I recently contributed another Insider’s Guide article for Inflight Traveller issue 30, this time for a Bohol listicle, Top 10 Things To Do in Bohol. Again, I can’t seem to get a hold of a physical copy, so I guess a PDF will do. Inflight Traveller is the official inflight magazine for AirSWIFT Airlines Philippines, so if ever you get the chance to fly via AirSWIFT, grab me a copy, please?

Here’s my article in its original form:

From the Anda’s National Road, it took another 4x4 truck ride before we reached Anda White Beach Resort. Located in Barangay Bacong, the place is secluded enough for tourists wanting to have a bit more privacy when staying in Bohol.

From the resort’s in-house restaurant-bar, we emerged into their blue elevated infinity pool overlooking the beach. Waving coconut trees surround the place, exuding a really tropical ambience.

Err… Where’s the beach, exactly? I silently asked, as our diminutive outrigger boat docked on a patch of mangrove trees at Bohol’s Lamanoc Island. I have my board shorts on and my snorkel ready within my dry bag. After seeing Anda’s Quinale Beach, I was thinking we’d be having something like it on our next destination, we’re going to an island after all. I was also told we’d be having our lunch there.

My mind quickly painted a white sandy beach shaded with coconut trees, with bamboo huts facing a sparkling turquoise sea. Boy, was I in for a big surprise.

The walls of the rooms curved through the balcony covered overhead by a thick thatched roof reminiscent of the houses in Batanes. We passed through a window made of rattan weaving and I instantly wondered why no one has thought of utilizing such a design before. The Amun Ini Beach Resort & Spa in Anda, Bohol was serving us one surprise after another as we walked through its grounds.

In Ilonggo, Amun Ini means This is Ours. That’s more than one word than the original, but trust me, that’s what it means. And I guess such is the philosophy behind this three-hectare resort hidden along the more private and quieter parts of Anda’s coastline.

The Quinale Beach in Anda, where arguably, the finest beach sand can be found in the country, is home to a few resorts. Although access to the beach is almost free—no fees for the local and ₱10.00 for outsiders—for tourists wanting to stay overnight and on a tight budget, Anda de Boracay is the perfect lodging of choice.

The resort is located just some meters away from the municipal plaza and can be accessed either via the town road or through the beach. I prefer the latter, there’s nothing like walking through Anda’s fine white sand beach, your feet sinking softly with each leisurely step.

For the longest time, I’ve had this constant debate with an old friend as to which beach has the finest sand in the Philippines. She would bet her credit card that Boracay White Beach holds the title, while I counter that Bohol’s Panglao Island, particularly in Bolod, has it in the bag. The argument has gone for years, usually ending with spent beer bottles and no precise resolution right after.

A few months ago, I found that we were both not quite right in our assumptions.

Kids dressed in green Filipiniana garb warmly welcomed us with smiles and dances as we alighted from our bus. We’ve just spent the night at the Bohol Beach Club and after two hours of navigating the winding roads of Bohol, we were finally at one of the south-easternmost town of the province, Anda.