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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Asia
- North Korea
North Korea
North Korea is the world's most bizarre tourist destination and
for that reason uniquely worth visiting for the curious tourist
looking to experience a regime founded on a cult of personality and
delusional fear of outsiders.
It is ironic that the country's full title is the Democratic
Peoples Republic of Korea (DPKR) because this is easily the least
democratic place on earth. It is the purest example of a
totalitarian regime in that the state controls virtually every
aspect of life. In turn, that state is controlled by one man alone,
the diminutive, reclusive and exceptionally odd Kim Jung Ill. He
commands an army that numbers over 6 million, and his nation is the
most militaristic on earth with over 25 percent of GDP spent
annually on the armed forces.
Tourism is tightly controlled but visas are rarely refused. Only
about 1,500 western tourists visit each year, and all must enter as
part of an organised tour. Each group is assigned tour guides that
will accompany your every pre-ordained movement. On the plus side
your chance of getting mugged is zero.
Visitors should never insult or disrespect the regime or Kim
Jung Il, no matter how appealing the prospect. You and especially
your guide will get into serious trouble as it is safe to assume
that you are being monitored throughout your visit. In fact, in
North Korea it is impossible to be paranoid - here, you
areactually being watched all the time!
Tourists will enter on an Air Koryo flight, the national airline
which has the dubious distinction of earning the only one-star
rating by Skytrax, the lowest rating available. The EU has outright
banned Air Koryo from flying there.
The capital city is Pyongyang, notable for its strangely absent
people and empty roads. The main sites are enormous memorials and
statues commemorating the DPRK's founder leader Kim Il Sung. It's a
strange and unsettling city to visit, because lurking behind the
concrete facades that your guide will shepherd you past, are the
average citizens who live without power, regular food and any
vestige of human rights. The city skyline is dominated by the
enormous and permanently unfinished Ryugyong hotel, further
testament to the crazed and impractical imagination of the regime's
leader.
Information & Facts
Customs
Visitors to North Korea should be prepared for an utterly unique
travel experience, fraught with absurdity, and with little or no
personal freedom. It is impossible to be a tourist in North Korea
without signing up for an 'official' (government-run) tour package
- this includes two escorts (one male, one female) to pick you up
from your hotel, shepherd you from attraction to attraction, and
return you to your hotel at the end of the day. Note that it is
virtually impossible for tourists to have a spontaneous encounter
with locals - the tour packages are minutely orchestrated, so watch
what you say at all times, and NEVER criticise the government. Part
of the package will almost certainly be a visit to the monument of
Kim Il Sung, where you will be expected to bow solemnly and lay
flowers on his grave. If you are unprepared to do this, stay at
home. North Korea also has draconian laws regarding what foreigners
are allowed to bring into the country, and the penalties for
breaching these regulations can be extremely harsh, so make sure to
receive an updated list of contraband items from your travel agent
before packing your bags. In terms of 'regular' social etiquette,
bowing is the normal form of greeting (the deeper the bow, the more
respect being shown), and you will be expected to remove your shoes
when entering certain buildings or places of historical
interest.
Duty Free
Travellers to North Korea may import a reasonable amount of
tobacco and liquor without paying customs duty. Prohibited items
include binoculars, guns and ammunition, explosives, drugs, seeds,
and books or literature in Korean. Gifts, cameras, watches, tape
recorders and precious metals must be declared on arrival.
Passport Visa
Passport and/or passport replacing document must be valid on
arrival. Visitors must hold tickets and documents required for
their next destination and sufficient funds to cover their stay. It
is highly recommended that passports have at least six months
validity remaining after your intended date of departure from your
travel destination. Immigration officials often apply different
rules to those stated by travel agents and official sources.