North Korea, do you dare?
The return of his massive festival Arirang It is a good excuse to launch into one of the most closed and disturbing countries in the world.
The curious traveler has a date with Pyongyang in 2018, where it is still possible to experience what life is like in one of the last communist dynasties.
Talk about exclusive tourism in the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, aka North Korea ) is to fall short: fewer than 5,000 western tourists annually visit this Asian country so closed to the world.
Details of the human side of North Korea
If you're one of those who enjoy coming home with unusual stories and photos, put that destination on your bucket list. Especially this year, when the arirang festival finally come back.
This massive artistic celebration took place from 2002 to 2005, being celebrated august to october , and then again from 2007 to 2013.
It's about a extraordinary gymnastics, acrobatics and dance show in which some participate 100,000 people ; the largest and most elaborate human performance on the planet, attracting ecstatic spectators.
It stopped abruptly five years ago, without giving the slightest explanation. Since the September 9, 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the DPRK , it seems logical that the Arirang have returned to dazzle the world.
arirang festival
DISMANTLING MYTHS
Perhaps the most surprising of visit north korea is that anyone can do it. Traveling here is neither complicated nor dangerous, and it is relatively affordable. You only have to book a trip with a trusted company , as the English operator based in Beijing Koryo Tours , which has been bringing tourists for more than twenty-five years.
The company organizes obtaining a visa in a simple way, arrange your flight from Beijing to Pyongyang and also makes sure that you discover this country in an amazing way.
It all starts with an hour and a half flight on a Tupolev plane from Air Koryo , the national airline. It has an elegant vintage air first class , stewardesses wearing white gloves and bright red lipstick, food on par with many Western airlines, and the Pyongyang Times , the North Korean newspaper translated into English.
Visiting Pyongyang University
If your flight is at night (which is highly unlikely) the views are spectacular: the yalu river , which separates China from North Korea, flows lively and boisterous on the Chinese side; on the North Korean side, complete darkness.
On board there are mainly tourists, but also some easily identifiable North Koreans. by the insignia of rigor of the Great Leader that they wear . Portraits of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il they watch the Tupolev as it lands at Pyongyang International Airport.
The group of international tourists knows in advance what to expect, thanks to a briefing which took place in Beijing the day before. Laptops, cameras, lenses and camcorders are allowed.
In 2009 you still had to hand in your mobile phone at the airport, but today you can introduce it in the country and buy a local SIM card from which you can send and receive international calls and access the internet.
There is connection in most of the big hotels since 2008. Simon Cockerell, our British guide, and director of Koryo Tours, even shares his adventures live from North Korea via Instagram ( @simonkoryo ).
The flavors of North Korean cuisine
RESTRICTED BUT FASCINATING
The big question that everyone who travels to the DPRK asks is whether you are free to travel solo or not.
Exploring on your own is a resounding “no” . Even if you book an individual trip and have two local guides and a designated driver in a stylish vintage Mercedes, or you are part of an international group.
On this last case, you will also be accompanied by two local guides , one western and one driver. Of course you can make requests, but since the program is so tight, you are restricted as a tourist. In other words, you get to see the North Korea that the government wants you to see . This, in itself, is already fascinating.
Although of course there are limitations. Taking photos of military installations is strictly prohibited –but isn't it like that in any other country?–, as well as the border with South Korea.
Bowing to the statues of the Great Leaders is mandatory.
Communist statues are emblems of the country
But no matter how well orchestrated the visit tries to be (which is equally true of many package tours in the West, where the visitor only sees and experiences what the tour operator wants to show them), you can still catch a glimpse of the real North Korea.
In the capital, Pyongyang, with its empty streets -only a lucky few drive cars-, dolled-up women in white and blue uniforms work in the middle of intersections . Between official visits to museums, monuments, and mausoleums, you gain an incredible insight into daily life in the country.
On August 15, Liberation Day , everyone goes to the park and there are picnics, dances, music, games... Families sit on the grass, under the trees, and many ladies wear sumptuous dresses. It is a good time to mingle with the locals and have a good time relaxed . And no, these nice people don't seem to be actors.
BOWLING IN PYONGYANG
A week in North Korea is a mixture of sensations and experiences . From going to a very cool bowling alley with a communist air (with balls made in the United States), drink beer at a local brewery with own production or ride the Pyongyang subway to visit one children's library or one music school in which the accordion, piano and guitar are taught with collective enthusiasm.
Bowling in Pyongyang
The male members of the group were warned that bring a tie for the visit to the mausoleum of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il , the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.
Often included in the pack a visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea . On the way there, you go through many border checkpoints on a highway where almost no cars circulate.
As a tourist, you can be very close to ** the fragile line between the two rival countries **. A photo of the blue sentry box and the resident guard with South Korea only five meters away serves as a souvenir.
Less official is the beautiful landscape of North Korea, which you can savor from the window of the many buses in which you travel: green rice fields, abundant nature and the occasional scattered farm or village.
One of these visits takes us to north korean coast , heavily guarded by robot-like soldiers. In the distance, Japan looms across the sea.
Details of the human side of North Korea
A MULTITUDINARY PARTY
But the star is, without a doubt, the arirang festival . Words fall short to do justice to an event of this magnitude.
It is the main attraction of the country and, quite simply, the most amazing thing you will see in your life!
This party can basically be described as a synchronized socialist-realist show, in which more than 100,000 people they participate in a 90-minute exhibition of gymnastics and dance accompanied by music, all wrapped up in a highly politicized package.
There is nothing comparable anywhere else in the world And you have to see it for yourself to appreciate the size of the display.
The arirang gold games they will run weekly again in September and October of this year. Some 80,000 dancers and gymnasts They train throughout the year to perform before their compatriots and, especially, before their leader.
The backdrop is more than 20,000 people holding colorful banners and making different patterns appear by rotating them in sync.
As a tourist, attending these events and taking photos is no problem.
Prices for one night range from €112 for third class seats to €385 for VIP seats . Take a look at the video I Want More by Faithless , the realization of which was made possible by Nick Bonner, the founder of Koryo Tours.
TO GO OR NOT TO GO?
Some travelers may wonder whether to venture into a country like North Korea it is ethical . Sure, everyone is free to decide for themselves, but the same goes for other countries that are not free from corruption or other issues.
Tourism is a source of wealth for North Koreans . Another important aspect of tourism is the foreign-north korean interaction , in which they can exchange impressions and lift a corner of the veil on both sides.
Perhaps this interaction paves the way for more peace and freedom . All you need as a visitor (apart from a nice tie) is an open mind and the conviction that, behind a place so "Martian" and mediatic at the same time, Kind human beings await you.
Discovering one of the most secret countries in the world has its rules and drawbacks. And you, as an experienced traveler, now have your own perspective.
THE VERDICT
We loved traveling to North Korea. It was one of the most amazing trips we have done in recent years . From the interesting group of travelers with whom we coincided to the karaoke in which we sang and we socialize with the locals while we had a drink and shared a cigarette.
The best? The Arirang (or Mass Games) festival, an extraordinary event that we attended twice and can only be witnessed in the DPRK. We would return without hesitation.
arirang festival
WHEN TO GO
It is highly recommended to go during the months when the festival is celebrated. Summer is quite hot and humid during the day, cooler at night.
HOW TO GET
British tour operator Koryo Tours organizes excellent trips to the DPRK from Beijing. They can be hired in a group or individually, depending on the budget and needs. For travelers with less time, it is advisable to book a ' Mass Game Break ' that allows you to know the Arirang and discover Pyongyang in a few days.
The departure is always from Beijing and it depends on whether the type of trip you contract is by plane or by train. The airline is Air Koryo , which has three flights a week to Beijing. The duration is only one hour and a half, in a comfortable plane with tourist and business class. A seven-day package, including festival attendance, starts at around €1,349 per person.
WHERE TO SLEEP
Accommodation in the DPRK is very simple. In Pyongyang we stayed at the yanggakdo hotel , an imposing accommodation with 47 floors. It is the equivalent of even a Western three-star (Chinese four-star) and is equipped with a rooftop revolving restaurant, bars, shops, swimming pool, bowling alley, casino and other entertainment options such as karaoke.
In addition, it has a reliable electricity network, heating, air conditioning, hot water and even international TV channels such as BBC World and internet access. In a small cafe behind the hotel they serve small bottles of beer for €0.40.
Pyongyang Skyline from Yanggakdo Hotel
HOW TO PAY
It is easy to get a visa with the help of a tour operator, and they take care of everything . The official currency of exchange in the DPRK is now the euro (the US dollar was taken out of circulation in 2003).
It is recommended to bring euros, although the Chinese yuan, the US dollar and the Japanese yen can be used in most places.
Preferably coins and small bills, because changing is complicated sometimes. Forget checks.
The exchange of the official currency, the North Korean won is at 170 to 1 euro. It is possible to take real money from the hotel but only as a souvenir and not to buy things. The best currency to buy is the euro, but keep in mind that what is sold to visitors is quite expensive. Tips are appreciated . For example, €5 per day per guide is a good amount. In bars and restaurants, it is up to you whether or not to leave it.
TO DO
Running
If you like running and you finish the Pyongyang marathon, you will be able to tell your fellow athletes that you participated in one of the craziest marathons in the world . It may be less crowded and intense than New York, for example, but the climax here may be greater.
Ski
How about enjoying winter sports in North Korea instead of going to the Alps? It's great to have a snowy mountain all to yourself in one of the world's least known countries. The ski resort is newly built, it even has internet for all guests and a pass costs €30 per day.
Architecture
A novelty are the trips focused on the architectural aspects of Pyongyang and its surroundings. For fans of the communist and neoclassical styles and to learn a little about the history and urban landscape of the capital. Specify all these plans with your tour operator.
***** This report was published in **number 120 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (September)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The September issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device.
Everyday scene in North Korea