A tourist told how her vacation was in Kim Jong's luxury resort: “Honestly speaking, we liked it”
A Russian told how it was among the first foreign tourists to visit the new luxury resort on the North Korean coast, inaugurated by Kim Jong Un.
A Russian tourist told the experience lived in Kim Jong's resort: Anastasiya Samsonova
Anastasiya Samsonova, a Russian tourist, is among the first foreign visitors to spend a holiday in a new Luxury resort in North Korea, recently inaugurated by leader Kim Jong Un. Her experience was far from the dark image with which this isolated country is frequently associated.
Clean beaches, empty hotels
For a week, Anastasiya stayed at the Wonsan-Kalma resort, currently opened exclusively to Russian tourists. The photos caught during his vacation show a white sandy beach, modern hotels and perfectly lined, but without tourists.
“The hotel was absolutely new”she told Sky News. “T.The ot has been made very beautiful, a good interior … a very well developed infrastructure”.
Even though the landscape was impeccable, the resort was almost deserted. “I did not see anything terrible there, there is no danger there. Honestly speaking, we liked it very much”, she said.
Curiosity and lack of restrictions
Samsonova says that she and the other tourists in the group of 15 people were motivated by the desire to understand the life of North Korea beyond stereotypes. “We were interested in seeing how people live there.”she explained. “There were a lot of prejudices about what you can and what you can't do in North Korea, how you can behave. But in fact, we felt absolutely free. “
Tourism, the new bridge between Russia and North Korea
The opening of the resort for Russian tourists comes at a time when the relations between the two countries intensify, in the context of the Ukraine war. In 2023, the North Korean army offered support in the Russian Kursk region, and the bilateral collaboration was extended in the economic field.
North Korean products such as apples and beer began to appear on the shelves of the East Russian stores, and last month the direct passenger flights between Moscow and Phenian were resumed, a premiere after decades.
Over 400 reservations per month
The Vostok travel agency, based in Moscow, organizes two weekly trips to North Korea. Irina Kobeleva, directors and tours organizers, describes the country as unique: “It is an amazing country, different from any other in the world. You will not see any advertisement on the streets. And is very clean, even the asphalt is washed”.
She claims that the interest in these trips is increasing: “Our tourists are mostly older people who want to return during the USSR, because there is a feeling that true North Korea is very similar to what was once in the Soviet Union. But at the same time, there is an increasing demand among young people. ”
For some, the trip to North Korea has a deep personal significance. “My husband wanted to go there, but now he left us. So I want his wish to be fulfilled ”says Tatiana, a pensioner who chose this destination to honor memory.
How much does a holiday in North Korea cost?
The price for a one-week trip, which includes visits to Phenian and at the Wonsan-Kalma resort, reaches about 1,750 euros, without including the cost of flights. Although it is not a destination accessible to anyone, for the curious or nostalgic, the experience seems to be worth it.
