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Well North Korea itself is classed as an "off the beaten track" destination. It's not really the first place you would choose for your holiday/vacation! I've read reports that less than 2,000 western tourists a year are allowed in to visit the country so if you're lucky enough to get on a tour and, more importantly, allowed in, then think of yourself as one of the privileged few. That said when you are in the country, don't act foolishly and stray away from the rest of your tour group or tour guides (especially when visiting the DMZ!). You will get told off and so will your guides (and who knows what might happen to them after you leave). At some places we turned up at, some official looking guy would be around our bus or appear in the distance somewhere keeping an eye on us (the photo shows one such guy outside our lunch restaurant in Kaesong). At another place I asked one of my guides if I could take a photo of a Kim Il Sung mural at the opposite end of a square to where we were visiting, to which she replied that I could. I walked away and could have walked on a lot further in to the general public but then I didn't know who was secretly watching our every move.
Written Sep 10, 2008
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You'll know at least 30 days in advance what you'll see. And that's it. We tried to negotiate with guides to show us something outside our schedule, first answer is always maybe, maybe, but next day, after they consult their superiors...answer is: not scheduled, or not open, or we don't have time. Anyway, it's funny to listen their "white lies", and how they want to be polite but aware that they are telling lies sometimes. Almost like a game. :-) FUN !
Written Jan 22, 2008
I've never heard anyone swam at the North Korean sea shore. Fortunately, my family has been there and spent several hours without anyone around us. The water is not as clean as that at Thailand, but the spacious beach was REALLY ours. Great experience.
Written Sep 5, 2004
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For better photographic results, the best seasons to visit NK are winter ore enventually autumn. Avoid spring and summer, as it often rains and as there is much vegetation, you will get crappy green-and-grey shots, mostly without any sun...
Written Feb 22, 2004
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If there is a path off the beaten one - you won't be permitted to tread along it anyway - so forget it. You can't help feeling there's a lot more that you're not allowed to see, which can be very frustrating. But think of it this way, if smeone invited you into their house and showed you around, would you demand to see the rooms they hadn't shown you? Don't forget, you're not there as a 'tourist', you're a 'guest' of the DPRK.
The only time you get away from it all is when they take you into the mountains. However, even here, in what appears to be the middle of nowhere - the mountains and rock-faces are replete with huge murals praising Kim Il Sung and the revolution (in Korean, of course) carved into the rock itself. These things are huge and must have taken hundreds of man-hours to produce. I can honestly say that no matter where we were during our entire time in the DPRK we could always see at least one slogan or poster - even in the middle of the countryside with no dwellings around for miles.
The picture on the left is on one of the subway stations - they're all like this.
Written Aug 25, 2002
Most people forget to visit the monument to the Loaf.
Written Aug 25, 2002
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I felt that I like usually schedules, but sometimes You would like to have flexibility.
Written Aug 25, 2002
1 - 7 of 7
Koryo Hotel P'yongyang
16 Opinions
Yanggakdo Hotel P'yongyang
7 Reviews and 68 Opinions My first night in the hotel, we met our guides Mr. Lee and Che in the hotel lounge. I asked them if...
Ryanggang Hotel P'yongyang
9 Opinions
Reviews and photos of North Korea attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for North Korea sightseeing.
I felt that I like usually schedules, but sometimes You would like to have flexibility.
19 members live in North Korea
Q: Hi, Does anyone have experience in entering / re-entering Japan after a NK tour? I am a temporary resident here in Japan, and...
A: I just got back from the DPRK and a guy on my trip was a resident in Japan and planning on heading back there. I've not heard from him (his stay was longer than mine)...
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