sometimes open to the public. This room has a double-door access to the beach. Carved stones of different sizes and figures are strategically positioned along the hallways. The floor is also covered with smooth, pebbles and flat quarter-palm sized stones. Woods carved with faces are also mounted on the upper portion of the inner wall of the receiving hall. World War II items such as charcoal iron (de uling na plantsa), kerosene lamps (lampara), water canteens (kantina), carbide lamps (de kalburong lampara), wooden trunks (baul), and Stainless Steel mess kit dishes are also being showcased in the house. The second floor offers a panoramic view of the pebble-blanketed beach and stone carving-strewn lawn. Big stone carvings resembling lizard, heart, sea creatures, flowers, man, hand gestures, etc. are positioned to augment or create a landscape. Though there is a minipool for children on the southern part of the house, the main attraction is still the house and its stone carvings.
The house, built in 2000, was initially intended to be a resthouse for Dr. Edison and Dra. Purita Noble; however, Luna Mayor Marvin Marron, seeing the tourism potential of the property, persuaded them to open it to the public (Marbella, 2015). The property was then opened in 2014 attracting a multitude of tourists. The local tourism office has recorded a staggering number of visitors to the new attraction. In December 2014, it registered more than 10,000 visitors, and another 7,800 for January 2015 (Marbella, 2015).
If you visit this place, you have a big chance of meeting the sculptor of the stone-carvings, Mr. Vong Kim. He is a Korean married to the Luna native manager of the place. He usually stays at the registration booth.
Other notable tourist attraction of this municipality is the pebble-covered beaches, even coming in different colors. According to a resident near the beach, the pebbles are believed to be living and has the ability to grow.
Aside from promoting Luna as must-visit spot in La Union, the attraction also generated jobs for residents of Luna. Bong Kim trains local artisans on stone-carving while his wife Beverly Kim serves as the manager. Her mother serves as one of the caretakers, along with Gloria Dizon and their respective families.
The house is open for any occasions such as weddings, baptisms, birthday parties, and other functions. Families and friends who want to enjoy a memorable night under the stars can sit around the bonfire pits. Swimming isn't allowed for safety reasons but the beach provides a good spot for listening to the music made by the crashing of the waves onto the pebble-filled shore. Listen to it and you might just fall asleep because of the meditative beat.
They also have a newly attraction opened the Dimension House from your entrance fee of php.20 pesos you'll just have to add php.10 pesos for you to see what's inside.
They also have a souvenir store for pasalubong and anything you can bring home for remembrance is available here.
The view deck;
Bahay na Bato is located at Brgy. Nalvo Norte, Luna, La Union. General admission is at PhP 20 while kids who are below 4 years of age are free of charge. It is open daily from 6 am to 8 pm.
It was really fun visiting this place.
