At Koryo Tours we’ve always been about pushing for more access to as much of the DPRK as we can achieve, and 2016 marked the first full year of us being able to offer pleasure flights over Pyongyang on a Russian-built Mil Mi-17 helicopter. This is something we were able to debut at the very tail end of 2015, but this year was the first in which we were able to offer it as an option on all of our group tours.

We also took things to the next level in the skies over North Korea this autumn by getting access to mircolight flights over the city, too. Those of you who have done it will agree that gliding through the air in a small two-seater aircraft is a unique and amazing way to see the city, with some superb views on offer.

So if you want to soar over the outskirts of Pyongyang, enjoy a bird’s-eye view of North Korea’s most famous monuments and buildings, and take in some rarely seen parts of he capital, then please get in touch, and we can arrange some Maverick airborne experiences for you!

Get to the chopper! Or, indeed, the microlight.

We also saw several years of negotiations finally bear fruit for us on the water in 2016. More specifically: kayaking. Following a successful test trip this August — when our very own Rich and Jessica kayaked their way from Pyongyang to Nampo, and back — we can now exclusively offer visitors the chance to paddle their way along the Taedong River.

Routes now available to us, and which we’ve spent years pushing for access to, include the waters around the centre of North Korea’s capital, or — for the more adventurous amongst you — a much longer journey past shipyards, fishing areas, and suburban Pyongyang, all the way down to the Chollima district of the neighbouring city of Nampo. It’s a slow way to navigate this great river, but offers unparalleled opportunities to see things from a vantage point never before explored by tourists, and offers a great workout, too!

We’ll be launching this new experience to Koryo customers come 2017, so if you want to be the first-ever tourist to paddle your way down the Taedong then get your request in now so you can be at the front of the inevitable queue for our Koryo kayaks!