Anyone visited Pyongyang?

[inferno]

http://wikitravel.org/en/Pyongyang

Yes, weird I know!

It's meant to be the last true bastion of communism. I don't know what it is about the place but I would like to travel there to see how people live under such a tough & isolated regime, the architecture is another reason too. I've heard from someone that it's a really different and sobering experince.

[Double Drop]

North Korea is a pretty dodgy place to go at the moment. Check the Home Office guidelines before you even think of it.

[inferno]

North Korea is a pretty dodgy place to go at the moment. Check the Home Office guidelines before you even think of it.

It's expensive & dodgey to do. There are a few specialist travel companies in the UK that do packages starting from £2500. I would sooner go to a more luxurious holiday destination for that kind of cash! but as a life experience I would still like to go there. I would probably end up appreciating a lot more the civil liberties we enjoy here afterwards.

[Double Drop]

You thought about Russia?

Plenty of period architecture but a bit more accessible. My bro went there a good few years ago and loved it, did all the cold war equipment stores, Gorky Park and shizzle like that. Did the Trans-Siberian Railway as well and said it was proper mental.

He took the trains right across Europe: France, Germany, Serbia, Croatia, Russia etc. Got a season ticket or some such that was valid for the lot.

[inferno]

You thought about Russia?

Plenty of period architecture but a bit more accessible. My bro went there a good few years ago and loved it, did all the cold war equipment stores, Gorky Park and shizzle like that. Did the Trans-Siberian Railway as well and said it was proper mental.

He took the trains right across Europe: France, Germany, Serbia, Croatia, Russia etc. Got a season ticket or some such that was valid for the lot.

Definetly a safer alternative to NK, Russia deffo has plenty to offer with it's cold war past and that's the sinister experience I'm kind of looking for hmm. I will have too look more carefully into it. In NK you aren't supposed to rome the streats without a govenrment licensed guide. In Russia you can at least go out by yourself without risk of being arrsted for being a potential spy.

[champion puffa]

In Russia you can at least go out by yourself without risk of being arrsted for being a potential spy.

arrested for being a spy..no

drugged, beaten, stripped of your clothes, money, passport, then left for dead in the gutter.....very possibly.

happened a number of times to shipers when i was there.

i would not go anywhere in eastern europe alone.


like you though i have wanted to do the NK / Nam thing....and there are 5 countries that communism is runnun tings so maybe check the other 4 if thats what you want to experience.

People's Republic of China
Republic of Cuba
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos)
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

[ian saunders]

my friends did the Trans-Siberian last August - they loved it (though they said they would never do it again lol)
The compartments are tiny (but by the end they saaid they had no problems with the size at all. You can't really take a shower, and they njust got utterly cunted every night, although the scenery is amazing. You can split it up and get off in Tomsk which is a beautiful city, and there are loads of resorts in Siberia (nice in the summer) that are out of this world (i've seen their pics).
They had no hassle at all as far as i'm aware.

My mates live in Poland so i go over there 2-3 times a year, never had any problems. If you go over there cunting people off then you are going to get trouble, but if you're cool you'll have no problems (the women are.......stunning! - theys end us the dregs over here lol)

North Korea is probably quite dull. You will have a state guide or two organizing every second of your holiday, your rooms will be bugged and your interaction with the locals will be zero. There would be no exploring on your own at all -if you do you'll be imprisoned as being a spy.

[Nokka]

id rather visit Chynobyl than North Korea...Im sure there are nice places in North Korea but the fact the government wants no one in speaks volumes.

[samuel]

I know this is finnish document, thus has finnish subtitles. And I don't know if the download works for you guys, but try it (I know it works here, but there's been discussion that it has been sold to foreign countries thus it would not be possible to download it there, the download then costs 3 euros...)

http://www.infinitehumanstupidity.com/Themepark_1984/ (click the image)

Another finnish document worth seeing is the "Shadow Of The Holy Book" which is not about North Korea but Turkmenistan, it's pretty far out country as well.

Here's the trailer.

[Double Drop]

http://wikitravel.org/en/Pyongyang

Yes, weird I know!

It's meant to be the last true bastion of communism. I don't know what it is about the place but I would like to travel there to see how people live under such a tough & isolated regime, the architecture is another reason too. I've heard from someone that it's a really different and sobering experince.

Pop into HWND Off Topic mate, one of the guys on there is living in South Korea at the moment and might be able to help.

[inferno]

http://wikitravel.org/en/Pyongyang

Yes, weird I know!

It's meant to be the last true bastion of communism. I don't know what it is about the place but I would like to travel there to see how people live under such a tough & isolated regime, the architecture is another reason too. I've heard from someone that it's a really different and sobering experince.

Pop into HWND Off Topic mate, one of the guys on there is living in South Korea at the moment and might be able to help.

Thanks DD! :-) I'm not in a hurry to go there atm but I would definetly consider it at some point when I'm financially able and have researched a little bit more into it.

[Beagle]

.Im sure there are nice places in North Korea

dunno about that. Seems to me to be abject poverty as all the wealth goes straight to the military regime.

There're some great photographs here:

http://boston.com/bigpicture/2009/04/pe ... korea.html

[champion puffa]

.Im sure there are nice places in North Korea

dunno about that. Seems to me to be abject poverty as all the wealth goes straight to the military regime.

There're some great photographs here:

http://boston.com/bigpicture/2009/04/pe ... korea.html

great find and some great photos.

there was summit on the tv last night about NK...any1 see it?