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.
Check out and subscribe to the YPT Blog and travel magazine
29 May 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Landing at Sentani Airport in West Papua, most people assume they’ve arrived in Jayapura. In reality, they’re in Sentani, a smaller and more scenic town that sits on the edge of Lake Sentani and serves as the real gateway to the region. This is where y …
28 May 2025 / by Steven Zhang
Dushan County is probably a place you’ve never heard of, let alone considered visiting. Tucked away in the karst mountains of southwest China’s Guizhou province, this small county town is home to a surreal, semi-abandoned “ghost city”. It’s an ideal de …
28 May 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
While the island of Papua and its surrounding areas are filled with fascinating tribes, one of the most notable and prominent is the Dani tribe. Famous for their warrior-like spirit and of course their penis-gourds, they are much more than just a draw …
27 May 2025 / by Morgan Bourven
During our recent voyage to the remote island of Tristan da Cunha, the most isolated inhabited places on Earth, we had the rare opportunity to visit something few outsiders ever see: the CTBTO radionuclide monitoring station, officially known as RN68, …
27 May 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
The area around Pyramid Mission Village to the north of Wamena is one of the best hiking and trekking routes of the local tourist scene, but for various political reasons is rarely visited. The reasons for this are myriad, but it was ironically politic …
25 May 2025 / by Caitlin Graham
Following the recent exciting news that sanctions from the US against Syria will be dropped, Fly Dubai is commencing flights to Syria via the Damascus International Airport. Fly Dubai joins a growing number of airlines in favor of recommencing flights …
25 May 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Jibama Market is not just the main market of Wamena but also the beating heart of the city. It is where the different tribes, such as the Dani, Lani, and Yali, come together to trade, meet, and socialise. For locals, it is a vital place for commerce an …
24 May 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
What are the independence movements in Indonesia that have, or do still exist? Indonesia is often celebrated as a success story of post-colonial unity and diversity, but beneath its national identity lie numerous independence movements that have challe …
23 May 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
While few people know about the West Papua conflict, it is actually one of the longest-running and most controversial insurgencies in the world. Who does it involve, what are they fighting for, and why do so few people know anything about it? Well lock …