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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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wonkavision
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:09 am Post subject: North Korea trip |
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has anybody gone on the Adventure Korea trip to Geumgangsan in North Korea? I'm thinking about going mid-September. Is it worth the 400k won? it's only Saturday and Sunday really...
and the mountain itself sounds beautiful, but understandably I'm a little more excited about the idea of just being in North Korea, and interacting with some nkoreans, even if they are just gift shop employees. lately I've become sort of obsessed with the place, and this seems like my only chance to go there since I can't get a visa as a Yankee or afford the required escorts. if you've been, is there any point where you actually feel like you're in North Korea or is it so buffered as to seem like a typical package tour in any other country? |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:23 am Post subject: |
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I can't see the point personally in paying so much to go to a fake Nth korea....
However a weekend in Seoraksan there in back would cost about 150 000 so if you think it is worth 250 000 won to see something not much better then go for it...
I really want to go but the price is a rip off...get a few cheaper yoegwan in there though iw ould be there in a flash |
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jen_the_great
Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Location: Gangnam, Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:42 am Post subject: Re: North Korea trip |
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| wonkavision wrote: |
| has anybody gone on the Adventure Korea trip to Geumgangsan in North Korea? |
I have. I went on the one in May and if you really want to go to North Korea and this is your only option, you should probably take it. The trip overall isn't spectacular, but it is a pretty neat experience.
As anyone will tell you, you don't really see North Korea, but you do get little hints that you won't find anywhere else. When you pass the DMZ, you go through a bit of countryside and get to see soliders and villages. Unfortunately, the roads are lined with guards (sometimes hiding) who will raid your bus if anyone is caught taking a picture. They also supposedly randomly take someone's camera at the end of each trip to search for pictures. The forbidden stuff (what you're not allowed to photograph) is pretty interesting though. They still have cannons mounted into the side of the mountain and have bunkers everywhere.
My main beef with the Adventure Korea tour, which I'm sure applies to every other tour company, is the wasted time that the company organized. You leave from Seoul on an all-night bus ride (that's actually only four hours but you make so many stops), go through immigration, and then they have you hiking when you haven't even slept. It's a beautiful mountain with "healing" water and a good hike if you're into that.
The compound you stay on is so very touristy, as I'm sure you'll expect. There's even a Family Mart and a duty free.
I thought that it was kind of pricey in hindsight, but I'm still glad I went. I wish they stamped our passports though. That would have been cool to have. Anyway, I've been meaning to post my photos on facebook, so if you want to see any, pm me. |
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