What was Democratic Kampuchea? In short Democratic Kampuchea was the Khmer Rouge state that governed Cambodia from April 1975, until their overthrow in December of 1979. Despite its rather short tenure it is one of the most controversial states to have ever existed. And despite officially being overthrown in 1979, the “state” continued in some […]

Welcome to part three of YPT’s far-too-long history of the Khmer Rouge. It’s been something of a personal project that’s ballooned out of all proportion, but ah well, that’s the fun of it! If you haven’t read the first and second parts, I’d encourage you to do so! Or don’t, it’s up to you. Part […]

Malcolm Caldwell was a British Marxist intellectual and academic who became one of the few Western voices openly sympathetic to revolutionary regimes during the Cold War. Born in 1931, he spent much of his career critiquing Western imperialism and advocating radical social change. Caldwell was a lecturer at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies […]

Red Tourism, or being a red tourist company, is a stick we often get hit with at YPT. The truth, of course, is that we are much more than purveyors of this particularly niche genre. What is also true, though, is that the company was to some degree founded on the back of red tourism—and […]

Every January 7, Cambodia observes Victory Over Genocide Day, marking the end of one of the darkest chapters in its history. The day commemorates the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime, whose brutal rule from 1975 to 1979 claimed the lives of an estimated 1.7 to 2 million people. While officially a national holiday and […]

Dark tourism in Cambodia is a complex topic that often invites both intrigue and discomfort. It involves visiting sites associated with death, suffering, and the darker aspects of human history. While dark tourism can serve as a form of education, it also raises ethical questions regarding the exploitation of tragic events for commercial gain. This […]

Travel during the Cold War was not for the faint of heart. For those brave, curious, or politically aligned enough to cross into the communist world, it was a trip filled with red tape, strict regulations, and often, a hefty dose of propaganda. Despite the challenges, people did visit the Soviet Union, Eastern Bloc, and […]

When it comes to our travels around Cambodia, Battambang is undoubtedly a favorite of ours. This is for many reasons, such as the Bamboo Train and the Street Food, but we can now add the Battambang Killing Caves, as well its Bat Caves to the list. These two sites, while already well known have now […]

South Vietnam was a state that not only existed in the southern portion of Vietnam under a number of different names, but was also one of the most important in the world due to its role in the Vietnam war. The initial modern state that was known as South Vietnam came into being following the […]

Young Pioneer Tours have written extensively about the history of Cambodia, inclusive of Democratic Kampuchea to the Peoples Republic of Kampuchea and then back to the Kingdom of Cambodia. What many people do not realise though is that the country was very briefly known as the State of Cambodia. What’s in a name? Cambodia in […]