Young Pioneer Tours
Blog
Welcome to the Young Pioneer Tours Blog, the place where we we keep you informed about everything YPT, from current tours, to future tours and a whole lot of eclectic stuff in between.
YPT first started blogging in 2008 and are considered the best North Korean Travel blog that there is.
But, as Young Pioneer Tours have expanded our locations, so have we expanded our blog. Now we have one of the best travel blogs in the world!
And while most of our content is about the numerous destinations we go, including travel guides and what to pack, we also delve into more serious subjects such as the safety of certain destinations, as well as how LGTBQ+ friendly the places we visit are.
While the vast majority of our content is produced in-house, we are always on the look-out for guest bloggers and writers. Want to write for us? Then simply get in touch.
You can also check out our sister publication YPT Life.
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Independence Day is a big deal for any country, but some do it better than others.
4 March 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
For our first tour in Africa, we knew that we had to do something truly special. Initially, it seemed almost too good to be true; two rarely visited and intriguing countries, close enough to each other on the map, both with distinctive Independenc …
Soviet Pepsi and Alcoholism: How to drink in Central Asia
27 February 2016 / by YPT Team
There is an old joke in the former Soviet Union that in the late 1970’s Pepsi opened its first bottling plant in the Crimea, then part of the USSR. A representative of Pepsi asked the USSR Minister of Food what the most popular drink in the USSR was. H …
“Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China” – Dinner with a Red Army Veteran
25 February 2016 / by John McGovern
“It was a really bitter time, people nowadays wouldn’t believe it, it was so, so bitter,”said Lao Wu about his time in the Red Army, while eating a bowl of potato, carrot, tomato and rice that his wife had prepared for us. Lao Wu, 86 years old, l …
The Borsch Express – Or, how I stayed sane on a six day train
22 February 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
Ever thought about embarking upon the Trans Siberian or Trans Mongolian? Last year, YPT’s Shane spent six days and five nights on board the direct service from Beijing to Moscow as part of our Eurasian Adventure. He shares his surv …
Somaliland doesn’t technically exist. Here it is anyway
13 February 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
When you think of Somalia, you probably think about pirates and danger, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But although Somalia is considered too dangerous for tourists, the unrecognised country of Somaliland couldn’t be more different. Her …
Interesting Border Crossings of the World
4 February 2016 / by Caitlin Graham
Always be careful who you’re speaking to. “$20, $20, give me $20” said the border guard between Turkmenistan and Iran. In most cases when a corrupt minor official asks us for money, it’s a simple matter of ignoring them and walking away. When we t …
Favourite pictures of North Korea in 2015
4 February 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
2015 was an eventful year in the DPRK. From the lows of the early year border closure to the highs of the Liberation and Party Foundation anniversaries, it’s been a roller-coaster. YPT’s Shane shares with us 5 of his favorite shots/moments i …
Tackling the Cuban Currency: CUPs and CUCs
2 February 2016 / by Gareth Johnson
Sat in a fast food diner right in the heart of downtown Havana, I ordered a beer and a Cuban sandwich. The latter, for those who’ve never tried one, is like no ordinary sandwich – it comes in a baguette, Cuban bread stuffed to the brim with roaste …
