North Korea tour last week

diamount · 14 Sep 2016 at 14:09

Glaucus said:
i never understand this, your money is insignificant. the experience of a different culture is far more valuable, if no one went, no one would know what the country is like. locals would never see anything different.

whats the agency?
you going to hells door when in Turkmenistan? so wont to visit that place, well in fact g everywhere.

I wouldn't call the theatrics they put on to be a good insight into their culture but you are welcome to that opinion.

Glaucus · 14 Sep 2016 at 14:22

diamount said:
I wouldn't call the theatrics they put on to be a good insight into their culture but you are welcome to that opinion.

if that isnt part of their culture what is it?
would you rather just not kno, not experience it, which only goes to help further such regimes.
more people who know about it and more first hand experience the better.

zom247 · 14 Sep 2016 at 16:10

MickeyFinns said:
I work for an agency running tours to unusual places .

So you're RAF then

Pawnless Endgame · 14 Sep 2016 at 16:23

Robi said:
Have you visited one of the many death/extermination/labour camps yet?

Ahhh, if the OP admitted that the concentration camp claims are real, then Kim Jong-Un will have the OP's head delivered back to Best Korea on a silver plate.

leaskovski said:
Are you loaded? How do you afford all these trips?

diamount said:
I'd imagine it's very simple. Savings.

Savings? When us proles have had pay freezes since the recession? Get real

Flack88 · 14 Sep 2016 at 17:24

Waiting for forum crowdfund to pay OP's ransom.

Vulcan · 14 Sep 2016 at 18:06

Flack88 said:
Waiting for forum crowdfund to pay OP's ransom.

A GTX 660 and 2 sticks of RAM should do it.

Pawnless Endgame · 14 Sep 2016 at 21:39

Longbow said:
A GTX 660 and 2 sticks of RAM should do it.

What type of RAM, brand, size and what speed / latency settings?

Tacitus · 14 Sep 2016 at 22:27

How do you think the tourism industry in NK has changed over time?

Would you recommend it?

I've always been fascinated, but such a rigid tour of things which in isolation don't seem that exciting (here is a school, here is a hospital, here is a statue etc etc) must surely get dull after a few days?

cm1179 · 14 Sep 2016 at 23:30

how much is a hooker?

Pawnless Endgame · 14 Sep 2016 at 23:51

cm1179 said:
how much is a hooker?

Your SD / smart cards and USB sticks, followed by a few decades in one of their concentration camps.

dowie · 15 Sep 2016 at 00:32

MickeyFinns said:
I know Brits living and working in Pyongyang who have visited the beer festival on days with no tourists and it was still rammed with locals.

What do those brits do out of interest? Presumably there can't be many there on business due to the embargo (that you're helping to undermine a bit

). But are they mostly NGO workers or working at the embassy or something?

MickeyFinns · 15 Sep 2016 at 13:56

Tacitus said:
How do you think the tourism industry in NK has changed over time?

Would you recommend it?

I've always been fascinated, but such a rigid tour of things which in isolation don't seem that exciting (here is a school, here is a hospital, here is a statue etc etc) must surely get dull after a few days?

They've become massively more open over the last few years. You can photograph nearly everything and the locals and becoming increasingly open to foreigners.

I'd massively recommend it if you are interested in the place, but I would say that as someone involved in tourism over there!

dowie said:
What do those brits do out of interest? Presumably there can't be many there on business due to the embargo (that you're helping to undermine a bit ). But are they mostly NGO workers or working at the embassy or something?

The ones I know are embassy staff but there are quite a lot of europeans over there too.

Anchundan · 17 Sep 2016 at 08:53

I am interested in going, as it's so close. Two questions:

Can I get the visa in Beijing?

Is it a problem if I have South Korean entry stamps in my passport?

I'm guessing going in winter would be incredibly cold? it is here!

MickeyFinns · 17 Sep 2016 at 09:11

Anchundan said:
I am interested in going, as it's so close. Two questions:

Can I get the visa in Beijing?

Is it a problem if I have South Korean entry stamps in my passport?

I'm guessing going in winter would be incredibly cold? it is here!

You can get it in Beijing but I normally get them in Dandong as we can collect them on peoples behalf.

SK stamps are no problem

.

Yeah winter can get cold, -20c or so, but the trip is cheaper because of this.

breadturbo · 17 Sep 2016 at 11:27

I'd love to go to Chernobyl!, but I cannot justify the £650 flights for one day :/

MickeyFinns · 17 Sep 2016 at 12:25

breadturbo said:
I'd love to go to Chernobyl!, but I cannot justify the £650 flights for one day :/

£650!? Where are you based? I've gotten £80 return from London to Kiev before.

breadturbo · 17 Sep 2016 at 12:29

I've seen the cheap flights from Gatwick/Heathrow, but up near Leeds/Manchester way cheapest I've seen is 650 for business class, or £400 if I slum it

thep02 · 17 Sep 2016 at 13:41

MickeyFinns said:
I saw people fishing for sure. Slightly ignorant on fly fishing though!

Activity holidays in NK could be a thing you developed, anglers and rock climbers always want to go to new fresh places to try their hobby and properly managed should be easier to coordinate security wise, loads of people mention watching a prog they saw a guy fishing in some chernobyl water source.

Glaucus · 17 Sep 2016 at 13:50

breadturbo said:
I've seen the cheap flights from Gatwick/Heathrow, but up near Leeds/Manchester way cheapest I've seen is 650 for business class, or £400 if I slum it

what are you even, what complain about prices then talk about business class.
and f you slum it you can easily get it for about 220 return from either of those airports.

MickeyFinns · 17 Sep 2016 at 15:39

thep02 said:
Activity holidays in NK could be a thing you developed, anglers and rock climbers always want to go to new fresh places to try their hobby and properly managed should be easier to coordinate security wise, loads of people mention watching a prog they saw a guy fishing in some chernobyl water source.

Yeah we are looking into more of these. We already do trips to the marathon and we also organise the North Korean golf tournament each year.