Chittagong
Gold Member
TL;DR - Surreal, friendly and hardworking - like a life size Truman Show that has ran for three generations, North Korea (DPRK) is a travel experience unlikely to be repeated in any society in the future of humanity.
I had recently a chance to visit North Korea and thought I would share the experience with fellow gaffers. I won't say exactly when I was there, or with which agency I went with, to ensure the travel agency won't see restrictions in the future. Significant change is under way in the country, with more hotels being built and an University of Tourism being planned. I believe the next 10 years will see the country radically transform - good time to start a thread about it.
Getting there
Getting to DPRK is much easier than you would ever imagine. I mean, so much easier you won't believe it. As I understood it, there are no limitations in travellers to the country imposed by the government. So pretty much anyone who fancies to go and has the means should be able to (except for South Koreans, I believe).
Generally, getting a visa was much more straight forwards than getting a Chinese or Indian visa, for example. There are two ways to get a visa:
- Business: get invited by a local host, e.g. to a trade show in DPRK. This option allows you to live and move independently around Pyongyang.
- Tourism: Guided tour arranged by KITC. This can be done by participating a group via a travel agent as is typical, but direct booking for a private group is also possible. This option means you will always be accompanied by a guide and see destinations in their itinerary - which is currently top notch. The travel agency will manage all the travel permissions, flight bookings, visas etc. for you.
Flying in
You'll fly into Pyongyang from Beijing with Air Koryo. The planes are relatively new Tupolevs which I find more quiet inside than A320s. Our plane was full, perhaps surprisingly filled mostly by DPRK citizens - easy to spot by their red national pin in their jacket. Local newspapers detailing the latest endeavours of the Great Leader in English are free of charge, national music is blasted at full volume and films of DPRKs achievements is shown on the screens. A sandwich and drinks are served during the 1.5h flight. We got a burger and beer - I never imagined that the first time I'd have a burger in a plane would be en route to Pyongyang. The landing strip is in a fairly rough shape and the airport tiny, but a new, massive one is being built next door.
Crossing the border
You'll need to declare computers, mobile phones, book/magazines and cash. The authorities will log your mobile phone but you get to keep it. Generally I found crossing the border easier and friendlier than the harsh and thorough US airport border control.
First impressions of Pyongyang
- It's very serene. The lack of any commercial messages makes everything look very calm and clean. It's a striking difference to a capitalist country full of billboards, neon signs, shops, gas stations, bus stop ads... There are very few cars on the roads, people mostly walk or bike. This all combines to a relaxed sense of peace and ease.
- Everything is clean and tidy. There are zero graffiti in DPRK. The road sides are clean, there is no litter anywhere. You'll see lots of people cleaning things, planting trees, trimming bushes and generally keeping Pyongyang tidy.
- Jaw-dropping architecture. You'll see some of the most incredible examples of communist architecture - giant stadiums, oversized archs, massive monuments, huge buildings. Many buildings look much more modern than you'd probably expect.
- Commercial establishments don't exist. No car dealerships, cellular operator stores, coffee shops, gas stations, electronics retailers, real estate agents, fashion retailers, supermarkets, banks, insurance companies, fast food chains - they simply don't exist. The only retailers are state run shops and kiosks selling groceries, such as beer and candy.
- It's like stepping to a time machine. People wear strikingly traditional clothes, there are vintage style propaganda posters all around the city without any commercial insignia to root you into the modern era, and even music sounds like early 20th century. Generally the daily life, cars aside, looks like you would have arrived to the 1960s.
- It feels like an alternate universe. This feeling is truly profound. People seem to live in this fantasy where the outer world doesn't really exist, everything is about their country, their leader and their latest achievements. There is very little exposure to anything from the rest of the world. No foreign music, media or products at all.
What you'll see during your trip
Provided you come on a tourist visa, you'll go by an itinerary defined by KITC. It will cover some 8-10 sights a day - monuments, historical locations, places with views, museums. Each site will be introduced with a mini lecture, fully memorised by the guide. I personally found that the most interesting thing is everything surrounding you rather, than the sites as such; everything is so different and surreal that your eye will just wander. But the sites are spectacular too - everything in top shape, massive and impressive. It's evident that the country is incredibly poor. Due to the severe economical sanctions there is very little gas, so there are virtually no cars on the roads except for some in the cities. Electricity is saved whenever possible - Pyongyang goes all dark every night. Despite all that you see upbeat people working hard to make things work.
People
Everyone we met is incredibly friendly and polite - a striking difference to China where people can be rude, pushing you around and cutting in queues. The people interacting with tourists speak remarkably good english.The most heart warming experiences are the locals happily waiving to you. Once, a soldier on patrol made a peace sign to us.
The guides seem to be happy to answer all kinds of questions of life in DPRK, provided you stay respectful and don't try to pick an argument or put them in a position where they would criticise their country. They were happy to talk about things like lack of electricity or the surprising approach taken to teach English to the people - Disney films with subtitles instead of dubbing.
As a side note, I find the girls in DPRK the most beautiful in Asia - go figure.
Costs
Generally, all meals, drinks and hotels are inclusive, so you'll pay only for extra alcohol. There are no ATMs and credit cards are not accepted due to the trade embargo, so you need to bring all the money you need with you. Euros are recommended, dollars not accepted. Beers range from 0.5e in the local to 5e in the sky bar, with around 2.5e being the norm. Souvenirs range from 1-100e, with paintings available for up to 800e. I bought a book about propaganda poster art for 15e and some pamphlets written by the Great Leader for 1e each. You'll get Euros back, too.
Food & Drinks
You'll be treated to a seemingly random mix of traditional Korean and simple Western food. A typical meal has a barrage of starters ranging from hot dogs to kimchee, corn to nigiri, boiled egg to sliced meat. The main course is often rice or noodles with a sauce, but after the gigantic starters it's usually an afterthought. The meat, as you might gather, is rather small in quantities, so don't expect big meat feasts.
Vegetarian options are always available on request - mostly egg, tofu and veg. Don't expect many soft drinks - but beer is available everywhere, and I think some of them are pretty decent actually.
Mobile phones and internet
You'll get to keep your mobile phone and can take pictures with it. There is no internet or cell coverage with your SIM, however. You could buy a local SIM at the airport, but then again, why not enjoy what probably is the only legitimate excuse not to be reachable for a week and take an unprecedented break of browsing the web.
Safety
Provided you follow the rules, DPRK is probably one of the safest countries you will ever visit. There is no crime against tourists - nobody will mug you, steal your stuff, scam you, break into your hotel room or try to sell you drugs.
Politics and ethics
The various human rights and humanitarian issues in DPRK have been documented at length by South Korean and American media, so it's unlikely that your trip will add anything into that discourse, or that you would even get to encounter any of those issues. My advice is to focus on the side of the story unreported in the West - the positives. It's a remarkable country to experience and your visit will provide safe and pleasant work for a big group of people - guides, bus drivers, hotel staff, waiters, chefs - best not overthink it. Also, tourism brings in a crucially important stream of foreign currency to the country - something they are not able to get otherwise at all, as witnessed by the nearly complete lack of cars on roads.
Limitations
There are limitations as to what you can do and photograph, but generally it's much more relaxed than I expected. You can shoot pretty much everything you see while touring the country, and even out of bus windows on occasion.
The main limitations are:
- Don't photograph military or police. This is a real shame, because the traffic girls are gorgeous, but the limitation is really not so different from any other country.
- Don't go on a solo walk. If you wandered out of the hotel it's likely that you'd get to roam the city relatively free of disruption, but on your return you'd find that all your groups visits would have been cancelled and you'd need to stay in the hotel for the remainder of the trip with some very angry fellow travellers.
- DMZ and the Great Leader statues are mire tense as there is military presence, making the guides feel more pressure to be strict
FAQs
Will I get to see labour camps and prisoners?
No. You won't get to see Guantanamo Bay or the death row either. The point is, each government has things which are not accessible to foreigners. You can't infer the quality of the human rights violation (i.e. how horrible it is) or the quantity of it (how much of it happens) just based on the fact that there is restriction of access.
Some restriction of access to military and judiciary sites is probably morally benign (German jails, Finnish army compounds). Some of the limited sites are morally questionable (Guantanamo bay, Russian military training of rookies). Some of the limited sites are morally outright wrong (Saudi Arabian amputation punishments, Singaporean caning, Sudan death sentence for marrying a Christian).
Why do the tours only cover historical, natural, arts and military sights?
That's what people of DPRK are proud of and want to show. Kind of like how in London you'll end up seeing Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus, not Elephant & Castle or Ilford.
Why don't I get to roam free? What are they afraid I'll see?
Interestingly, I came to understand that not being able to roam free us not about what they don't want you to see. It's rather about what they don't want to see - which is exposing the locals to external culture. Remember, all the media is controlled by the state, and they have their own internet. That system wouldn't really work if you had westerners roaming free with their iPads playing Gangnam Style, showing photographs of the western world, distributing critical articles, or showing blockbuster films to the locals.
Will it all be just a fake, staged show of a country?
No. You will tour hundreds of kilometres and see very rural and poor villages on the way. You will see pretty grim circumstances, and surprisingly upbeat, friendly people overcoming them.
Are there really no brands?
Aside from a can of Coke or a Kirin in a tourist shop or BMW of the embassy, there are truly no brands or ads in the country. Almost nobody recognises Apple, Nike, McDonalds or Starbucks. Not even shops or restaurants have brands. The country is experimenting in making a domestic car brand called 'Peace', however, so change is underway.
Will I get in trouble for criticising the Juche system or the Great Leader?
Best not try. At best it leads to awkwardness between you and your guides, as they can't anyway engage in a critical discussion. At worst, I imagine it would be like speaking against Islam while in a Sharia country. Very little to gain, much to lose.
Do they check the content in my digital camera, notebooks, iPads?
We did not have this happen to anyone, and we were pretty trigger happy with our cameras - respecting the main limitations naturally.
Essential reading
Posters in this thread have shared some articles and videos that are important to see for anyone considering travel to the country:
Guardian interviews DPRK defectors on the ethics of travelling to the country
National Geographic undercover documentary of the severe human conditions. The journalist took a risk of a lifetime producing this.
UN report on North Korea
Video Tour
Someone who was in Pyongyang at the same time as I was got the permission to shoot and publish a video tour from his trip. This gives you a good chance to see what it feels like to be in Pyongyang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4hLctBvojE&feature=youtu.be
Bottom-line
Going to DPRK is like stepping into an alternate universe, a country size Truman Show that has ran for three generations. Finding yourself deep behind a genuine iron curtain is a profound, bizarre experience not likely to be repeated ever again in the future of humanity in another society. You'll get to see remarkable sights, be treated by friendly and hospitable people and get to experience a break of the bombarding promotional messages of Western countries.
The visit will make you reflect and value your everyday in a way you probably haven't before. As long as you follow the rules, you'll be super safe and have a great time.
Definitely my top recommended destination in the world right now. I think DPRK opening up a bit for visitors can be the beginning of something better.
I had recently a chance to visit North Korea and thought I would share the experience with fellow gaffers. I won't say exactly when I was there, or with which agency I went with, to ensure the travel agency won't see restrictions in the future. Significant change is under way in the country, with more hotels being built and an University of Tourism being planned. I believe the next 10 years will see the country radically transform - good time to start a thread about it.
Getting there
Getting to DPRK is much easier than you would ever imagine. I mean, so much easier you won't believe it. As I understood it, there are no limitations in travellers to the country imposed by the government. So pretty much anyone who fancies to go and has the means should be able to (except for South Koreans, I believe).
Generally, getting a visa was much more straight forwards than getting a Chinese or Indian visa, for example. There are two ways to get a visa:
- Business: get invited by a local host, e.g. to a trade show in DPRK. This option allows you to live and move independently around Pyongyang.
- Tourism: Guided tour arranged by KITC. This can be done by participating a group via a travel agent as is typical, but direct booking for a private group is also possible. This option means you will always be accompanied by a guide and see destinations in their itinerary - which is currently top notch. The travel agency will manage all the travel permissions, flight bookings, visas etc. for you.
Flying in
You'll fly into Pyongyang from Beijing with Air Koryo. The planes are relatively new Tupolevs which I find more quiet inside than A320s. Our plane was full, perhaps surprisingly filled mostly by DPRK citizens - easy to spot by their red national pin in their jacket. Local newspapers detailing the latest endeavours of the Great Leader in English are free of charge, national music is blasted at full volume and films of DPRKs achievements is shown on the screens. A sandwich and drinks are served during the 1.5h flight. We got a burger and beer - I never imagined that the first time I'd have a burger in a plane would be en route to Pyongyang. The landing strip is in a fairly rough shape and the airport tiny, but a new, massive one is being built next door.
Crossing the border
You'll need to declare computers, mobile phones, book/magazines and cash. The authorities will log your mobile phone but you get to keep it. Generally I found crossing the border easier and friendlier than the harsh and thorough US airport border control.
First impressions of Pyongyang
- It's very serene. The lack of any commercial messages makes everything look very calm and clean. It's a striking difference to a capitalist country full of billboards, neon signs, shops, gas stations, bus stop ads... There are very few cars on the roads, people mostly walk or bike. This all combines to a relaxed sense of peace and ease.
- Everything is clean and tidy. There are zero graffiti in DPRK. The road sides are clean, there is no litter anywhere. You'll see lots of people cleaning things, planting trees, trimming bushes and generally keeping Pyongyang tidy.
- Jaw-dropping architecture. You'll see some of the most incredible examples of communist architecture - giant stadiums, oversized archs, massive monuments, huge buildings. Many buildings look much more modern than you'd probably expect.
- Commercial establishments don't exist. No car dealerships, cellular operator stores, coffee shops, gas stations, electronics retailers, real estate agents, fashion retailers, supermarkets, banks, insurance companies, fast food chains - they simply don't exist. The only retailers are state run shops and kiosks selling groceries, such as beer and candy.
- It's like stepping to a time machine. People wear strikingly traditional clothes, there are vintage style propaganda posters all around the city without any commercial insignia to root you into the modern era, and even music sounds like early 20th century. Generally the daily life, cars aside, looks like you would have arrived to the 1960s.
- It feels like an alternate universe. This feeling is truly profound. People seem to live in this fantasy where the outer world doesn't really exist, everything is about their country, their leader and their latest achievements. There is very little exposure to anything from the rest of the world. No foreign music, media or products at all.
What you'll see during your trip
Provided you come on a tourist visa, you'll go by an itinerary defined by KITC. It will cover some 8-10 sights a day - monuments, historical locations, places with views, museums. Each site will be introduced with a mini lecture, fully memorised by the guide. I personally found that the most interesting thing is everything surrounding you rather, than the sites as such; everything is so different and surreal that your eye will just wander. But the sites are spectacular too - everything in top shape, massive and impressive. It's evident that the country is incredibly poor. Due to the severe economical sanctions there is very little gas, so there are virtually no cars on the roads except for some in the cities. Electricity is saved whenever possible - Pyongyang goes all dark every night. Despite all that you see upbeat people working hard to make things work.
People
Everyone we met is incredibly friendly and polite - a striking difference to China where people can be rude, pushing you around and cutting in queues. The people interacting with tourists speak remarkably good english.The most heart warming experiences are the locals happily waiving to you. Once, a soldier on patrol made a peace sign to us.
The guides seem to be happy to answer all kinds of questions of life in DPRK, provided you stay respectful and don't try to pick an argument or put them in a position where they would criticise their country. They were happy to talk about things like lack of electricity or the surprising approach taken to teach English to the people - Disney films with subtitles instead of dubbing.
As a side note, I find the girls in DPRK the most beautiful in Asia - go figure.
Costs
Generally, all meals, drinks and hotels are inclusive, so you'll pay only for extra alcohol. There are no ATMs and credit cards are not accepted due to the trade embargo, so you need to bring all the money you need with you. Euros are recommended, dollars not accepted. Beers range from 0.5e in the local to 5e in the sky bar, with around 2.5e being the norm. Souvenirs range from 1-100e, with paintings available for up to 800e. I bought a book about propaganda poster art for 15e and some pamphlets written by the Great Leader for 1e each. You'll get Euros back, too.
Food & Drinks
You'll be treated to a seemingly random mix of traditional Korean and simple Western food. A typical meal has a barrage of starters ranging from hot dogs to kimchee, corn to nigiri, boiled egg to sliced meat. The main course is often rice or noodles with a sauce, but after the gigantic starters it's usually an afterthought. The meat, as you might gather, is rather small in quantities, so don't expect big meat feasts.
Vegetarian options are always available on request - mostly egg, tofu and veg. Don't expect many soft drinks - but beer is available everywhere, and I think some of them are pretty decent actually.
Mobile phones and internet
You'll get to keep your mobile phone and can take pictures with it. There is no internet or cell coverage with your SIM, however. You could buy a local SIM at the airport, but then again, why not enjoy what probably is the only legitimate excuse not to be reachable for a week and take an unprecedented break of browsing the web.
Safety
Provided you follow the rules, DPRK is probably one of the safest countries you will ever visit. There is no crime against tourists - nobody will mug you, steal your stuff, scam you, break into your hotel room or try to sell you drugs.
Politics and ethics
The various human rights and humanitarian issues in DPRK have been documented at length by South Korean and American media, so it's unlikely that your trip will add anything into that discourse, or that you would even get to encounter any of those issues. My advice is to focus on the side of the story unreported in the West - the positives. It's a remarkable country to experience and your visit will provide safe and pleasant work for a big group of people - guides, bus drivers, hotel staff, waiters, chefs - best not overthink it. Also, tourism brings in a crucially important stream of foreign currency to the country - something they are not able to get otherwise at all, as witnessed by the nearly complete lack of cars on roads.
Limitations
There are limitations as to what you can do and photograph, but generally it's much more relaxed than I expected. You can shoot pretty much everything you see while touring the country, and even out of bus windows on occasion.
The main limitations are:
- Don't photograph military or police. This is a real shame, because the traffic girls are gorgeous, but the limitation is really not so different from any other country.
- Don't go on a solo walk. If you wandered out of the hotel it's likely that you'd get to roam the city relatively free of disruption, but on your return you'd find that all your groups visits would have been cancelled and you'd need to stay in the hotel for the remainder of the trip with some very angry fellow travellers.
- DMZ and the Great Leader statues are mire tense as there is military presence, making the guides feel more pressure to be strict
FAQs
Will I get to see labour camps and prisoners?
No. You won't get to see Guantanamo Bay or the death row either. The point is, each government has things which are not accessible to foreigners. You can't infer the quality of the human rights violation (i.e. how horrible it is) or the quantity of it (how much of it happens) just based on the fact that there is restriction of access.
Some restriction of access to military and judiciary sites is probably morally benign (German jails, Finnish army compounds). Some of the limited sites are morally questionable (Guantanamo bay, Russian military training of rookies). Some of the limited sites are morally outright wrong (Saudi Arabian amputation punishments, Singaporean caning, Sudan death sentence for marrying a Christian).
Why do the tours only cover historical, natural, arts and military sights?
That's what people of DPRK are proud of and want to show. Kind of like how in London you'll end up seeing Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus, not Elephant & Castle or Ilford.
Why don't I get to roam free? What are they afraid I'll see?
Interestingly, I came to understand that not being able to roam free us not about what they don't want you to see. It's rather about what they don't want to see - which is exposing the locals to external culture. Remember, all the media is controlled by the state, and they have their own internet. That system wouldn't really work if you had westerners roaming free with their iPads playing Gangnam Style, showing photographs of the western world, distributing critical articles, or showing blockbuster films to the locals.
Will it all be just a fake, staged show of a country?
No. You will tour hundreds of kilometres and see very rural and poor villages on the way. You will see pretty grim circumstances, and surprisingly upbeat, friendly people overcoming them.
Are there really no brands?
Aside from a can of Coke or a Kirin in a tourist shop or BMW of the embassy, there are truly no brands or ads in the country. Almost nobody recognises Apple, Nike, McDonalds or Starbucks. Not even shops or restaurants have brands. The country is experimenting in making a domestic car brand called 'Peace', however, so change is underway.
Will I get in trouble for criticising the Juche system or the Great Leader?
Best not try. At best it leads to awkwardness between you and your guides, as they can't anyway engage in a critical discussion. At worst, I imagine it would be like speaking against Islam while in a Sharia country. Very little to gain, much to lose.
Do they check the content in my digital camera, notebooks, iPads?
We did not have this happen to anyone, and we were pretty trigger happy with our cameras - respecting the main limitations naturally.
Essential reading
Posters in this thread have shared some articles and videos that are important to see for anyone considering travel to the country:
Guardian interviews DPRK defectors on the ethics of travelling to the country
National Geographic undercover documentary of the severe human conditions. The journalist took a risk of a lifetime producing this.
UN report on North Korea
Video Tour
Someone who was in Pyongyang at the same time as I was got the permission to shoot and publish a video tour from his trip. This gives you a good chance to see what it feels like to be in Pyongyang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4hLctBvojE&feature=youtu.be
Bottom-line
Going to DPRK is like stepping into an alternate universe, a country size Truman Show that has ran for three generations. Finding yourself deep behind a genuine iron curtain is a profound, bizarre experience not likely to be repeated ever again in the future of humanity in another society. You'll get to see remarkable sights, be treated by friendly and hospitable people and get to experience a break of the bombarding promotional messages of Western countries.
The visit will make you reflect and value your everyday in a way you probably haven't before. As long as you follow the rules, you'll be super safe and have a great time.
Definitely my top recommended destination in the world right now. I think DPRK opening up a bit for visitors can be the beginning of something better.
