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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Sonbong County – North Korea Guide
18 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Introduction to Sonbong County Sonbong County — formerly known as Unggi — is a county in the North-East of North Korea that, combined with the town of Rajin, makes up the special economic zone of Rason. It borders both China and Russia, and allegedly …
Rajin
18 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Rajin – or as it is officially known, Rajin-Guyok – is a town in the north-east of North Korea that, combined with Sonbong, comprises half of the North Korean ‘super city’, and first ever Special Economic Zone of the country: Rason. Table of ContentsRa …
9 celebrities that have visited North Korea
18 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
For us at Young Pioneer Tours, there’s nothing quite as natural as a visit to North Korea. For most of the world, however, travel to the DPRK is still seen as a bit ‘out there’. This is particularly true of celebrities, and not too many famous folk hav …
The Karakoram Highway: 5 highlights
18 December 2019 / by Troy Collings
One of the highest roads in the world, the Karakoram Highway covers 1300 kilometres and peaks at 4714 meters above sea level, while winding its way from Hasan Abdal in Pakistan to Kashgar in China’s semi-autonomous Xinjiang Province. Taking twenty year …
Are you a Dark Tourist?
18 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Every now and then, an article about us that insinuates our tours constitutes ‘dark tourism.’ It would be fair to say that the majority of these articles are less than flattering. However, is it fair to decry every person that travels with our company …
Who are the Koryo-Saram?
18 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
‘Koryo-Saram’ is the collective name given to the members of the Korean diaspora that lived (and still live) in the former USSR. ‘Koryo’ is a historical name for the Korean peninsula, and ‘Saram’ means ‘people’. Hence, ‘Koryo-Saram’ = ‘Korean people’. …
7 things you need to know about durian: the world’s stinkiest snack!
17 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
If you’ve ever been to Southeast Asia you will have seen the signs that say “no smoking”, and “no durian” with a big red cross against consumption of this rather controversial of fruits! I’ve previously written about the differences between durian and …
7 reasons you should visit Seoul
17 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
At Young Pioneer Tours we have been pioneering travel to North Korea for over ten years, but despite this we have regularly run trips to Seoul as part of our All Koreas Tour. In celebration of One Korea, and because we just really like the place, here’ …
The Hanbok – Korea’s national dress
17 December 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
The hanbok is the national dress of the women of Korea, a dress that was still regularly worn on a daily basis until the early 20th century. Nowadays you will ladies wearing on special occasions in both the South and North of Korea, and it has a histor …
