Post: #1

I've been contacted by a NK government tour agent (secret fan of my blog) asking if I would be interested in a trip. I'm thinking of organising a gang, but it would depend on the numbers.

The Tour involves an official NK government Paddy's day pub crawl withs NK pubs and microbreweries!!!

March 14th - 21st 2018, starting and ending Beijing. Cost of tour is €995, all inclusive I think expect booze.

I already have a few friends interested. Anybody else?

I'm dead serious, by the way.

PM me or ask here for the deets...

Post: #2

(11-08-2017 05:33 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  I've been contacted by a NK government tour agent (secret fan of my blog) asking if I would be interested in a trip. I'm thinking of organising a gang, but it would depend on the numbers.

The Tour involves an official NK government Paddy's day pub crawl withs NK pubs and microbreweries!!!

March 14th - 21st 2018, starting and ending Beijing. Cost of tour is €995, all inclusive I think expect booze.

I already have a few friends interested. Anybody else?

I'm dead serious, by the way.

PM me or ask here for the deets...

Uhh...The last time a westerner went to North Korea. . .

Something Something poster, labor camp, beaten to death...

Post: #3

Post: #4

In

Post: #5

(11-08-2017 06:52 AM)Irish Wrote:  In

PM me.

For those interested by the way, it's 50% to secure place. 50% 30 days before trip.

Post: #6

Just read that China banned NK tourism for Trump's arrival, would this affect you?
http://www.newsweek.com/china-bans-north...ves-704284

Post: #7

Holy shit. This does not look good. I think this might only apply to Chinese operators though.

Post: #8

When your group meets in Beijing before departure, I'll be your host for a wild night of gallivanting.

And then we can hang out again in ten years after your release.

Post: #9

Paddy's Day piss up in North Korea attended by a bunch of horny forum members, what could possibly go wrong?

I think they will confiscate your pirate hats on arrival

Post: #10

Weed is legal apparently in NK too; you can buy a gigantic bag of cheap stuff at the market for like $2.

Post: #11

I'd do it

Post: #12

I checked the "Paddys day tour" from young pioneers travel, looks like every single other DPRK tour. (http://www.youngpioneertours.com/tour/st...-day-tour/)

They always market them like each tour is different and unique but in reality 99% of what you visit is always the same (the monuments, DMZ, Kaeson etc). The only thing unique about this tour is one afternoon you get to visit a potmekin pub and bowling alley where "real" north koreans really totally hangout. There also a 50/50 chance they'll cancel your one and only "non-propaganda" activity of your 6 day trip for, yep, more propaganda.

That being said I've used Young Pionners to go to rural Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, DPRK, Belarus, Chernobyl, Transnistria (Russian occupied Moldova) and the Transsiberian, they are a solid outfit though the guides are hit or miss. I heard their Iran tours are really good though have not been. You can even use them to go to Iraqi Kurdistan

Also traveling with them is no guarantee you won't get in trouble.

One time on a young pioneers tour I got held up in the airport and detained by the SEBIN (The KGB of Venezeuala) in Caracas airport, integorrated and held for 6 hours in a tiny room until they let me go. They suspected me of being a spy since I was traveling on my argentine passport but when I entered the country they found my American one (I swear on my dead poor granny i'm not making this up). Young pioneers could do absolutely nothing for me. Eventually they let me go after taking al my fingerprints and making me sign all this paperwork, it really was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I did the tour but I could have been held in jail for years. I stopped doing "extreme tourism" with young pioneers after that realizing I was playing with fire touring dictatorships. The tour operators really can't 100% guarantee that you won't be detained for no reason or something small, especially if you are traveling on an American passport.

Also this is the same DPRK tour company where that kid was held and sent back home a vegetable last year , though its the only time out of thousands of westerners they brought that its ever happened. As long as you're not american or korean and keep your mouth shut about politics when you're in north korea (including with other tour members) you should be fine.

p.s. If OP wants to leverage another person's community and forum to invite people on a tour he should offer everyone a discount instead of trying to find 5-6 people to pay full price so he can go for free IMHO.

Post: #13

(11-08-2017 05:33 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  I'm dead serious, by the way.

I'm not one to fearmonger, but I really do hope this line doesn't go down in forum history.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #14

(11-08-2017 05:33 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  I've been contacted by a NK government tour agent (secret fan of my blog).

No, he isn't. This is called sales.

Post: #15

Effective September 1, 2017, U.S. passports are not valid for travel to, in, or through North Korea, unless they are specially validated by the Department of State. See here for how to apply special passport to travel to North Korea.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passpor...north.html

Travel to, in, or through North Korea on a U.S. passport without this special validation may justify revocation of your passport for misuse under 22 C.F.R. § 51.62(a)(2) and may subject you to felony prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1544 or other applicable laws.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passpor...korea.html

The special validation is something in the national interest... I'm not sure getting wasted for St Patricks Day counts unfortunately

USA.. land of the free

Post: #16

Let's hope you won't regret stealing a poster or something.

Post: #17

Different terrain, but the comment is valid enough:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhOYtPzJkes

Post: #18

(11-09-2017 12:28 AM)Suits Wrote:  

(11-08-2017 05:33 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  I've been contacted by a NK government tour agent (secret fan of my blog).

No, he isn't. This is called sales.

Seconded, it seems like every post lately in the Vietnam Facebook groups I'm in is someone trying to peddle a trip to North Korea.

North Korea must be really hard up for cash and offering higher than usual cuts of the profit for people organizing these excursions.

Post: #19

(11-09-2017 12:39 AM)whiteknightrises Wrote:  Effective September 1, 2017, U.S. passports are not valid for travel to, in, or through North Korea, unless they are specially validated by the Department of State. See here for how to apply special passport to travel to North Korea.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passpor...north.html

Travel to, in, or through North Korea on a U.S. passport without this special validation may justify revocation of your passport for misuse under 22 C.F.R. § 51.62(a)(2) and may subject you to felony prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1544 or other applicable laws.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passpor...korea.html

The special validation is something in the national interest... I'm not sure getting wasted for St Patricks Day counts unfortunately

USA.. land of the free

I actually wanted to go to North Korea in 2018... it is one of the last remaining cult of personality Soviet-era states, which is an experience in itself.

Guess that won't be happening. I'll go to Turkmenistan instead to get my cult-of-personality fix and see the Darvaza gas crater.

Post: #20

(11-09-2017 12:39 AM)whiteknightrises Wrote:  Effective September 1, 2017, U.S. passports are not valid for travel to, in, or through North Korea, unless they are specially validated by the Department of State. See here for how to apply special passport to travel to North Korea.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passpor...north.html

Travel to, in, or through North Korea on a U.S. passport without this special validation may justify revocation of your passport for misuse under 22 C.F.R. § 51.62(a)(2) and may subject you to felony prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1544 or other applicable laws.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passpor...korea.html

The special validation is something in the national interest... I'm not sure getting wasted for St Patricks Day counts unfortunately

USA.. land of the free

So it looks like Americans can't go unfortunately.

Anybody else, get in touch.

Post: #21

There are 195 countries in the world. Is this one really what you need in your life?

Post: #22

Yes... preferably with leprechaun hats and instruments. I already asked could I bring my guitar and they said yes

Post: #23

Do you think Americans can get their passport revoked if they go but they're a dual citizen? Ie, don't bring the American book?

Post: #24

(11-09-2017 12:00 AM)LatinoHeat Wrote:  I checked the "Paddys day tour" from young pioneers travel, looks like every single other DPRK tour. (http://www.youngpioneertours.com/tour/st...-day-tour/)

They always market them like each tour is different and unique but in reality 99% of what you visit is always the same (the monuments, DMZ, Kaeson etc). The only thing unique about this tour is one afternoon you get to visit a potmekin pub and bowling alley where "real" north koreans really totally hangout. There also a 50/50 chance they'll cancel your one and only "non-propaganda" activity of your 6 day trip for, yep, more propaganda.

That being said I've used Young Pionners to go to rural Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, DPRK, Belarus, Chernobyl, Transnistria (Russian occupied Moldova) and the Transsiberian, they are a solid outfit though the guides are hit or miss. I heard their Iran tours are really good though have not been. You can even use them to go to Iraqi Kurdistan

Also traveling with them is no guarantee you won't get in trouble.

One time on a young pioneers tour I got held up in the airport and detained by the SEBIN (The KGB of Venezeuala) in Caracas airport, integorrated and held for 6 hours in a tiny room until they let me go. They suspected me of being a spy since I was traveling on my argentine passport but when I entered the country they found my American one (I swear on my dead poor granny i'm not making this up). Young pioneers could do absolutely nothing for me. Eventually they let me go after taking al my fingerprints and making me sign all this paperwork, it really was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I did the tour but I could have been held in jail for years. I stopped doing "extreme tourism" with young pioneers after that realizing I was playing with fire touring dictatorships. The tour operators really can't 100% guarantee that you won't be detained for no reason or something small, especially if you are traveling on an American passport.

Also this is the same DPRK tour company where that kid was held and sent back home a vegetable last year , though its the only time out of thousands of westerners they brought that its ever happened. As long as you're not american or korean and keep your mouth shut about politics when you're in north korea (including with other tour members) you should be fine.

p.s. If OP wants to leverage another person's community and forum to invite people on a tour he should offer everyone a discount instead of trying to find 5-6 people to pay full price so he can go for free IMHO.

Interesting. I did a bit of research and found this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainmen...ts/359417/

Quote:North Korean Tour Companies Are Now Catering to Pickup Artists

[...]Can you "hook up with a local girl" on your tour?

The short answer is no, of course not. But that won't stop PUAs from trying — getting one's "NK flag" (having sex with a North Korean woman) is considered to be the highest level of accomplishment in the "game."

[...]

Koryo Tours isn't the first to infiltrate the PUA market. Joseph Ferris, who leads tours in North Korea with Young Pioneer Tours, joined one of the darkest corners of the internet last year to make his pitch — the Roosh V forum. The forum is for amateur PUAs and devotees of Roosh V, a famous PUA. Roosh has published a series of love travel guides, with creative titles like Bang Colombia and Don't Bang Denmark. After users posted photos of Terris with North Korean women and known PUA Neil Strauss in the forum, he wrote,

Yeah, that's me in a couple of those photos with the girl — yes, we brought Neil Strauss in on one of my trips. If I had sex with a North Korean girl — I will never tell, not even for that promised $20!

[...]

Here's the thread from 2013: /thread-17618-page-2.html

Here's the guy's profile: /user-12586.html

Post: #25

That article

Yeah, I have no expectations whatsoever about picking up in NK.