NORTH korea to the maxxxx!!

​TRAVEL TIPS TUESDAY: NORTH KOREA... Share your Tips and Stories. To all those who visited this country already, let's assist our Kabayans fulfill their wishlist / check thei​​r bucket list. My North Korea Solo Travel Tip as Pinoy Solo Backpacker: (Philippine passport holde and my 65th UN country) Trip Description: 5 Days Group Tour in Summer North Korea (DPRK) Date Visited: June 12 to 16, 2018 Visa: Philippine passport holders need to apply before travel Budget: $1,952 01. Best to visit (Mar. to Jul.) 02. Tourist travel to North Korea is only possible as part of a guided tour (through a travel tour agency). Independent travel is not permitted. 03. I availed the service of KTG / KITC travels. All my queries and concern are discussed in email conversation. Planning should be at least more than a month before the intended visit in North Korea due to reservation issues and visa processing. 04. The tour almost covered everything. I only brought around 120 Euro as my pocket money for expenses for extra refreshments, souvenirs and guide tips. It is recommended to bring cash in both EUR and CNY bills. 05. Same on my Transmongolia trip, I did again the 24-hour Transit Without Visa (TWOV) of China Beijing Airport. There was no difference on the process, even though I arrived early morning in Beijing last time. On lane of 24-hr transit in Beijing airport, I just showed to Immigration Officer my outbound ticket (both going to Pyongyang and going to Abu Dhabi). 06. DMZ (Panmunjom) is considered as one of the highlights of DPRK trip. Escorted by a DPRK soldier who will show us the blue negotiation rooms run across the line itself; half of each room being located in South Korea the other half on North Korean soil. Photography and Video taking is allowed inside the area. I confirm DMZ experience in DPRK is much better than that in SK (visited both). 07. Aside from DMZ, the other highlights of the DPRK trip are Mansudae Grand Monuments (two giant bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il), Arch of Triumph (larger than in Paris), Juche Tower (170 metres high monument), Pyongyang Metro (one of the deepest metro in the world with beauty of its mosaics and gigantic chandeliers) and Reunification Monument. 08. Bringing DPRK currency outside of the country is not allowed (I still brought some as my personal souvenir, can't help it). #skiadventure #staycation #themepark #beachlife