One of the most closed world powers, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is at the same time one of the most attractive tourist destinations in recent years. The forbidden fruit, as you know, is always sweet, and therefore curious guests are not stopped either by a long flight, or by problems with obtaining a visa, or by the price of tours, which cannot be called humane. Want to see local attractions or take a beach holiday in North Korea? Nothing is impossible, you just need to book a tour as part of an organized group.
Where to go to sunbathe?
In the DPRK, foreign tourists are not offered a particularly wide choice, and in this sense they have not to choose where is better, but to take what they give:
- The most accessible beach recreation area for foreign guests in the DPRK is Mazon, 150 km north of the city of Wonsan. In the photo, the resort looks quite dignified and upon closer acquaintance, Mazon hotels leave a favorable impression.
- The Rason special tourist zone stretches near the border of North Korea and Russia.
- Ozaro Sijung is a place famous for its healing mud. The resort offers to diversify healthy procedures with pleasant ones - sunbathing in the edge of delightful natural landscapes.
You can get to the North Korean resorts only as part of a tourist group.
Weather features of a beach holiday in North Korea
The weather in the resorts of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is determined by the monsoon climate. There are four distinct seasons of the year, and the hottest of them is summer.
The swimming season on the beaches of the DPRK begins in the first half of May. when the air warms up to + 25 ° С, and the water - up to + 20 ° С. In July and August, it gets very hot in the resorts and high humidity adds to the problems, turning the actual + 29 ° C into a stifling, badly tolerated heat.
The optimal time for a comfortable beach holiday in the DPRK is May and the first half of June and the end of September and October.
From dirt to Kings
The mud bath on Lake Sijung is located just half a kilometer from the coast of the Sea of Japan. This allows tourists who find themselves here to kill two birds with one stone: improve their health according to the most advanced oriental methods and relax on a Korean beach.
The appearance and interiors of the sanatorium are more reminiscent of the Soviet socialist era. Once in one of the rooms of the boarding house, any guest will decide that he is in the past. But even a few days at the resort near Lake Sijung will help to say goodbye to exacerbation of rheumatism and relieve post-traumatic syndromes, put the digestive organs in order and nullify the manifestations of neuralgia.
Among the pine groves
Mazon is the most popular beach resort in North Korea for both foreigners and locals. It is located 20 km from the city of Hamyn on the coast of the Sea of Japan. You can stay at the resort in a cottage village and a modern five-star hotel "Mazon".
The fashionable "Mazon" resembles a flying seagull on the plan. It started hosting foreign tourists in 2011 and most of its rooms are brand new. For the entertainment of guests in the hotel there are billiard rooms and bowling, a swimming pool with hydromassage and a sauna. The beach near the hotel is sandy and very large. It is regularly cleaned of algae and even shells; paths are laid out on the beach and fresh showers are arranged.
Prices for tours to the resort area of Mazon are not very humane and for one night at the hotel you will have to pay about $ 200.
It will be much cheaper to stay in a cottage village built in a pine park on a small hill. Its main visitors are locals, and therefore the service is much easier than in the neighboring hotel, the beach is not very well-groomed, and the food suggests a large number of Korean dishes.
