"North Korea - The World's Most Isolated Country" Top 5 Page for this destination North Korea by Willettsworld

North Korea Travel Guide: 525 reviews and 1,685 photos

View of Kim Il Sung Square - children rehearsing

Just the mere words 'North Korea', or to give it its proper title, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, conjure up visions of an extreme Communist dictatorship, a strict daily allegiance to the 'Kim' regime, a brutal human rights record, economic hardship, poverty and famine due to bad flooding of farmland. All the reasons to stay way clear but I chose to see things for myself even though this is virtually impossible as you can only visit on a pre-determined government tour itinerary as part of a government approved tour group.

I read quite a few reports on the internet and saw other visitor's photo's before deciding that I just couldn't say no to visiting. It fact I was itching to go. It was a mixture of interest, mystery and intrigue that lead me to sign up on a tour in June 2008 so as to delve behind this last bastion of Soviet styled Communism that no other country has. North Korea is the last remaining relic of the Cold War and is the most isolated country on earth, hence its moniker - 'the hermit kingdom'. So to witness daily life in any way, shape or form was just something I couldn't wait to see for myself. North Korea - the so called 'Axis of Evil', as it is today, will eventually 'end' whether through war, revolution, or gradual change. Time will run-out, so if you're just curious like I was, now's the time to go and witness the country as it exists today.

I hope that my page will help you decide whether you should want to visit or not. If you do decide to visit then I hope that the information I give is, in some way, useful for you to make a start. To others I hope it'll just be an interesting read and that you enjoy the photos as they speak for themselves more than me writing about what they depict. I've put a day-by-day account of what and where we visited as part of the tour itinerary on one of my travelogues which I hope is of some use as to what to expect.

Typical propaganda mural on Pyongyang streets

Traffic lady with no traffic to direct

Pros and Cons

Pros:Surreal beyond belief, like no other country on earth, go see it before it ends!
Cons:Not allowed to walk around by yourself, always with guides, can never tap into the 'real' DPRK

Last visit to North Korea: Jun 2008
Intro Updated Oct 7, 2008
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Reviews (68)

Former DPRK officals holiday resort - North Korea

Former DPRK officals holiday resort Hotels (3)

We arrived here in the dark but were still able to make out the guards carrying riffles at a checkpoint at the entrance.... more travel advice

Nampo - West Sea Barrage Things to Do (34)

Nampo is a large industrial port city located about 50km south-west of Pyongyang at the mouth of the Taedong River. It... more travel advice

Panmunjom Things to Do (34)

Panmunjom is the general name for the area where buildings are located on both sides of the 38th parallel or DMZ which... more travel advice

Traditional Korean accommodation - North Korea

Traditional Korean accommodation Hotels (3)

We stayed the night here, at the Kaesong Folk Hotel, in the middle of the old part of Kaesong which was spared bombing... more travel advice

Restaurants (5)
See All Traditional Korean pansanggi
Favorites (7)
See All Guides at attractions
Sports & Outdoors (2)
See All Mini-golf at the Yanggakdo Hotel
Shopping (4)
See All TV's, lap-tops, beds & furniture - want...
Local Customs (5)
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Transportation (5)
See All Pyongyang to Beijing train
Nightlife (1)
Not much in the way of nightlife!
What to Pack (1)
Essentials, euro’s, dollars, RMB
Off The Beaten Path (1)
Don't stray from guides!
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Travelogues (7)

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Comments (5)

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BruceDunning Jan 1, 2011 at 1:58 PM

YOu certainly had some great factual detail of your trip and the travelogue was fantastic
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mickeyboy07 Aug 26, 2010 at 2:16 AM

Wow North Korean pages are simply excellent your a lucky man to have been,great pages
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hunterV Aug 18, 2010 at 5:49 AM

You are right, Glyn: there is a lot to see and to do there.....
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grets Oct 18, 2008 at 12:04 AM

Great page! You'll be 'pleased' to know that they have started contruction of the Ryugyong Hotel again now. We were able to buy KIS badges without any trouble at all ( 2wks ago), and were lucky enough to be 'invited' to Kumsusan Palace.
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CliffClaven Sep 17, 2008 at 8:08 AM

Great presentation and very informative