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
Hazara’s are an ethnic group native to Central Afghanistan, particularly in the mountainous regions. Their roots are believed to be Mongol-Turkic, with their own language (Hazaragi) derived from Persian. They also have their own Hazara folklore – their own stories, myths and legends about how the world came to be.
Chaldeans and Assyrians are both minority ethno-religious groups native to the Levantine and Iraq region. They are actually very similar – both speak Assyrian, are native to Mesopotamia and share very similar ethnic heritages. So What is the difference between Chaldeans and Assyrians? The differences boil down to which Eastern
With a name like Shillong Police Bazaar, you’d expect something rather special and, well, that is exactly what you get here. This is the bustling centre of the city and state where there is even a sign stating you can get “everything you could imagine”. In reality, the sign is
Usually, a country seemingly ending elections and officially becoming a one party state would be big news, but “Nicaragua cancels elections” has barely seemed to garner much interest at all. In part, this is because in reality it means that not all that much will actually change in the country.
While most regular tourists try to dodge rain in search of brighter locales, we are anything but regular tourists! And this was what led us to Cherrapunji, quite literally one of the wettest places on planet Earth, and for many years recognised as the wettest place on Earth. And boy
Can you use TikTok in India? The short answer to this is that no you cannot as it is banned by both the Indian government, as well as TikTok itself. The longe more nuanced answer is that in reality and like other countries with bans on websites there are ways
Hazara’s are an ethnic group native to Central Afghanistan, particularly in the mountainous regions. Their roots are believed to be Mongol-Turkic, with their own language (Hazaragi) derived from Persian. They also have their own Hazara folklore – their own stories, myths and legends about how the world came to be.
Chaldeans and Assyrians are both minority ethno-religious groups native to the Levantine and Iraq region. They are actually very similar – both speak Assyrian, are native to Mesopotamia and share very similar ethnic heritages. So What is the difference between Chaldeans and Assyrians? The differences boil down to which Eastern
With a name like Shillong Police Bazaar, you’d expect something rather special and, well, that is exactly what you get here. This is the bustling centre of the city and state where there is even a sign stating you can get “everything you could imagine”. In reality, the sign is
Usually, a country seemingly ending elections and officially becoming a one party state would be big news, but “Nicaragua cancels elections” has barely seemed to garner much interest at all. In part, this is because in reality it means that not all that much will actually change in the country.
While most regular tourists try to dodge rain in search of brighter locales, we are anything but regular tourists! And this was what led us to Cherrapunji, quite literally one of the wettest places on planet Earth, and for many years recognised as the wettest place on Earth. And boy
Can you use TikTok in India? The short answer to this is that no you cannot as it is banned by both the Indian government, as well as TikTok itself. The longe more nuanced answer is that in reality and like other countries with bans on websites there are ways
8th December 2024: The opposition forces have announced complete control over Damascus. Rebels’ Military Operations Department have broadcast a statement announcing the end of Assad’s rule from the Radio and Television Building in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Now will be an era of transition and the plans of what
June 23rd 2019 Tensions have flared recently between the US and Iran following a dispute over the downing of a US drone. Tehran claims that the drone was in Iranian airspace, whilst Washington denies this and alleges that the unmanned craft was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.
After 16 years of being closed off to the general public, the heavily fortified, high-security zone of Baghdad called the Green Zone has reopened. Located along the banks of the Tigris River, the Green Zone has been like a city within the city, where diplomats and the elite resided. It
Iraqi Kurdistan Referendum Results On Monday the 25th of September Iraqi Kurds voted in a historic but controversial referendum and the results have been announced with a huge majority in support of independence. While this may lead to uncertainty in the region, because of the staunch opposition to Kurdish
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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.
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