More details on American access to North Korea in 2009

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It may not be time to celebrate, but you can certainly be optimistic (with a dose of caution). Koryo Tours has received an update from its partners in North Korea about the upcoming Arirang (i.e., “Mass Games” event). The Mass Games are expected to be held in August and September – and could run into October (based on past experience). Koryo Tours is currently scheduling tours for westerners for this period.

Americans will be able to attend the event this year, but there are some restrictions. North Korea is expected to limit U.S. visits to four nights, and Americans will only be able to enter and exit the country by plane. But, Koryo Tours is willing to remain flexible in the event that longer stays are permitted. For guests who have already been to North Korea, the company is working on itineraries designed for repeat visitors.

Of course, this has not been confirmed yet, but Koryo Tours is confident based on how these developments have unfolded in the past. As we get more information, we’ll be sure to pass it along

[Thanks, Koryo Tours]

Top 10 stupidest laws you could encounter abroad


Destination on the edge: golf on the DMZ

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The small golf course in Panmunjom is often called the most dangerous in the world. Nestled between North and South Korea – which are technically still at war – sending a ball off the fairway means that it probably won’t be retrieved.

Welcome to the strangest place on earth. Panmunjom is the heavily militarized “truce” village straddling the Military Demarcation Line that cuts down the middle of the Korean peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone. The most famous image from this corner of the world, of course, is that of soldiers squaring off across from each other, each rigid and ready for the worst. Not far from this scene of perpetual anxiety, worries turn to backswings and short games.

Camp Bonifas, the U.S. military installation in Panmunjom, is home to a one-hole golf course, mostly for the benefit of service members stationed in this dangerous spot for a year at a time. The 192-yard par three “course” is free to anyone interested in playing but is generally unavailable to outsiders. Once you’re on Camp Bonifas, according to Erica (who prefers to keep her last name private), it’s pretty easy to find “The World’s Most Dangerous Golf Course,” as the locals call it. There isn’t much of anything on this army post, and there are only so many places you can go.

“It’s a fairly flat one-hole course,” Erica recalls, “so it serves as a novelty, not as somewhere to play an actual game.” The location, however, is what makes it unusual. “There isn’t anywhere else in the world that one can golf while gazing across the world’s most armed border. It’s surreal to say the least.”

I can see why she feels this way. As you approach the golf course, the sign that welcomes you announces with no equivocation: “DANGER! DO NOT RETRIEVE BALLS FROM THE ROUGH LIVE MINEFIELDS.” Never have the implications of shanking a drive been so severe!

If you’re up in Panmunjom for the DMZ tour, don’t plan to squeeze in a few rounds, however short they may be. But, if you’re getting ready to spend 12 months of your life in the Joint Security Area (well, 11 months, as you’ll have 30 days of leave), bring a putter and a nine iron. That’s all you’ll need.

[Photo via Nagyman on Flickr]

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Forbidden travel: you’re not the first

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The world’s hot spots have become hotter, according to MSNBC‘s Christopher Elliott. He lists Cuba, Iran and North Korea among the countries that are attracting American tourist interest and offers some smart advice for anyone interested in taking the plunge. These and other countries on the U.S. State Department’s list of travel warnings dangerous destinations are fun, though, specifically because they’re forbidden. Hmmm, like Kabul. And, there’s nothing like saying a place is off limits to make people want to go even more. So, if you want to take your life into your own hands, at least take calculated risks.

The most critical lesson is to remember that there is “no such thing as safe.” Any country that does not have diplomatic ties with the United States provides limited options if trouble arises. So, plan ahead. If you’re going to see the Mass Games in North Korea, note that the Swedish Embassy is the lone outpost for westerners in Pyongyang. In general, take steps to keep yourself safe. For once, calling home to let your mom you landed safely won’t seem like age-instigated paranoia.

Also, learn from those who have been already. Even if the part of the world you want to see is off-limits, there’s a good chance you won’t be the first American with a Canadian flag stitched to his backpack to tread the local turf. Be prepared to carry cash, as your ATM card may not get you far, and be prepared to be scared as hell while doing so. Hey, there’s nothing quite like cruising the Bakara Market in Mogadishu with a few thousand dollars forming a lump inside your shoe.

When you get home, keep the pictures to yourself. Travel to Cuba, for example, is generally illegal. So, forcing someone to sit through an endless carousel of slides could sow the seeds that will get your behavior reported to the Feds. Unless you live in California, Massachusetts or New York, your swing through the remaining outposts of Communism could be interpreted as unpatriotic! So, savor the memories alone … or at your next workers’ rights meeting.

[Via MSNBC.com]

[Photo by Brian Sayler]

Korean shopping deal just what you need in a recession

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Here’s proof that the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing. Imagine a left hand holding nail polish while the right is rotting. The Shilla Seoul hotel is offering a “Shopping at the Shilla” package for around $205 a night through October 31, 2009. The duty free shopping trip includes plenty of stuff, such as a deluxe room, breakfast for two and a VIP Gold Card for the Duty Free Shop, with discounts of 5 to 15 per cent (and some other stuff).

Now, the next bit is from a press release, so it must be true. The Shilla Seoul is consistently voted South Korea‘s leading hotel (which leads me to believe it’s one of the best in both Koreas … but that’s just a guess). And, why wouldn’t it be? It’s part of the Leading Hotels of the World chain. The name says it all.

Now, back to that press release … it says that you should go to LHW’s website to take advantage of this deal. But, if you can believe it, the press release lies!!! (Or, maybe it’s just wrong). I couldn’t find it on the LHW site, but it turned up on The Shilla Seoul’s website. I shouldn’t be surprised at this debacle, given LHW’s awesome track record with the Internet.

It’s probably worth looking for this deal, because North Korea‘s Ryugyong Hotel isn’t open yet. The Shilla Seoul is probably going to be the top hotel on the peninsula for a while (at least if you believe LHW’s publicist).

North Korea border disorder and other trivia

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s surprising; I know. There are competing accounts of how open North Korea is to outside tourists right now. Koryo Tours, as usual, is cutting through the rumor and gossip to give travelers as real a sense of possible of how, where and when you can go to North Korea.

Border Closings?
Stories have circulated that at least parts of the borders that North Korea shares with China and South Korea have been closed. According to Koryo Tours, the “facts that appear to be established now include [I hate caveats but understand why they need to do it]” Hyundai Asan’s day trips from South to North have been suspended, and the Mount Kumgang resort is still closed. Movement to and from the Kaesong industrial park is limited-hardly surprising since the daily train was canceled.

No Trains for China
On the North Korea/China border, travel by Chinese tour groups into North Korea by train has been restricted. Koryo Tours reports, “this is an easier one for us to clear up.” Apparently, this happens every year in mid-November. The authorities don’t give a reason for this annual decision. The only implication is that tourists from China need to travel by air. For non-Chinese tourists traveling by train … business as usual.

Egyptian to Finish North Korean Pyramid
The Ryugyong Hotel, which was left in disarray 16 years ago, is back under construction. Construction efforts resumed back in May, with Orascom (an Egypt-based company) engaged to finish the 105-storey structure. The property is expected to open on April 15, 2012-the day on which the current (and not exactly alive) president, Kim Il Sung, will not be around to celebrate his 100th birthday.

Hotels and Cell Phones?
Cellular News reports that, in addition to finishing the never-ending hotel, Orascom is developing a 3G network for North Korea-a country famous for limiting communication both within its borders and with outsiders. The network is expected to be finished sometime before the end of the year (if it isn’t already) with an initial cost of US$200 million.

Scatch your itch for North Korea