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SirFiddler
Board Legend
Joined: Mar 30, 2004
Posts: 11621
Location: Very close to a bottle of chilled Boags
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 Posted:
Mar 10, 2008 - 11:25 AM |
 
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| Post subject: North Korea in August , help needed |
Hey there,
some time ago in Sashas I saw a poster advertising a trip to North Korea, and I think it was for the military parade in August.
I am very keen on going there, and just tried to google some more info on travel agents, but could not find what I was looking for...
Can anyone help and point me in the right direction ? Any travel agents on this site that organize these trips ?
cheers |
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Special offer at Cuvee : Bring your business card and get a free punch |
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DILLIGAF
LoopKicker
Joined: Dec 21, 2004
Posts: 923
Status: Offline
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Mar 10, 2008 - 11:34 AM |
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Andreas
Board Legend
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 10109
Location: s/v Waratah
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Mar 10, 2008 - 11:39 AM |
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You beat me to it.  |
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greenmark
Rocker
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 612
Location: Location Location
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Mar 10, 2008 - 12:03 PM |
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Yep, Koryo are good.
However, if you get a group of people together it may be cheaper to deal with one of several Beijng-based Chinese travel agents. They'll book you with the tours that run in N Korea - they do it all the time for Chinese tour groups. All the tours there are run by the N Korea state tourist agency and they all use the same hotels and restaurants and go to the same attractions, so apart from cost it won't be any different whether you do it via Koryo or any other agency. Just make sure the agency you book with arranges English speaking guides. I once managed to get a quote about 1/3 of the cost of Koryo. Sorry but I've searched through my old emails and cannot find the agency - do a search in the Beijing expat's website.
As for the parades, the ones you need to look out for are the anniversaries of the army (for which there is the impressive marching around the square) or the Mass Games. I don't think that foreigners are allowed at the marching so have a look for the Mass Games. I don't think they run in August. |
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greenmark
Rocker
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 612
Location: Location Location
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Mar 10, 2008 - 12:11 PM |
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Found the details of the Chinese agency:
www.koreatrip.net
The website is in Chinese but you can correspond with them in English. |
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SirFiddler
Board Legend
Joined: Mar 30, 2004
Posts: 11621
Location: Very close to a bottle of chilled Boags
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Mar 10, 2008 - 12:40 PM |
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thanks a lot for the feedback
koryo seems the one to go with .
Has anyone been ? What was it like ? |
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Special offer at Cuvee : Bring your business card and get a free punch |
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greenmark
Rocker
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 612
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Mar 10, 2008 - 01:52 PM |
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I've been
North Korea is a real mindbender, one of the best holidays I've ever had.
But given the choice I would have gone with the cheaper option. All that Koryo does is act as a travel agency, they book you onto the N Korea tours which are run by the N Koreans. You might as well get someone else to book them for you for less.
On the tour I went, there was one person accompanying us from Koryo for two out of the seven days after which she flew back to Beijing. The N Korean guides contributed much more to things than she did. |
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Cambronne
Post Roaster
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 4217
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Mar 10, 2008 - 02:35 PM |
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Good info. One of my old dreams, going to DPRK and delivering key Western technologies to them (for a fee), then being invited to partake in one of the communist orgies at some underground palace in the mountains. You know with those sexy policewomen. Can those travel agents arrange that? |
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Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it. |
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unoriginal
LoopKicker
Joined: Jan 13, 2008
Posts: 877
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Mar 10, 2008 - 02:50 PM |
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Fiddler> i'd be really interested in going, can you let me know prices and stuff when you get the info? quite funny, i've been reading blogs on north korea today and just found this thread! |
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alaal
Talker
Joined: Feb 27, 2007
Posts: 80
Location: Bund
Status: Offline
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Mar 10, 2008 - 03:36 PM |
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This is proabbly a stupid question. But I will ask it anyways. If you are a US citizen do you need a special VISA? Sounds very intereseting and would love to go someday as well. Kind of like visiting Cuba someday... |
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greenmark
Rocker
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 612
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Mar 10, 2008 - 04:00 PM |
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^You need to go an a special trip only for US visitors, which tend to be twice as expensive and half as long.
They also don't let in any South Koreans or Isrealis. |
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p1atl10
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 9035
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Mar 10, 2008 - 04:05 PM |
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_988.html
Linky linky for US Citizens applying for North Korean Tourist Visa.
Fids....some good general information also
Greenmark......Did not think that was applicable as of October last year? |
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Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.....Dave Barry |
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greenmark
Rocker
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 612
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Mar 10, 2008 - 04:13 PM |
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Maybe I'm wrong about South Koreans and Isrealis.
As for the US tours - if you check the Koryo site they have 4-day tours for 1790 Euros, whereas other nationals get 7-days for 1690 Euros.
BTW, the quote I got from Koreatrip was 3800 RMB for Chinese nationals and 5200 RMB for non-Chinese nationals for a 7-day trip. |
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thewalrus
Shanghai Royalty
Joined: Apr 28, 2004
Posts: 8523
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Mar 10, 2008 - 04:14 PM |
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| Quote: |
| However, if you get a group of people together it may be cheaper to deal with one of several Beijng-based Chinese travel agents |
Fids, I went up a few years ago for a week and had a great time.
Koryo could be OK but we booked everything in Shenyang before we went with an agent there. We arrived on the Thursday afternoon in Shenyang, they took our passports around 3 PM and then the next morning at 8 AM at the airport we had out visa's ready to go.
Bring some beers over during the week and I'll show you all my photos and vids's from the North. |
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Reporting damage it is soft rock $hit, The TSB Rock School, The overgrown supershit... |
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greenmark
Rocker
Joined: July 28, 2005
Posts: 612
Location: Location Location
Status: Offline
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Mar 10, 2008 - 04:20 PM |
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Sorry... spelling....
IsrAElis
apologies. |
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Cambronne
Post Roaster
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 4217
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Mar 10, 2008 - 04:30 PM |
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Perhaps we could have a special tour for us Shexpaters? Do they still have cute marketing girls in Mike's company, who could organize this? I remember the accountant is kind of pretty. |
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Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it. |
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SirFiddler
Board Legend
Joined: Mar 30, 2004
Posts: 11621
Location: Very close to a bottle of chilled Boags
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Mar 10, 2008 - 08:06 PM |
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unoriginal, check the website mentioned by dilligaf. there are several options and they range from around 1200euros to close to 2000 euros depending on what time and how long you're travelling for.
emailed them today and waiting for some info, but got my eyes on the arts festival there late july beginning of august...
thanks to everyone else who shared a link or info
walnuts, if i bring beers to your place i the last thing we're going to do is look at pictures of your holidays  |
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Special offer at Cuvee : Bring your business card and get a free punch |
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wonderer
Rocker
Joined: Sep 25, 2006
Posts: 674
Status: Offline
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Mar 10, 2008 - 09:14 PM |
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| Cambronne wrote: |
| One of my old dreams, going to DPRK and delivering key Western technologies to them (for a fee), then being invited to partake in one of the communist orgies at some underground palace in the mountains. You know with those sexy policewomen. |
Do your employers know about this?? |
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Cambronne
Post Roaster
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 4217
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Mar 10, 2008 - 10:45 PM |
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I am the employer. |
_________________
Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it. |
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wonderer
Rocker
Joined: Sep 25, 2006
Posts: 674
Status: Offline
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Mar 10, 2008 - 10:53 PM |
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