Camiña Balay Nga Bato
Photo by Southwest Travel and Tours
Camiña Balay Nga Bato is a beautiful ancestral house that has become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Iloilo City. Its name means "house by the river," and it was built between 1860 to 1865. It was once the humble home of Fernando Avancena and his wife, Eulalia Abaja. The structure of the house was patterned after the bahay kubo. Improvements and renovations have been made through the years, but the house itself has stood the test of time.
The house is a visual delight for those who like anything vintage. There's antique furniture, relics, altars, pottery, and old photographs. The ground floor has looms where weavers work on textiles for sale at the house. You can also buy handicrafts, including shawls, patadyongs, and slippers.
The second floor of Camiña Balay Nga Bato serves as the dining area where you can feast on local delicacies, such as the Pancit Molo (a soup dish with clear broth and dumplings) and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is made of cacao beans from the family's farm. The drink is served the old-fashioned way, hot, thick, and incredibly rich. This is best paired with biscocho or local biscuits.
Tickets and entry
The minimum entrance fee for Camiña Balay Nga Bato is PhP150. This comes with a hot chocolate drink. For PhP220, you can get Pancit Molo with your hot chocolate drink. The house also sometimes hosts buffet lunches and dinners for a minimum of PhP595, but this must be booked in advance.
Best time to visit
Camiña Balay Nga Bato is open from 8 AM to 5 PM. Since it is an indoor attraction, you may visit it year-round, but take note of the typhoon months, which usually happen from June to August. If you want to catch the city’s famous Dinagyang Festival, visit Iloilo City and Camiña Balay Nga Bato in early January.
