Scuba Dive the Philippines: Anda & Moalboal Trip Preview

If you love discovering unique marine life, Anda is something special.

We spent our first week on the laid-back island of Bohol, diving in the Anda region—and every dive felt like a treasure hunt.

This area is known for muck and macro diving, but don’t let that intimidate you—it doesn’t mean everything is tiny or hard to see. Instead, it’s about slowing down and spotting the incredible details hiding in plain sight.

On our dives, we found:

• Seahorses and turtles (so many turtles!)
• Frogfish—both tiny and easy-to-spot
• Flamboyant cuttlefish and mantis shrimp
• Several species of ghost pipefish
• Nudibranchs everywhere
• Candy crabs, sea moths, and all kinds of shrimp
• Crabs tucked into anemones and coral

More Than Just Diving

One of the things we love about Anda is that it’s land-based on Bohol, which means there’s plenty to enjoy above the surface too.

During our visit, we explored the iconic Chocolate Hills and spent time with the adorable (and slightly mysterious) Philippine tarsier.

It’s a great balance of diving, culture, and downtime—perfect for divers who want more than just time underwater.

From quiet island life, we made our way to Cebu to dive in Moalboal—and this is where things got big.

The standout experience here is the incredible Sardine run.

Millions of sardines moving together in perfect unison, shifting and swirling around you—it’s one of those dives that’s impossible to fully describe.

We loved it so much, we went back for a second dive… and it somehow felt even more spectacular.

And then—completely unexpectedly—a Whale shark cruised right through the bait ball.

One of those moments you just don’t forget.

Beyond the sardines, Moalboal offers fantastic variety:

• Wall dives full of life
• Turtles, eels, and Sea snake sightings
• Giant frogfish and tiny Pygmy seahorse
• Orangutan crab and tons of macro life
• Beautiful soft corals at sites like Dolphin House

We also had the chance to watch Mandarinfish during their dusk mating dance—one of the most unique (and surprisingly adorable) behaviors you can see underwater.

And the night dives? Just as good—cuttlefish, octopus, sea snakes, and plenty of surprises.

Getting to Anda, Bohol

For Anda, we recommend flying into Manila and then taking a domestic flight to Bohol.

A quick tip from our experience: give yourself extra connection time in Manila. You may need to change terminals, and baggage can take a while—we cut it a bit close with a 2.5-hour connection when our luggage came out last.

Once you arrive in Bohol, it’s about a 2-hour scenic drive to the resort in Anda.

Getting to Moalboal, Cebu

For Moalboal, you’ll fly into Cebu City.

From there, it’s roughly a 3-hour drive to Moalboal, depending on traffic. If possible, try to arrive before 2pm to avoid the busiest traffic times. If you have to connect in Manila, please allow yourself extra time. 

Doing Both Trips

If you’re joining both Anda and Moalboal, we’ll transfer between locations via ferry from Bohol to Cebu.

It’s a bit of an adventure—and a long day—but all part of the experience.