I’ve visited North Korea 30 times and seen almost every province, but I’m still not bored of it and would love to come back. This is why…

To most people, North Korea is shrouded in mystery.

But not for traveler Zoe Stephens, from Liverpool in Great Britain. She has visited it more than thirty times, both as a tourist and as a guide for other tourists.

She first visited North Korea in 2016 and began tours there a year later. For a while, she crossed the border every month and visited almost all regions of the hermit kingdom.

In a conversation with MailOnline Travel, she reveals her experiences in a country that has closed itself off from the outside world in every respect.

Here Zoe, who speaks Chinese, Korean and Japanese and lives in Taiwan, reveals how the North Korean people are much more ‘normal’ than Westerners think and ‘find it hilarious when people try to ‘teach’ them about things like Facebook and Instagram’ . Read on for more…

Zoe Stephens, from Liverpool in Britain, has visited North Korea (where she is pictured above) more than 30 times, both as a tourist and a guide

Zoe, seen here in traditional Korean clothing on Paektusan Mountain with Heaven Lake in the background, says: ‘I actually just Googled ‘North Korea Tour’ and booked a tour. North Korea is known for being difficult to access, but in reality it is very easy’

The 30-year-old, pictured at the North Korea-China border, said: ‘I think a tour to North Korea would be pleasantly disappointing. The media has a habit of sensationalizing it, but in reality you will find that it is relatively normal.’

How difficult is it to visit North Korea?

Not at all, according to the young adventurer.

Zoe, 30, says: ‘I actually just Googled ‘North Korea Tour’ and booked a tour. North Korea is known for being difficult to access, but in reality it is very easy.

‘Even the visa is easy: you just fill out a simple form, pay a fee and send a copy of your passport. The rest will be done for you.’

Where in the country has she visited?

“Over the years I have been to all provinces except one,” says the tour guide. “This includes many cities in North Korea.

‘I have been south to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the north-south Korean border, west to the coastal area of ​​Nampo, east to Wonsan city and north to Chongjin city and Samjiyon , home to the famous Paektusan Mountain and a whole bunch of incredible places in between.”

What are the best and worst qualities of North Korea?

Zoe answers: ‘Too bad it’s so closed and you have to make a tour; it would be great to camp or hike there.

‘But that’s just the reality. The best part is definitely the people. They are very hospitable and very nice.’

Zoë says: ‘It’s a shame [North Korea is] so closed. it would be great to go on a camping or hiking adventure.” Here she is on Mount Chilbo in Hamgyong Province

“Over the years I have been to all provinces except one,” says the tour guide. “This includes many cities in North Korea. There is a big difference between what you see in the cities (right) and in the countryside (left in Chilbosan)’

Zoe adds: ‘I think a tour to North Korea would be pleasantly disappointing. The media has a habit of sensationalizing it, but in reality you will find that it is relatively normal.’

Did she ever feel in danger?

“Honestly, not once,” Zoë replies.

Did she see any inequality?

“There is a big difference between what you see in the city and in the countryside,” the traveler responds.

Was she limited in what she could see?

“Yes and no,” says Zoe. “I always tell people to show you what they want to show you, but you can see a lot more.”

What did she see when she was there?

“A lot,” Zoe answers. ‘From local cafes to museums, from beautiful landscapes to markets… I spent several months of my life there in total and there is a lot to see.’

What are the North Korean people like?

Zoe replies: ‘To give a boring answer… they’re like normal people! They like to have fun, drink and make dirty jokes. At the same time, they take their work very seriously and are incredibly well educated and knowledgeable about the world.

‘People expect to know nothing about the world and the guides find it hilarious when people try to ‘teach’ them about things like Facebook and Instagram. In their words: “We know about it and we don’t think it’s that great… why do people always want to show us?”

The frequent visitor says: ‘I have been south to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), west to Nampo coastal area, east to Wonsan city and north to Chongjin city and Samjiyon, home base from the famous mountain Paektusan. (photo)’

‘They are also far more knowledgeable about history and geography than many foreigners I have ever met, and their language skills are incredible – especially considering that many of them have never been abroad. These are obviously the guides I’m talking about.

‘The locals generally don’t speak much English, but it is still a well-educated society throughout Pyongyang. Education is free for all, even at university level.’

Would she ever return?

“Absolutely, I’m looking forward to it,” says Zoë. ‘My last trip there was in January 2020. I was one of the last tourists to arrive when the border closed a few days later due to Covid. As I left, I said goodbye to the friends I made there and said, “Goodbye!”

‘I usually go every month or so. So it’s normal to wait a few weeks and see each other again, but now it’s been almost five years. That ‘goodbye’ feels very long indeed.’

Zoe, seen here at the China-North Korea border, says the locals are ‘normal’. She says: ‘They like to have fun, drink and make dirty jokes. At the same time they take their work very seriously’