Three Little Birds Resort

You come here for a small-scale stay in Anda, with just seven cottages set around a garden and pool. The design draws on traditional Filipino architecture, using local materials such as bamboo, amakan matting and cogon grass, with a bohemian and Caribbean influence that keeps things informal rather than polished into blandness.

Each cottage is named after a bird and carries a mural created by local artist Marlon Felisilda. That gives the place a sense of character before you have even found your room. It is a useful choice if you want your diving trip to include some local style, a beach within easy reach and somewhere to sit outside with a drink instead of another anonymous resort corridor.

English is spoken by the hotel team, along with French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Dutch and Filipino. You should have no difficulty sorting out the practical details of a diving stay, a meal or a transfer.

The resort sits in Barangay Bacong, in the coastal town of Anda on Bohol. The sea is about 60 metres away, with a white-sand beach reached on foot. At low tide, Quinale Beach is also within walking distance, known for turquoise water and sunrise views. Lara Beach is around 6 miles away by car.

Anda is a small coastal town rather than a busy resort strip. Anda Plaza is about 1.4 miles away, while The Old Plantation is roughly 0.3 miles from the resort and Coco Loco Cafe and Hangover Resto Bar are about 1.3 miles away. That gives you a few options outside the resort without pretending that everything is directly outside the gate.

The setting combines the coast with tropical jungle. Bohol's wider landscape brings beaches, caves, waterfalls, rice terraces and mangroves, while the Chocolate Hills and the surrounding islands offer longer days out when you decide to give your dive log a rest.

The accommodation is arranged in cottages rather than a large multi-storey building. For two of you, the double and queen rooms with pool views keep things straightforward, with a large bed or double bed depending on the room, air-conditioning, a private bathroom, a sofa and a private patio. Some cottages also have a ceiling fan, which gives you another way to manage the warm Bohol air after a day spent in salt water.

Travelling as a group changes the calculation. The family bungalows are the practical option for up to five guests, with enough room to avoid turning every bag and dry shirt into a floor-based obstacle course. They include air-conditioning, a private bathroom and a private patio looking towards the pool. For a couple, the smaller cottages make more sense; for a family or group of divers, the bungalow is the one that earns its space.

Garden, inner-courtyard and pool views keep the outlook close and green. You also have a shower, bidet, towels, linen, a clothes rack and a socket near the bed, plus free drinking water in the cottages. Daily housekeeping takes care of the reset while you get on with the important business of removing damp clothing from the wrong chair.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Blue-tailed Bee-eater, the resort's restaurant overlooking the sea. The kitchen covers local and international food, with a stated preference for fresh, minimally processed ingredients rather than complicated menu theatre. Fresh wholemeal bread, mango jam, homemade ice cream, chips and kimchi are among the house specialities.

Breakfast is included in the accommodation arrangement. Lunch and dinner are available on site, which matters when your appetite has been working as hard as your fins and the idea of searching for food elsewhere feels unnecessarily ambitious. The restaurant adds a sea breeze and relaxed music rather than a formal dress-code performance.

There is one resort bar, serving fresh cocktails, cold beer and house-made juices, with snacks also available. You can take the drink to a hammock beside the pool or to the terrace outside your cottage. It is the sort of arrangement that lets the evening develop at its own pace: food, a cold beer, perhaps live music, and no urgent reason to move.

The outdoor pool sits in the tropical garden, with sun loungers and hammocks nearby. A separate children's pool gives families a useful option, while adults can simply claim a shaded place, order a drink and allow the day's exertion to catch up with them. Massage is available on site, turning the post-dive recovery plan into something more convincing than stretching once and forgetting about it.

Snorkelling equipment is available for exploring the nearby sea, and boat outings can be arranged. You can also hire a motorbike for exploring Anda and the surrounding roads, although the appeal here is as much about choosing your own pace as collecting another list of attractions.

On land, the resort can be a base for visits to beaches, caves and underground pools, old churches, the Loboc River, hidden waterfalls, rice fields, mangroves and local markets. Wildlife observation includes tarsiers. In the evening, the Eagle Eye Movie House screens international art-house films or blockbusters, while live music is played at the bar. A reasonable alternative to discussing your dive computer's battery life for the fourth time.

Bohol-Panglao Airport is about 62 miles away, with a journey of roughly two hours by road. The resort can arrange a private transfer from Panglao Airport, a resort in Panglao or Tagbilaran port. You can also reach Anda by public transport from Dao Integrated Bus Terminal, followed by a tricycle for the final stretch to Barangay Bacong.

Check-in starts from 14:00 and check-out is by 11:00. Children of any age are welcome, with children aged 11 and over treated as adults for the accommodation policy. There is no minimum age requirement for check-in, and pets are not allowed.

WiFi is free throughout the resort, and free private parking is available on site without reservation. Luggage storage, daily housekeeping, laundry and ironing are available as practical extras, while a safety deposit box is provided. Car hire is also available if you plan to explore further than the nearby beaches and town.

Three Little Birds Resort holds an Environmental Compliance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Its approach is visible in the practical details: rainwater is collected for the gardens, wastewater passes through a closed septic system with biological filtration, and solar power is prioritised for new investments.

Single-use plastics are banned across the resort, including straws, cutlery, cups, plates, butter containers and bottles. Reusable drinking bottles are provided with free refills, while reusable bags and containers are used for market shopping. Linen and towels are changed when requested rather than automatically, and guests are encouraged to take part in the resort's environmental efforts.

The resort also supports local charitable organisations and conservation work for the island's flora and fauna. It is a straightforward set of measures, tied to water, waste and daily housekeeping rather than a slogan hung beside the reception desk.