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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Spreading The Rays of Juche: Five North Korean Films You Must-See!
1 November 2025 / by Justin Martell
Table of ContentsPart One: A Brief History of North Korean CinemaPart Two: With the CenturyPart Three: Like Humans DoPart Four: Five Films You Must-SeeThe Flower Girl, Dirs. Choe Ik Gyu and Pak Hak, 1972The Emissary Unreturned, Dir. Choi Eun Hee and Sh …
Five Key Takeaways from My Recent Trip to Pyongyang in 2025
31 October 2025 / by Rowan Beard
I’ve been working with Young Pioneer Tours (YPT) since my first visit to North Korea back in May 2012, so when I became the first Western tourist to re-enter the country via the Rason Special Economic Zone on February 13th, 2025, it was an especially m …
5 Travel Guides That Are Still Relevant in 2025
31 October 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
People love to say guidebooks are dead. They said it when blogs arrived, they said it again when Instagram came along, and they said it for the third time when AI started spitting out travel tips. Yet here we are in 2025 and people are still buying tra …
Yanggakdo International Cinema – DPRK Guide 2025
31 October 2025 / by Steven Zhang
When you travel to North Korea and stay at the iconic Yanggakdo International Hotel, look down from the upper floors and you’ll spot a uniquely shaped building that resembles a giant waterwheel – that’s the Yanggakdo International Cinema. Table of Cont …
The Chisinau Wine Festival
31 October 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Every October the capital of Moldova, Chisinau, becomes the centre of the universe for anyone who loves wine, food, and good chaos. Known officially as the National Wine Day, rather than the Chisnau Wine Festival, this is not your dainty French tasting …
Rural Cambodia – The Koh Trong Guide
31 October 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
While not exactly a party destination, the rural island of Koh Trong is a real hidden gem. Sitting just off the coast of Kratie on the Mekong, the island attracts both local and international visitors with its laid-back charm, quiet villages, and unint …
Traveling to Prek Sbauv The Hometown of Pol Pot and Meeting His Nephew
30 October 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Having been stranded in Cambodia during Covid myself and indeed YPT started to really explore the dark tourism sites within the country. Therefore, with a week between tours and pretty much no idea how to complete the task, I decided to head to Prek Sb …
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA): India’s Most Explosive Secr
27 October 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Look, you want to know about the United Liberation Front of Asom ULFA. Forget the boring tourist guides. The truth is always found in the conflict and the chaos. This is the stuff that matters the reason why people actually start shooting. You asked fo …
20 Weird Japanese Sites You Need to See
23 October 2025 / by Gareth Johnson
Japan is full of the expected – neon cities, temples, snow mountains. But it also has a hidden layer of oddities, freak shows, and places you’ll tell everyone about just to see their face. These 20 weird Japanese sites are the stuff you don’t see in gu …
