Guest post and photos by Kara Santos/Travel Up

Sunrise over rice fields greets participants of the Fun Run in Caramoan.

You know that running has really taken off in the country when organized fun runs are held in remote towns like Caramoan. Though connected to the mainland Camarines Sur on a peninsula, the town of Caramoan remains relatively isolated on the eastern-most edge of the province due to rugged terrain surrounding it, which makes traveling there by land difficult. Sea travel is still the most preferred mode of transport.

In recent years, Caramoan has gained popularity as the site for several international franchises of reality show Survivor, including Serbia, Israel, Bulgaria and France. The U.S. version of Survivor (currently airing) was also filmed there earlier this year. In the teaser for the U.S. Version, the Philippines is described as one of their “most treacherous locations yet” where “the waters are teeming with ravenous sharks” and “deadly snakes rule the jungles” complete with dramatic shots of said sharks and snakes. Read more [+]