Oct 24th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Let's take a poll: would you fly an airline rated the "world's worst"? No? Now tell us, if that same airline was owned by North Korea would you consider it any more worthy of your ticket price? Probably not, you say?
The good news is that if you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, booking on Air Koryo just got a lot easier. The Skytrax one-star rated airline is selling its flights to ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
NorthKorea posts
North Korean Airline Dubbed 'World's Worst' Finally Gets On Board With Online Booking
Oct 24th, 2012 at 4:00PM: Let's take a poll: would you fly an airline rated the "world's worst"? No? Now tell us, if that same airline was owned by North Korea would you consider it any more worthy of your ticket price? Probably not, you say?
The good news is that if you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, booking on Air Koryo just got a lot easier. The Skytrax one-star rated airline is selling its flights to ...Video: Sneaking Into North Korea
May 27th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
Most journalists tread carefully around the topic of North Korea. If a tourist in North Korea is found to be a journalist, that person can get into a lot of trouble. Whether or not the punishment for this crime is severe, the risk is too steep for most. But VICE sent a journalist to North Korea who made it out alive and well. This video documents the process of breaking into North Korea, so to ...
Syria memories: grieving for a dictator
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 4:00PM:
The death of North Korea's Kim Jong-il has led to some very strange television--the Dear Leader lying in state, throngs of North Koreans weeping uncontrollably, even rumors of miracles such as grieving birds.
The images coming out of North Korea led to a discussion with some of my Facebook friends over whether or not the outpouring of grief was genuine or staged. I lean towards staged, since ...Travel Warnings: often not as bad as they sound
May 16th, 2011 at 7:00AM:
The United States Department of State issues travel warnings when dangerous, long-term conditions lead to a recommendation that Americans avoid or consider the risk of travel to certain countries around the globe. They also issue warnings when the U.S. government's ability to assist American citizens is compromised by the closing of an embassy or consulate or a reduction of its staff. Still, ...Strictest dress codes - 5 countries with fashion police
Apr 13th, 2011 at 1:30PM:
Earlier this week, the "Burqa Ban" went into effect in France. Since passing into law, several burqa draped women have already been arrested, and the symbolic law is causing an uproar among the Muslim population of France and beyond. However, France is not the only country with authoritative garment laws. Many countries possess laws that limit what citizens and visitors are allowed to wear.
...Candid look inside North Korea
Mar 18th, 2011 at 2:30PM:
In this video, Steve Gong goes into a North Korea hair salon and gets his hair cut "Pyongyang style." Like the city it is named for, Pyongyang style is a largely unchanged fashion. This metropolis on the banks of the Taedong river appears much as it did when the U.S.S.R. was its principal ally many years ago. The ghost of communist Russia hovers over Pyongyang like a specter, and in this ...
North Korea resumes construction on world's most hideous hotel
Mar 5th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
North Korea is the hermit kingdom; a strange land of mass games and dear leaders trapped in a 1950's communist time warp. While they may not have modern supermarkets or PlayStation 3, North Korea does have one of the tallest hotels in the world, and it looms high above Pyongyang like a tribute to the ill advised whims of dear leader Kim Jong Il.
According to USA Today, The pyramidal Ryugyong ...Video of the Day - Inside North Korea
Feb 8th, 2011 at 6:30PM:
North Korea is undoubtedly the most difficult country in the world to gain access to, especially if you're a journalist aiming to produce a video about the reclusive nation. For months, the travel bad boys over at VBS.tv corresponded with North Korea's representatives to arrange a guided tour of the infamous Mass Games.
After being selected as one of the only groups to cover the event, VBS ...
North Korean theme parks: communism meets amusement park fun
Nov 30th, 2010 at 9:30AM:
I would imagine that there are few Gadling readers that have ever wanted to visit North Korea. The communist country that recently took hostile actions towards its neighbor isn't on any top vacation lists that I know of. And, I would imagine even fewer would want to visit North Korea for its amusement parks. But, if you're a huge theme park fan like the globe trotting Stefan Zwanger, then a trip ...Five North Korea trips for 2011, and a "no taxation" celebration
Nov 12th, 2010 at 3:00PM:
It isn't easy to visit North Korea. The country makes it intentionally difficult for outsiders to get in. For those of us in the United States, the distances to be traveled increase the barrier even more. Well, I just got the list of tour options from Koryo Tours, and it looks like North Korea is more open than ever!
There are several ways you can get to Pyongyang and other cities in 2011 ...Five American-style North Korean restaurants for foodies
Nov 8th, 2010 at 8:00AM: This may not have been the case a few years ago, but Pyongyang is definitely on its way to becoming a culinary destination ... well, maybe not. Nonetheless, it is pretty wild that the self-isolating regime has let slip some pretty wild information about the dining options available in the capital. If you can finagle a way into North Korea and somehow get yourself a bit of freedom to move, there ...Former chef to North Korean dictator dishes on change prospects with Kim Jong-un
Nov 4th, 2010 at 8:00AM: It looks like Kim Jong-un will follow in the footsteps of his father, Kim Jong-il. This succession plan, of sorts, will extend the Kim dynasty in North Korea to a third generation, separating the top dog even further from the supposed revolutionary exploits of the country's first leader, Kim Il-sung.
With new blood, of course, the question of change is inevitable. Under Kim Jong-il, there have ...Not your normal Asian adventure vacation
Dec 27th, 2009 at 2:00PM: We travel for many reasons. Maybe it's to relax, learn something new or see friends and family. And then there are the so-called "adventure travelers" – sorry guys, you just don't know the meaning of the expression. Keep your kayaks and your climbing gear in the garage, and trade them for a pencil so you can take some notes. Robert Park is redefining "adventure."
Park, 28 years old, ...Five major changes to North Korean tourism in 2009
Dec 14th, 2009 at 2:00PM:
Fewer than 1,500 Americans have been to North Korea on vacation, according to Koryo Tours, making it one of the truly remote destinations in a world that's becoming increasingly interconnected. So, if you're looking for an unusual stamp in your passport or bragging rights when the conversation turns to "most unusual destination," a trip above the DMZ remains one of the top alternatives.
If you ...Two North Korean diplomats arrested for smuggling
Nov 20th, 2009 at 4:30PM: Two North Korean diplomats tried to claim diplomatic immunity when they were arrested in Stockholm for smuggling cigarettes.
The man and woman, who were caught driving their tobacco-filled car off a ferry from Helsinki, have been taken into police custody. Apparently, they have diplomatic status in Russia, but no accreditation in Sweden. Also, they allegedly had 230,000 Russian cigarettes.
...Not-so Dangerous Destinations
Nov 5th, 2009 at 2:00PM: "You're going where?!" my father asked when I told him of my plans to go to Colombia. The Colombia he knows of, the one from the 1980's, is filled with cocaine, street violence, and Pablo Escobar's thugs. The country's days as a dangerous destination are gone, but its stigma still remains.
Colombia isn't the only now-safe country still considered by the masses to be too dangerous to visit. ...Pyongyang gets a "taste" of capitalism
Aug 6th, 2009 at 2:00PM: North Korea, the reclusive Communist state, is always reluctant to try something new. The government controls information tightly, as anyone who has read updates from the Korea Central News Agency can see. But, occasionally, a fissure forms in the barriers that separate the most remote country on Earth from the rest of the world. And now, the people who are slowly developing a taste for pizza and ...Pizza and Beer: North Korean health food
Jul 14th, 2009 at 8:00AM: If you visit Pyongyang, you can make a discovery that has been known in bowling alleys across the United States for decades: beer and pizza go together. This year, new approaches to both the food and the drink have been developed, and the only thing missing is the crash of pins in the background.
Back in March, North Korea celebrated its first pizzeria. It took nearly a decade, but the country ...North Korea vacation: can I take pictures?
Jul 13th, 2009 at 8:00AM:
With the latest deal from Koryo Tours on travel to Pyongyang for the amazing Arirang event, one commenter had a great question: "I'd love to go and take lots of pictures, but I wonder if they would allow that??"
Well, Kelso, you would definitely be allowed to take pictures.
Though there are "many restrictions on photography that have to be obeyed in the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of ...Amazing North Korea trip deal: Arirang for $1,000!
Jul 9th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Koryo Tours is offering the least expensive North Korea travel deal I've ever seen. Granted, there aren't many tours to this corner of the world, so there can't be too many discounts. But, even in this limited field, a $1,000 jaunt to the most isolated country in the world is an incredible find.
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