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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Volunteer in North Korea
17 September 2017 / by Rowan Beard
Introduction As tourism has grown in the DPRK, so has the interest of foreigners wanting to do, and experience more in the country. It was with this in mind that we initially thought of the idea to run a farming volunteer program in North Korea. When w …
What is a Mass Dance?
16 September 2017 / by Rowan Beard
A Mass Dance, not to be confused with the Arirang Mass Games, is an event held in socialist countries that marks a celebration for a particular national holiday or event. It was big back when the Soviet Union was around, but only a few countries conduc …
South Ossetia: The Final Frontier – Crossing into the Last Frozen Conflict Zone
15 September 2017 / by Gareth Johnson
YPT prides itself on travel to unrecognized countries. This year we added our last “frozen conflict zone” to the list thus becoming the first travel company to offer regular tours to Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabakh, Transnistria – and now South Ossetia. We …
From London to Pyongyang and Back on a Budget
13 September 2017 / by Gareth Johnson
Travelling to North Korea is notoriously pricey. Going on an organized group tour and being one of the few tourists who enter the country every year of course adds up, especially when compared to backpacking in Thailand or somewhere else in SE Asia. …
What’s Changed in North Korea?
13 September 2017 / by Gareth Johnson
As a tour leader for YPT, I’ve been a frequent visitor to North Korea over the past three years. One of the main questions that tourists ask me is if I’ve seen any changes to the country in that time. The answer is yes, but North Koreans are very conse …
Our Top Five Wackiest Tours for 2018
7 September 2017 / by Gareth Johnson
At YPT, we specialise in travel to places that your mother would rather you stayed away from. But, in order to prove we’re not all mouth and no trousers, here is a run-down of five of our weirdest and most wonderful tours! 5: Skiing in Iran When we thi …
An Irishman at the DMZ: A Tale of Two Borders
6 September 2017 / by Gareth Johnson
I’m an Irishman who was raised in the South of the country. My father who worked as a traveling musician all over Ireland and the UK once described his experience of traveling across the border into Northern Ireland as ‘the tensest place on earth’. It …
Is it Ethical to Travel in Tibet?
6 September 2017 / by Gareth Johnson
For seasoned travelers, especially for those who like going places “off the beaten track”, the question of ethics in tourism is not uncommon. Should I go to Chechnya when there is such clear homophobic violence being legitimated by the state? Should I …
What You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Travelling to Turkmenistan
6 September 2017 / by YPT Team
I heard getting a Visa is hard, what should I do? Getting a Visa to Turkmenistan is not exactly hard, but there’s a very specific process, and it doesn’t always work. In order to get a tourist visa to Turkmenistan you must be booked through a tour comp …
