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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5 Friendliest Countries in the Pacific
23 December 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Famously one of the most welcoming regions on earth, who are the friendliest countries in the Pacific Islands? Well, after much travel to all countries within the region, and after a lot of deliberation, I have decided to drop my flag in the sand. As a …
Long Tieng – One of the Most Secret Places in the World
20 December 2025 / by Sara Costa
Tucked deep in the mountains of northern Laos lies Long Tieng, once considered “the most secret place on Earth.” This former CIA-backed airbase was a key hub during the Secret War, a covert campaign conducted during the Vietnam War, and remained off-li …
Where should YPT go in 2026?
20 December 2025 / by YPT Team
Where should YPT go in 2026? Every December, YPT throws out the gauntlet to ask our brave Pioneers where we should go in the following year, so that is exactly what we are doing now. As per last year, we will be splitting into three categories: country …
The National Museum of Libya – Libya Guide 2026
19 December 2025 / by Steven Zhang
After nearly 14 years of silence, the National Museum of Libya has reopened, marking one of the country’s most powerful cultural moments since the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. Fireworks crackled above Tripoli’s Martyrs’ Square, echoing across …
Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, DRC’s most important conservation project since 1994
16 December 2025 / by Morgan Bourven
Just outside Kinshasa, within a protected area of forest, lies one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s most important conservation initiatives. Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary is a rescue, rehabilitation and rewilding centre dedicated to the survival of …
Varosha, Cyprus: Inside the Forbidden Resort Abandoned since 1974
14 December 2025 / by Morgan Bourven
Varosha is one of Cyprus’ most symbolic reminders of the conflict that reshaped the island in the 1970s. It was the most developed resort district of Famagusta, but everything stopped during the Turkish military intervention in 1974. The district was f …
What’s there to do in Pohnpei Guide?
14 December 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
While one of the least visited countries in the world, there is actually quite a lot to do in the Federated States of Micronesia, and Pohnpei in particular. And no one knows this better than Young Pioneer Tours, with us now visiting this island capital …
What’s it like taking the Smile Air Joyride in Palau?
9 December 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Generally speaking I am a “yes man”, so when I was asked if I wanted to do the Smile Air Joyride in Palau for $220 I simply said “yes”. It was only later that I learned that this was a plane journey where they take the door off the plane before you fly …
What ECOWAS Is and the Revolutionary Challenge in West Africa
8 December 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
If you have spent any time in West Africa, you have probably heard of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States. On paper, it is a regional powerhouse, created in 1975 by fifteen countries to promote trade, cooperation, and political stabil …
