Communist Choreography in North Korea
February 25, 2008 at 11:05 AM |
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You might've thought that when Bush called North Korea a member of the "Axis of Evil" that he killed your chances to ever visit the world's most reclusive country. But every year between August and October the so-called Democratic People's Republic of Korea will grant visas to US citizens so they can attend the Mass Games--a colorful, tightly choreographed gymnastics display involving almost 100,000 performers.
Unfortunately, tours of the DPRK are just about as choreographed. Regime-approved guides keep a close eye on what travelers do, say and take photos of, and they certainly won't break from the party line if asked questions about the quality of life in the country.
That doesn't mean it won't be a fascinating experience, just don't plan on heading off willy-nilly with your point-and-shoot. Tourists supposedly have to yield their passport and plane ticket out of the country to the police during their trip.
Snow Lion Tours offers an 11-day "Contrasting Koreas" tour that hits up the important spots on both sides of the Demilitarized Zone--but it ain't cheap, at $5,895 without airfare. If you just want to do North Korea with a guide, then Koryo Tours offers four-night packages for about $2,650 all-inclusive except for your games tickets. (Those run from $60 to $400, depending on where you want to sit.)
Of course, if you think all that passport-yielding and pseudo-communist ideology might be a bit much, you can always take the DPRK in smaller doses--day tours to Kaesong Village or Mount Kumkang, both just North of the DMZ, leave from South Korea year-round.
Related Stories:
· A Peek Behind NK's Iron Curtain [NYT]
· Tours to Kaesong Selling Out Fast [Hankyoreh]
· Can You Still Travel to North Korea? [Jaunted]
· North Korea Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Lex Luthor 1]
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benh
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