Anda
Anda is a town on the east side of Bohol with one of the nicest beaches in all of the Philippine islands with access to a toilet and a decent cup of coffee.
Understand
During the Pacific War, Japanese efforts to sell a "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" to poor Filipinos proved markedly less successful than Hollywood's peddling of the American Dream, and the wholesale arrests, punitive expeditions, and summary executions that were then substituted in an effort to retain control, only increased the determination of Filipino patriots to resist.
The successful guerrilla movements in the extreme east of Bohol meant that there were no Japanese units left to oppose US forces when they landed on Anda beach on 11 April 1944.
It's a measure of Filipino magnanimity to their colonial occupiers that although there is a monument to US liberators to greet the visitor, there is none to celebrate the local guerrillas that made those landings unopposed.
Get in
Most people arrive in Bohol via Tagbilaran; see the Tagbilaran article for routes. In Tagbilaran take a tricycle (₱50) to the bus station, and ask for a mini van to go to Anda. It takes about an hour and a half and costs ₱130 a seat; if you have big bags they will charge for two seats. A yellow Ceres non-AC bus will cost ₱98.
Tagbilaran has fast ferries to and from Cebu City, Dumaguete and Siquijor, but the ones to Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin land at Jagna. Anda is closer to Jagna than to Tagbilaran.
Coming from Leyte, there are Bankas from Hilongus to Ubay. Vans from Ubay to Tagbilaran go frequently. Get off in Guindulman and hire a tansport for the short rest of the track to Anda.
Get around
- Lamanoc point in barangay Badiang, is the eastern-most cape of Bohol island and has limestone rocks, caves, and its own tiny and secluded white-sand beaches. There's a very long bamboo pier, that leads through a large mangrove forest to a waiting shed on stilts to wait for a small banca while maybe feeding the local monkeys. Medicine men (baylan or tambalan) officiated at the internment of wooden lungon or boat coffins (so called because they have been from a dug-out log, similar to the way boats were made) and old earthenware jars. You can still see finger paintings using haematite (red iron oxide) pigments in some of the caves.
- Caumantad waterfall around 20 km from Anda, Caumantad is the highest waterfall of Bohol (20 m). That’s not all; there are some natural swimming pools.
- Chocolate hills, Carmen 1 hour from Anda by motorbike, Amazing view of the famous chocolate hills.
See
- 1 Anda Falls (take the concrete road north that starts 1 block east of the church until it ends at the cemetery. Turn right on the track and then swing left to follow the eastern cemetery wall. Continue uphill following the track under the power line and follow the sounds of tumbling water). If you're tired of salt water stinging your eyes, there is a large and deep concrete cistern to swim in at the base of the falls.
- Anda water caves. there is many underground rivers with transparent water coming from the montains to the sea.
Do
- Anda adventures 1PEACE beach resort, Tandem Kayak, Standard Bike, Mountain Bike and Motorbike for rent.
- Anda Bohol Skimboarderz, Poblacion, Quinale beach, saturday-Sunday, price=₱100
Buy
First Consolidated Bank has an ATM at the west corner of the Town Hall - but this accepts only PITAKArds and not cards affiliated to any of the Filipino networks, never mind the international ones!
Meanwhile good news: There is an ATM of Metrobank in the entry area of the Town Hall, which also accepts international cards (visa or Master card) can give cash up to ₱10000 at a time, for a fee of only ₱200 (2%).
Eat
- 1 Food center (behind the Anda market). Has 8 stalls offering cheap Filipino food, pizza & pasta in a long, open-air, covered area. Dawn to dusk.
Drink
- 1 On the road resto & bar, Anda market (Anda city center). 5PM-2AM. On the Road is an place where Local people and foreigner can learn about all cultures. BBQ, fresh beer, cocktail, many kind of music, Wi-Fi, apple TV.
- 2 Old Castle (Quinali Beach, Poplacion), ☏ +63 920 279 8227. Looks like a European castle, except that it is on a beach with palm trees. Good food, mostly European menu.
Sleep
- 1 Flower-Beach Resort, Virgen (3 km before city center), ☏ +63 918 579 6166, requests@flower-beach.com. Solid houses with own terrace and sea view, shower and toilet. Standard with 2 single beds or 1 double beds, ceiling fan. Deluxe are bigger, one double bed and one single bed, space to add 1 additional beds, so comfortable for 4 persons, air-conditioning, warm water, minibar. Our restaurant serving international, Asian and Filipino dishes, beach bar. Own PADI dive center, all equipment and boats for snorkeling and diving. Our dive center offers a wide range of PADI courses. Transport service available, from and to all points on Bohol and also Cebu city/airport. ₱2600-3600.
- 2 Little Miami Beach (Go to the church. Walk to the sea's edge across the grassed plaza. Turn right and walk for 300 m; it's right on the water's edge. No direct access by road). Seven small but well maintained cabins, each with a tiny verandah, air-con, cable TV, en suite shower, WC & wash hand basin. Surprisingly it has better Wi-Fi than nearby resorts charging three times the price. Even more surprisingly, the German-made shower heater produces an adequate flow of water with a stable temperature. Volleyball & table tennis available. From ₱1000.
- 3 1PEACE beach resort, Virgen (3 km before city center), ☏ +63 928 255 5753, 1peace.anda@gmail.com. Chilled out and friendly atmosphere. Located right on a small beach, here you can enjoy the sea, by snorkeling on coral wall. They rent motorbikes for day trips to waterfalls, chocolate hills or just for exploring the island. Also bicycles and kayaks are available, you can paddle to see the sunset from the ocean or stay in the tower, listen the sounds of the nature in hammock. Every night you can sit around a big table with other guests and enjoy the family dinner what is freshly made everyday by their French and Finnish kitchen wizards. Cuisine changes by wishes of the guests. Breakfast & lunch is also available. ₱400/₱800/₱1200/₱1400.
- Kims Garden, Candabong (4 km before city center), ☏ +63 9194898604. Kims Garden is a quiet and beautiful place to stay. Best place for snorkeling. ₱1500/₱2500/₱3500.
- 4 Anda Cove Beach Retreat, Anda Cove Beach Retreat, Brgy. Candabong (5.4 km from Anda Poblacion), ☏ +63 9954325179, info@andacove.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. ₱4500-5500.
Stay safe
If you don't go out more than about 60 m from the high water mark at the town beach there are relatively few sea urchins to impale you. However, because their wounds can be very slow to heal and often turn septic, you might be better off wearing something on your feet unless you're opposite the entrance to Little Miami.
Cope
Anda is unusual in having free and clean public showers and WC on the beach. They're 30 m west of the municipal visitor assistance office.