When in Bohol: Take a Trip to Anda

I fell in love with going to the not so touristy areas of different provinces. These hidden gems are what make me fall in love with my country. It has so much to offer. You just have to sometimes to head towards the unbeaten path. And last December, R and I went to Anda, Bohol for a quick vacation after a grueling journey in South Asia. 

Hello, Anda!

Anda is on the southeast side of Bohol. It is not a very popular tourist spot due to its far proximity from Panglao where most luxurious resorts are situated. In fact, from Panglao International Airport, you have to take a 30-minute ride to get to Tagbilaran and about three hours to get to Anda.

It wasn't hard to get to Tagbilaran as there were airport buses available every 15 minutes. The fare costs PHP50 per person. 

The buses are new. And the air conditioner works!

But the trip from Tagbilaran to Anda is another story. 

You first have to head to Dao Bus Terminal. (The airport bus can drop you off there.) Once at the bus terminal, you can opt to take the bus (fare costs PHP140 per person) or van (PHP150 per person). We decided to take the van as the resort we decided to book was a bit far from the main road. We had to pay an extra PHP50 per person for the driver to drop us off in front of the resort. And we were so glad we did as the road to the resort was unpaved. There were no tricycles too when we passed by.

Do prepare yourself for a cramped ride if you opt to take the van option. We were the last passengers to board. There was hardly any space for our bags (and it ended up taking some of the limited leg space).

We quickly forgot the uncomfortable ride when we got to Anda Cove Beach Retreat. The resort was homey!

Since it was December, there were only a few guests around. I believe there were only about three other couples checked in. 

The resort staff were friendly and accommodating to all our requests that we decided to stay here for an entire week instead of our planned three nights. 

The room was basic but very spacious. The bed was more than ample for two. Our suite also had cable television, complimentary tea and coffee, a fridge, and a modern bathroom.

I love that our room has a little patio with sea view. And for PHP3,500 per night inclusive of breakfast, it was a steal.

Though the resort does not offer a breakfast buffet due to the limited number of guests, its a la carte menu was ample. We kept ordering bacon and eggs. And love that they offer side dishes such as oatmeal and French Toast. (No photo though as I accidentally deleted most of the photographs from my camera.)

The resort has an in-house restaurant which made us lazy to go out and explore other dining options. I highly recommend its carbonara and pizza!

We'd always lounge by the pool that has comfy lounge sofas. It also has the strongest wifi signal. R and I spent most of the time there to surf the internet and work.

They even serve our merienda there!

When the sun's not as harsh, we would head to the beach. 

And it was like enjoying your very own private beach as there was hardly anyone every time we head down. 

I only swam twice as I was still nursing an injured ear. 

R was so sweet and took photos of his underwater finds so that I get to see it too. 

Anda has a lot more to offer and has other great beaches nearby. But what this area is known for is its numerous cave pools. We opted to skip all of them as we had zero energy to spare. No regrets as we had a wonderful time relaxing by the pool and beach.

Our flight back to Manila was on a Sunday, and the bus trips back to Tagbilaran were less frequent than on weekdays. Schedules were also not followed, leaving passengers to wait and hope that a bus passes by.

To get to the town proper, we requested for a tricycle which was arranged by the resort. A special trip cost us PHP200. 

The tricycle driver dropped us off across a town plaza. Dumbfounded as no signs were saying we're at a bus stop;  we had to ask some locals in the area if buses heading to Tagbilaran do stop by. And they do. So we just have to wait by the side of the road and hope that the buses do not miss us. 

We waited for about 20 minutes or so before a non-AC bus arrived. The fare was PHP120 per person. 

It wasn't bad at first. But it got a bit too hot when the bus got filled with passengers. To top it off, it suddenly rained hard that we had no choice but to close the windows, our only source of breeze. We had to open it a bit each time and decided to make it fun by catching the droplets of rain before it hit us. 

The trip back to Tagbilaran was an adventure on its own. It was tiring but fun at the same time. 

I can't wait to go back to Anda and explore the town!