Items to bring

	Documents - Just the essentials, nothing else is needed Passport All drivers - Motorcycle Operators License Minors - A certified copy of your birth certificate Legal Guardians - If you are not listed on the minor's birth certificate as a birth parent, you will need to bring a certified copy of legal documentation assigning you as legal guardian of the minor who accompanies you on tour.
	Medications - Medicine takes up very little space in your baggage. Bring whatever you think you might need. If it is a prescription medication, especially a painkiller or anti-depressant, make sure it is in the original prescription bottle. If you have any medical conditions which require prescription or non-prescription medications, I would suggest you bring these medicines with you. The Filipino pharmacies will most likely not honor a foreign prescription Standard non-prescription medications are readily available here but probably not the brand names you are used to buying. No prescription is needed for antibiotics in the Philippines
	Stupid Stuff Zip-lock bags - bring them Excellent for protecting your camera when we are engaged in island hopping activities. Zip-lock bags are very difficult to find here except in the larger cities like Cebu and Cagayan De Oro Cigarettes - Buy them here and save money Cigarettes are very cheap here at an average cost of 20 to 30 per pack, depending upon the brand. Most all Phillip Morris brands are readily available. R.J. Reynolds brands are available but only in isolated spots. The Duty Free shops also sell all of the major Phillip Morris and R.J. Reynolds brands but at much higher prices than on the domestic market Cosmetics - Bring them if you need them If you can't do without your make-up essentials, then bring whatever you think you will need to stay looking your best. Filipino women wear very little make-up if any at all and such items are therefore not in much demand and not easily found, especially the brands you are used to finding in your home country.
	Riding gear Motorcycle Helmet - Wearing your helmet (driver and passenger) is mandatory whenever riding one of our motorcycles (click here to view the helmet acceptance guide) A motocross style helmet seems to be the most desired here amongst Filipino riders, myself and my wife included. This style of helmet offers excellent head protection, excellent ventilation, full peripheral vision and the visor is essential in keeping the sun from burning your nose and face Helmets are mandatory in the Philippines, although you will see almost no one wearing them in the rural areas and only during daylight hours in the cities while the traffic police are on duty to enforce the law. As far as our standards go, we will accept only 3 styles of helmets to be worn by our riders - touring, motocross or full-face shield (see helmet acceptance guide) Riding Glasses - Riding glasses, goggles or face shield is mandatory for all drivers Eye protection is very necessary here due to the lack of enforcement for mud flaps on large trucks & cargo canopies for dump trucks but also to protect from dust & debris kicked-up by busses and other vehicles passing (overtaking) our tour convoy. My suggestion is to bring a good pair of shaded riding glasses with shatter-proof lenses. The sun can be very bright here, especially in the morning and evening hours You will most likely be approached by salesmen here on a daily basis trying to sell you sunglasses and watches. Be advised they are all fake knock-offs. In the larger malls in Cebu and Cagayan De Oro and even in some Gaisano malls, however, you will find some great discounts (about 50% to 75%) on name brand high quality sunglasses. Riding gloves The strength of the sun should never be under-estimated here. Even the backs of your hands are susceptible to sunburn when riding for periods of time as short as one hour. Good riding gloves, especially gloves for large hands, are very difficult to find here Long-sleeve riding shirt Again, I will repeat, the sun is very intense here and will burn any unprotected part of your body in a matter of one hour or less. Unlike many parts of the southern USA, the air here is nice and cool when you are riding. Wearing a long sleeve shirt is not as uncomfortable as you might think and sunburned arms are definitely not comfortable My preference is a jersey type (fabric with holes) long sleeve riding shirt that is fairly loose fitting with extra-long sleeves. Anything to protect your arms from the sun will work. Windbreaker jacket or riding jacket Don't let the fact that we are riding in the tropics fool you into believing it does not get cool here in the evening hours, especially when riding thru the mountainous areas. Some of our travels will be at night (only when necessary) and you will be very prone to catch a chest and/or head cold if you do not have adequate clothing to break the damp cool air. Rain Suit Having a rain suit readily available is a must have item. Most all of our riding time will be rain-free but afternoon showers are very common place here and will pop-up out of nowhere in a matter of minutes. Most of the time, these rain showers are highly localized and last 45 minutes or less. Many times, we will simply seek the shelter of some near-by palm trees or a bus stop shed. If, however, we are traveling to catch a ferry, then it is imperative that we stay on schedule and we will be required to ride thru the rain. Just bring a decent rain suit and hope you won't need to use it. Rain suits are available here, but the selection is very limited, the quality is poor and the size range is also very limited. best to buy this item where you live. Tennis shoes or riding boots Sandals are not allowed for driver and passenger when riding our motorcycles. Any full shoe with a semi-hard sole is acceptable. Long pants This, again, is due to the strength of the tropical sun. Both driver and passenger should wear long pants when touring.
	Sun Protection & Skin Care SPF 30 Sun Block I don't care how good of a tan you might already have, you will burn here if your skin is left unprotected from the sun for any prolonged period of time. The sun block is essential when we are island hopping and engaging in water-sports / snorkeling Sun block is also very much advised for use on any part of you body that may become exposed while we are riding, especially your face and nose Believe it or not, this is one item that is not easy to find here. Filipinos simply stay out of the sun or use another manual means of sun protection that is less expensive After-sun lotion / Aloe Vera Regardless of how well you think you are protected from the sun, it is likely that you will get a little over-exposed from time to time and having a good skin moisturizer will be a blessing Again, this is another item that is difficult to find here. Bring it with you. Hat or ball cap Head protection is essential when we are off of our bikes and checking-out the attractions and riding the ferries. Having a good ball cap is a blessing.
	Cameras / Computers / Cell Phones / Electrical gear Video Camera / Digital Camera / Cell Phone Camera You will definitely want to photo and/or video document your tour here for future remembrance. Be sure to bring plenty of storage media and make sure your camera/cell phone charger is 220volt compatible (most are - look at the electrical specs. engraved on the charger itself) If your camera operates on batteries, my suggestion is to invest in a pack of 4 rechargeable batteries and a charger that is 220 volt compatible. Rechargeable batteries are difficult to find here. Bring them with you. Plug end adaptors Most all electrical outlets here are 2 pin, flat non-grounded type so be sure to bring an adaptor if your electrical plug ends are 3 prong or dual round pin. If you forget this item, you cn probably find one here that will work at most any hardware store Hairdryers, radios, etc The lighter you travel the better, just make sure that any electrical appliance you bring is 220 volt compatible Laptop Computers Most all of the resorts where we will be staying offer WiFi internet access in the rooms or in a common area such as the lobby or restaurant. Just be sure that your laptop is well protected when not in use. A well-padded or hard shell case is a must. I personally keep my laptop in my briefcase for maximum protection. Cell Phones We provide each couple (one per bike) with a cell phone for your usage while you are here, mainly for emergency purposes. If your personal cell phone has a locked SIM, it will probably be useless here or will be astronomically expensive to use. Our phones use pre-paid time and we will provide you with 500 pesos of load for your tour. This should be plenty of time (about 90 minutes of local talk time) to get you back to the resort when you go exploring on your own and get lost. These phones will also call to any international phone, wired or wireless. International rates here are about 15 per minute so if you want to call home then go for it. The cell phones we provide will accept international calls and text messages with no load deduction from your pre-paid balance Additional pre-paid time (load) for your phone is at your own expense and load cards can be bought anywhere here in denominations of 100 300 500 Myself, my wife or any of our tour support staff will be happy to assist you in loading additional time onto your phone when needed.
	Clothing - Laundry services are provided at most of the resorts we stay at and are included at no additional cost as another amenity of our all-inclusive tour packages. Pack enough clothes for 1 week and buy whatever else you need here. Tank-tops / sleeveless shirts Whether you decide to bring them with you or buy them here (the latter choice is suggested), sleeveless shirts are definitely the way to go when lounging around the resort or shopping the public markets and malls Swimming attire For the men - Wear whatever suits you, just be sure to bring it. Most resorts do not allow long pants, cut-off pants or cargo shorts as acceptable swimming attire. For the ladies - Please leave your thong bikinis at home. You will create a major scene here if you try to wear a thong bikini on the beach, at the pool or anywhere else in public view. All other one-piece or two-piece bathing suits are ok, just be sure to bring them. Shorts Cargo shorts are pretty much all you will find being sold here, and at very good prices. Whether you bring them with you or buy them here, you will want them. Sandals This is another item you might want to consider purchasing here considering the cheap price and that most all Filipinos own at least 3 to 5 pairs of sandals (maybe 1 out of 50 owns a pair of tennis shoes) You can find both very good and very poor quality sandals here and everything in between. They can be purchased at the malls and the public markets. Regardless of whether or not you buy them here or bring them with you, just do it. You will want them !!! If you have large feet, I would suggest bringing sandals with you because you will have a very hard time finding any sandals or shoes larger than USA size 9-10 in the Philippines.
	Additional Empty Suitcases / Baggage Expect to leave the Philippines with more than you came with. Having additional storage capacity in your travel bags is highly recommended. Additional suitcases, back-packs, etc, can be purchased here but only in limited areas and the quality may not be so good.

 Immunizations

There are no immunization requirements or records you need to bring. You will not come into contact with anything here that you would not potentially come into contact in your home country. Pathologically speaking, the Philippines is a fairy safe place. Just don't drink from the public water supply. Drink and cook with bottled, distilled or purified water only If you are concerned about your immunizations, you should contact your country's Dept. of Health and request their advice.