How to get there
Note: The US State Department has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory ("do not travel") to the Sulu archipelago, while Canada urges its citizens to "use a high degree of caution." The UK has not issued a travel advisory for the Philippines.
For all practical purposes, the nearest commercial airport to Jolo is in Zamboanga City on Mindanao. This means that travelers need to fly to Zamboanga (usually from Manila) and then take a three-and-a-half-hour ferry ride to Jolo. Cebu Pacific flies between Manila and Zamboanga five times a day and Philippine Airlines offers seventeen flights a week, so there are plenty of options.
The ferry service, which is operated by Weesam Express, is offered daily. The ferry leaves Zamboanga at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in Jolo at noon. The return ferry departs Jolo at 1:00 p.m. and arrives in Zamboanga at 4:30 p.m. The passanger fare is about $15 each way.
There is also a small airline, Bangsamoro Airways, (which predominately serves government officials and business interests) that may be available for charter or individual bookings. It offers service to Jolo from Cotabato City and Zamboanga.
What to do once there
Near Jolo’s airport stands the National Museum’s Sulu branch. It is an ethnological museum, which documents the material culture of the Sulu region, with exhibits about boats, clothing, musical instruments, housewares, fishing gear, tools, weavings, and more.
The Sulu Provincial Capital building with its gold domes and white façade faces Capitol Park with grand walkways and a large, rather curious statue of a lion. Many have their photo taken in front of the “I love Jolo” sign nearby.
Between the port and the Sulu Peacekeepers Inn, in central Jolo, there are several religious buildings of note. For Catholics, Mount Carmel Cathedral with its postmodernist Gothic façade and red, yellow, and blue stained glass panels is certainly the most important building in Jolo, but since the region is majority Muslim, the city’s mosques and loudspeakers, calling the faithful to prayer, are more predominant. Not only are there two mosques in the immediate vicinity of the port, but Jolo’s skyline features the dome and minarets of the Tulay Central Mosque. Having the chance to see these two religious communities go about their daily practices provides a clear window into Jolo’s culture today.
Further afield, it is worth finding a guide to take you to Mount Dajo National Park and the volcanoes to get a full sense of the island. The ocean tempts scuba divers, but the infrastructure may not be sufficient; going elsewhere in the Philippines may be the better bet until tourism grows in Jolo.
(Image courtesy of Patrickroque01 and Wikimedia Commons.)
Accommodations
Hotel options on Jolo are quite limited because tourism is relatively new to the island. Therefore, one has to have a backpacker's sensibility when traveling on the island. The best hotel option is probably the Sulu Peacekeepers Inn, which is about a 20 minute walk from the port and offers simple accommodations, good air conditioning, but no hot water. It has a reputation for being both friendly and safe as well. The A N R Hotel is the closest one to the ferry terminal.
(Image courtesy of Aqui J. and TripAdvisor)
