Finally, the much awaited CBS Survivor Philippines have officially started, this is the 25th season of Survivor. Location shoot is in the beautiful islands of Caramoan in the Bicol Region of the Philippines.
Survivor is back to its three tribes set-up and tribe names for this season are Matsing, Tangdang and Kalabaw. These are Filipino words for “monkey”, “rooster” and “carabao” or “water buffalo”. 15 American castaways will battle it out to capture the crown and be declared the ultimate sole survivor and win the million dollar prize of this television series. Who will win? Watch Survivor Philippines! 
For the complete list of castaways and their tribes, please refer to this post. The three returning castaways have also been revealed and they are:
Michael Skupin from Season: Survivor Australian Outback
Jonathan Penner from Season: Survivor Micronesia Fans versus Favorites
Russell Swan from Season: Survivor Samoa
Watch this Youtube video by CBS for the 25th season of Survivor premier episode!
CBS Survivor: Philippines – The Adventure of a Lifetime
First Episode, First Casualty of Survivor 2012: Zane Knight from Danville, VA of the Matsing Tribe
Where is Survivor Philippines shot?
The location of the 25th season of CBS famous Survivor Series was in the Caramoan Islands of the Philippines. These islands faces the vast Pacific Ocean.
Can we see CBS Survivor Philippines in local tv?
Yes in the Philippines, GMA Network News TV Channel 41 in Manila and Channel 27 in Cebu will air replays of the Survivor Philippines episodes. I will be updating this post for the exact replay dates and time showing. You can also watch this CBS show live in cable tv.
Update: This series is airing every Thursday at 2 pm and then a replay every Friday at 10pm via GMA News TV Channel 27 in Cebu. Check out your local listing for GMA News TV.
How to go to Caramoan Islands?
If you are traveling by bus or car you will spend minimum of 10 hours on the road from Manila to Sabang, gateway to Caramoan Islands.
One bus company, Penafrancia Tours has a direct route from Manila to Sabang. Travel time is around 10 hours. There are also many bus liners such as Philtranco, Amihan, Raymond Bus and RSL Bus from Cubao or Pasay bus terminals that offer daily trips to Naga. Bus fare ranges from 500 to 780 pesos.
From Naga, you can reach Sabang via jeepney or bus but you need first to get to the Naga Central terminal. Travel time is around 2 hours and fare can cost you 200 pesos.
From Sabang Port, take the boat going to Guijalo Port in Caramoan. Public boats only have a schedule of 6 AM to 11 AM. If you came late, you can hire a private boat. From Guilajo Port, you can take a tricycle to bring you to “Centro” or the island center where you can find some commercial establishments like restaurants, Caramoan hotels and other form of accommodations.
For faster travel time to Caramoan, you can take the daily flights of Philippines Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air or Zestair from Manila to Naga. The flight from the Philippines’ capital will only take around an hour and then you follow the instruction from Naga to get to Sabang port above.
There are also tour groups going there that you can join so that you can save on travel cost.
Caramoan Island of CBS Survivor Philippines
If you are planning to visit Caramoan, a good sidetrip is Donsol Whale Shark Watching in Sorsogon province or head to Legaspi, Albay to gaze at the almost perfect cone of the famous volcano Mt Mayon.
The Philippines have more than 7,107 islands for you to discover from the big island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao! Come and discover what makes our country one of the best islands destinations in the world! 😀
A few of The Philippines 7,107 Islands
Want to read about Philippine National Railway trains serving the Southern Tagalog and the Bicol Region? Click this POST.
Our country is no doubt beautiful. Good to know that it has finally been featured on Survivor because I think it is a perfect setting for this adventure. I can’t wait to see how this season unfolds. will be exciting, no doubt!