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.
Check out and subscribe to the YPT Blog and travel magazine
What is Naengmyeon? And what is all the fuss about?
23 February 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
We like to consider ourselves experts in all things related to Korean cuisine – we’ve written about the best dishes as well as the street food, and today we’ll be talking about the North Korean dish best known outside the country – Naengmyeon. The summ …
The case for Borderlands
23 February 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
If you’re reading this, I’ll assume that you already know about the closure of the border between China and North Korea, which means absolutely no travel at all to North Korea for the time being. A pain for you and us both – this is our bread and butte …
The Difference between Sunni and Shia Islam
22 February 2020 / by Pier Doyon
While the non-initiated might see these terms in the media, “shia” and “sunni” and that most people know that they are two branches of Islam like Catholicism and and Protestantism are two branches of Christianity, it is not uncommon for people to be co …
Holy Islamic Sites in Iraq
22 February 2020 / by Pier Doyon
While Iraq has acquired a sad reputation due to years of wars and unrest in the last decades, it is also one of the most important countries for Muslims along with Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Syria and Egypt. Iraq has very important religious sites for bo …
Sleeping in a Young Pioneer Camp
22 February 2020 / by Joel Vostok
In a recent private tour deep in the Northern territories of Transnistria, we found ourselves hunting Soviet relics in the far-flung villages of this time warp republic. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a concrete monument to two Young Pioneers. Lo …
A voodoo day in Abomey, Benin
22 February 2020 / by Pier Doyon
YPT is constantly on the lookout for new destinations to offer you and we thoroughly research these locations before offering them to you, dear guests. So we needed to know if Benin had the YPT factor and it turned out it did! During our trip there, we …
COVID-19 Turkmenistan Update
21 February 2020 / by YPT Team
There has been a lot of news in the last few hours regarding Turkmenistan closing their borders due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). This is not officially the case, however, Turkmen authorities have begun unilaterally cancelling already issued LOI’s bet …
The Ghost City of Tkvarcheli, Abkhazia
21 February 2020 / by Joel Vostok
Where is Tkvarcheli? Located on the river Ghalidzga in the war-torn Southern region of Abkhazia, Tkvarcheli stands as a ghost town lost in time. Inside the town is Akarmara, full to the brim with abandoned apartments, factories, burnt out Ladas and deb …
Pyongyang Marathon Cancelled
21 February 2020 / by YPT Team
Friday 21st February 2020 We have received confirmation from our travel partners in North Korea that the Pyongyang Marathon (Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon) held in April has been cancelled due to the current borders of the DPRK being closed …
