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 to the bus station, and ask for a mini van to go to Anda. It takes about an hour and a half and costs a seat; if you have big bags they will charge for two seats. A yellow Ceres non-AC bus will cost.

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.

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=

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 at a time, for a fee of only  (2%).

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.