Don't worry about the odd nuclear test or missile launch. Here you can run a marathon down Pyongyang's totalitarian streets or watch 100,000 kids doing synchronized dancing. The country is trying to open up attractions like the Masikryong Ski Resort and the Lake Taesong golf club. And where else can you still get stopped from taking a selfie in the wrong place?
2. The in-flight entertainment
The communal screens that drop down from the ceiling will keep you entertained with propaganda broadcasts and concerts by supreme leader Kim Jong Un's favorite all-female band, Moranbong, who sing patriotic songs about, well, Kim Jong Un. Bring noise-canceling earphones. There's no volume control.
3. The planes
You don't often get tour agents who will arrange a trip to a country just to fly in its planes, but in North Korea this is possible. London-based Juche Travel Services offers an aviation- themed tour. Air Koryo recently acquired two Russian-built Tupolev Tu-204s for international routes, with an economy ticket costing about 900 yuan ($137) for the two-hour journey from Beijing. Once in Pyongyang, you can hop into Soviet-era aircraft such as a Mil Mi-17 transport helicopter for a buzz over the capital, or a view of the mountains.
"It's a very different experience, traveling back 20, 30 years,'' says Sam Chui, an aviation enthusiast who's flown Air Koryo about 20 times.
4. Airport lines
While you may suffer the inconvenience of long lines and immigration hassles at your point of departure on your way to North Korea, once you arrive in the Democratic People's Republic, it should be a breeze.
No longer do you have to shuffle through the strange temporary shed that has been masquerading as an airport terminal for the past five years, now the capital has a sleek, brand-new building. And with fewer than half a dozen international flights a day, and little chance of delays due to strikes, the airport bus may deliver you on time to an almost deserted building.
5. The burger
While the food, especially in the new business-class lounge, has improved, the most-photographed component of an Air Koryo trip remains the famous "mystery-meat" burger.
"The burger has been going on for so many years, everyone's making fun of it," says Chui, who has eaten at least 10 of them. To put to rest the long-running dispute over the source of the protein, we contacted Air Koryo's office in Beijing for clarification. The airline's representatives didn't respond.
- Bloomberg
