First-person accounts, guides, ethics debates, and stories from the places most travel writing refuses to cover honestly. Written by guides who actually live in these countries.
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The vast majority of our content is produced in-house, we are always on the look-out for guest bloggers and writers. Want to write for us? Then simply get in touch.
Welcome to the Young Pioneer Tours Blog, the place where we we keep you informed about everything YPT, from current tours, to future tours and a whole lot of eclectic stuff in between.
YPT first started blogging in 2008 and are considered the best North Korean Travel blog that there is.
But, as Young Pioneer Tours have expanded our locations, so have we expanded our blog. Now we have one of the best travel blogs in the world!
And while most of our content is about the numerous destinations we go, including travel guides and what to pack, we also delve into more serious subjects such as the safety of certain destinations, as well as how LGTBQ+ friendly the places we visit are.
By GARETH Johnson 17 APR 2026
How to get a whang od tattoo in 2026
Back in 2023 I wrote the quintessential guide for how to get a Whang Od tattoo, which involved driving a lot and then embarking on a hell on earth 3 hours each way (depending on fitness) hike. Well a lot has changed since then with not only a new bridge being built, but there also being perhaps the worlds least safe “cable car”…
Nauru is one of the least visited countries in the world, but its presence is far greater than the proportion it occupies on the world map. In 2026, the Republic
Goroka Airport is one of the best, least corrupt and most reliable in Papua New Guinea! This is though economies of scale and this does not mean it is perfect.
From ancient alleyways to modern waterfront elegance, Jakarta’s two Chinatowns tell a remarkable story. Most great cities have a Chinatown. Jakarta has two. One is steeped in centuries of history,
Two tourists were shot during the Baliem Valley Festival in West Papua on August 8, bringing the region’s biggest cultural festival to an early end and prompting a security operation
SHOWING 9 OF 200 ARTICLES
Can you visit Kaziranga National Park in the off-season, AKA monsoon season when it is closed to the public? Well, the obvious answer here is no. Technically you cannot, nor should you try rocking up here. The reality though is that if you have the right connections, are flexible and
Did you know that 83 percent of all statistics are made up? Equally interesting is that while Umananda Island claims to be the smallest inhabited river island in the world, that might not actually be true. This is because there is no officially recognised “smallest inhabited river island in the
If you’re travelling through the expanse that is North East India, then there is a decent chance that you will go through Guwahati at some point. This big bustling city is not just the capital of Assam, but also the gateway to the indigenous rhinos, the beauty of Shillong, as
If you know anything about the odd little world of unrecognised states, you’ll have heard of Abkhazia. De jure part of Georgia but de facto separate, this breakaway region has been a flashpoint between east and west more than once. So why does it exist, who are the Abkhaz, should
Whether you want ancient Georgian tourism, dark tourism, red tourism, foodie tours, or simply a bit of danger at dodgy borders, then Gori travel pretty much offers a bit of everything. How though do you get there, when should you go, what should you see, where should you eat and
If you now anything about world of unrecognized countries then you will have regard of South Ossetia. Dejure part of Georgia, but defacto independent, this unrecognized state has been flashpoint for wars between the east and west on more than one accession. Why though does it exist, who are the
Can you visit Kaziranga National Park in the off-season, AKA monsoon season when it is closed to the public? Well, the obvious answer here is no. Technically you cannot, nor should you try rocking up here. The reality though is that if you have the right connections, are flexible and
If you’re travelling through the expanse that is North East India, then there is a decent chance that you will go through Guwahati at some point. This big bustling city is not just the capital of Assam, but also the gateway to the indigenous rhinos, the beauty of Shillong, as
Did you know that 83 percent of all statistics are made up? Equally interesting is that while Umananda Island claims to be the smallest inhabited river island in the world, that might not actually be true. This is because there is no officially recognised “smallest inhabited river island in the
If you know anything about the odd little world of unrecognised states, you’ll have heard of Abkhazia. De jure part of Georgia but de facto separate, this breakaway region has been a flashpoint between east and west more than once. So why does it exist, who are the Abkhaz, should
Whether you want ancient Georgian tourism, dark tourism, red tourism, foodie tours, or simply a bit of danger at dodgy borders, then Gori travel pretty much offers a bit of everything. How though do you get there, when should you go, what should you see, where should you eat and
If you now anything about world of unrecognized countries then you will have regard of South Ossetia. Dejure part of Georgia, but defacto independent, this unrecognized state has been flashpoint for wars between the east and west on more than one accession. Why though does it exist, who are the
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EDITOR’S CHOICE
Every article on this blog is written by someone who has actually been to the place they are writing about. No armchair analysis. No speculative itineraries.
Founder • NK Guide
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C0-Founder • Leading Guide
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Norwegian-Vietnamese Traveller
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YPT Traveller
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Founder • NK Guide
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