Young Pioneer Tours
Blog
Welcome to the Young Pioneer Tours Blog, the place where we we keep you informed about everything YPT, from current tours, to future tours and a whole lot of eclectic stuff in between.
YPT first started blogging in 2008 and are considered the best North Korean Travel blog that there is.
But, as Young Pioneer Tours have expanded our locations, so have we expanded our blog. Now we have one of the best travel blogs in the world!
And while most of our content is about the numerous destinations we go, including travel guides and what to pack, we also delve into more serious subjects such as the safety of certain destinations, as well as how LGTBQ+ friendly the places we visit are.
While the vast majority of our content is produced in-house, we are always on the look-out for guest bloggers and writers. Want to write for us? Then simply get in touch.
You can also check out our sister publication YPT Life.
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The Magadan Guide
4 March 2026 / by Gareth Johnson
When it comes to Siberian grim and Soviet extremes, perhaps nowhere quite encapsulates it like Magadan. Bitterly cold in the winter and with a dark history related to the Gulags, this is one of the more surreal and least visited parts of old Soviet Rus …
Middle-East Travel Update
2 March 2026 / by Gareth Johnson
The situation in the Middle‑East is rapidly deteriorating, causing serious travel disruptions and uncertainty across the region. Military actions and escalating tensions between multiple countries have created a highly unstable environment, and there i …
Visiting the World’s First University established in 859 CE – Al-Qarawiyyin
2 March 2026 / by Caitlin Graham
Located in the cramped old city of Fes, Morocco, a prominent madrassa and mosque complex is a focal point nestled between the bazaar stalls. Al-Qarawiyyin doubles as the world’s first university and an active mosque, established in 859 CE. In 2026, I w …
Visiting The Edge Of The World in 2026
2 March 2026 / by Caitlin Graham
As much as it may sound like we are, this is not a declaration of support for the flat earth theory, where the world is flat and has specified regions where the world ends. But perhaps after visiting the Edge of the world, you may become a believer. Th …
Languages of Afghanistan – 2026 Guide
2 March 2026 / by Gareth Johnson
Afghanistan has 2 official languages – Pashtun and Dari, but there is much more to the overall landscape of the languages of Afghanistan and indeed how it works on a day to day basis. Like everything in Afghanistan, language is a sensitive topic. Altho …
The Iconic Battleship Potemkin Review 2026
2 March 2026 / by Gareth Johnson
Battleship Potemkin is one of those films that everyone talks about in hushed reverence but few actually sit down and watch in full. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein and released in 1925, it dramatizes the 1905 mutiny aboard the Russian battleship Potemki …
What is the Government System of Iran?
2 March 2026 / by Gareth Johnson
If you believe the current rhetoric then the government system of Iran is completely unpopular and indeed non democratic, but if you delve beneath the surface things are a bit more nuanced. Currently this manifests itself into a regime where there are …
Where does it snow in the Middle-East?
1 March 2026 / by Gareth Johnson
While we mostly associate the Middle-East with weather that is hotter than the sun, you might be shocked to know that not only does it get bloody cold, but it actually does snow in the Middle-East. This was something I was to find out the hard way when …
