North Korea.
I’ve been to a variety of completely different locations all through the world, and none of them have elicited such an emotional response from folks after I inform them that I simply returned from North Korea.
Some folks have been actually , whereas others seem confused. Some people discover it amusing, others assume I’m joking, and but others take into account it preposterous for me to assert I went to North Korea.
After I inform folks about my superb time in North Korea and the way it’s among the best journeys ever, their reactions are priceless. Utter disbelief is commonplace, however I’d fortunately return once more.
It’s typically troublesome to get pleasure from a visit to North Korea whereas concurrently expressing assist for the present regime. Some folks look like confused on this concern. I didn’t consider I used to be placing my life in peril. Slightly, it felt like one of many most secure locations I had been to when there.
1. There are lots of fascinating vacationer locations in North Korea.
North Korea is stuffed with attention-grabbing points of interest, making it a must-see vacation spot for anybody who likes to journey.
Pyongyang, the nation’s capital and largest metropolis, is a captivating vacation spot. There are such a lot of monuments, nice squares, and luxurious buildings within the metropolis. We have been in a position to go to their most vital statues, museums, in addition to the Juche Tower, which is 120 meters tall.
Not solely does North Korea current completely different sights than what chances are you’ll be used to, however visiting on a regular basis locations like malls, parks, and the subway can really feel like a vacationer attraction in itself! Every thing is attention-grabbing as a result of it’s so completely different from residence—and even when it’s acquainted, that unfamiliarity makes it intriguing.
With all of the demonizing of North Korea within the media, it’s simple to neglect that that is nonetheless a rustic populated by regular folks.
There’s additionally an opportunity to see the DMZ, which is the border with South Korea (not that there are two Koreas in North Korea; it’s all Korea). I’ve already written about this after I visited from the south facet. It was, undoubtedly, essentially the most superb journey expertise I’d ever had till I went to North Korea. It’s much more particular since you’re visiting it from the opposite facet.
2. Visiting North Korea is like stepping right into a time machine.
I’ve by no means felt like I’ve been transported again in time. Folks used to speak about going backward in time after I went to Burma, however that’s nothing in comparison with North Korea.
This place appears prefer it hasn’t modified because the Chilly Warfare 50 years in the past. At occasions, I felt like I used to be in an outdated Disney film, like after I took the lodge raise and there was man urgent the buttons in a full on uniform together with hat and gloves.
I felt as if I used to be watching a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie moderately than witnessing it in individual.
3. North Korea is a captivating topic.
To place it one other approach, life in North Korea is not like life anyplace else on the planet (or anything I’ve seen). The very first thing is propaganda. There seemed to be a unending provide of murals and banners. Nonetheless, most of them had a transparent army theme to them.
The persons are way more fascinating. They’re, to start with, all well-dressed and well-groomed. Folks put on fits or formal clothes as a substitute of their very own. I spent a variety of time looking via bus and prepare home windows, and everybody seemed immaculate.
The fourth trait to search for in a great pet is how keen and obedient they’re. When crossing the highway, each particular person would get off their bike and stroll it over. Each single individual.
This was the case with everything- folks all the time following the foundations completely every time we have been round. Clearly, this made for a really uninteresting society.
The ultimate cause I discovered it so fascinating is that there’s all the time a query about what’s actual and what’s not.
Excursions to North Korea all the time have Korean tour guides, besides within the lodge or on the prepare. All parts of the journey are organized and set-up previous to your arrival.
It’s troublesome to decipher which experiences are actual and put-on. For instance, after we noticed lots of of individuals partaking in synchronous dancing, it didn’t appear real. However would they undergo all that hassle for the sake of 30 vacationers? Even when it was faux, their dedication is fascinating.
I felt as if I have been in The Truman Present, anticipating the identical folks to stroll by me a number of occasions.I attempted memorizing faces to see in the event that they have been actually actual or a part of the arrange, however I couldn’t inform for positive.
4. It’s easy to go to North Korea.
What would possibly come as a shock is you can simply go to North Korea by merely taking a tour. I did simply that–I signed up, paid the price, stuffed out some paperwork, and it was all set. It’s value noting that the 795 Euro price ticket wasn’t even costly.
Sometimes, you need to first go to Beijing. Trains and flights can be found from right here. Different potentialities exist, however that is the one which Western vacationers will most regularly use. South Koreans aren’t permitted to enter (except they’ve a special passport) , whereas different nationalities can achieve this.
In case you’re on the lookout for an incredible firm to journey with, I extremely advocate Younger Pioneer Excursions.
5. There’s a really small likelihood of being a sufferer of crime.
I felt no anxiousness as quickly as I set foot in North Korea. My fear about one thing horrible taking place to me as soon as I acquired there vanished. So long as the nation didn’t go to struggle and I didn’t act stupidly in opposition to their guidelines or legal guidelines, I had nothing to be involved about.
I didn’t need to be involved about pickpockets, my lodge room being robbed, or turning into mugged whereas I used to be in North Korea. Once you go to North Korea, the possibility of turning into against the law sufferer may be very small.
