"Don't go anywhere alone."
"Don't shoot anything ugly."
"Don't record any army personnel."
"Don't film anyone working hard."
"Don't use the word 'North Korea', say DPRK."
DPRK, or Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The most important one: always, always mention Kim Jong Un's name with respect, and add either 'Captain' or 'Marshall' before addressing him.
These were just some of the 'rules' said out loud to Bhuvani Dharan, a travel influencer known as @tamiltrekker on Instagram, before he and 21 other influencers and tourists stepped into one of the most secretive and closely monitored countries in the world - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or North Korea as the rest of the world knows it.
Dharan was part of the first group of 22 tourists and influencers to enter North Korea since it had completely shut down for five years following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. He entered on March 3 and left on March 6. After this batch, North Korea closed its doors to tourists once again. So not only was he among the first, but also among the last.
Dharan says that when he was preparing for this short but intense 4-day, 3-night journey into a country ruled by one of the most controlling governments in modern times, he didn't know what to expect. All he felt was a strange mix of curiosity, excitement, and nervousness.
Reaching North Korea wasn't simple either. Since Rason - the city where they would be staying - has no airport, the group had to first reach China. They were asked in advance to obtain a multi-entry visa for China, so that part was expected. After reaching Yanji in China and clearing a two-hour security check, the group was loaded onto a bus for a cross-border journey into North Korea.
What Dharan Saw In North Korea
Out of the 22 people in the group, only two were Indians. From the moment they crossed the border, the visitors were under constant surveillance. They were accompanied at all times by two government-appointed guides who spoke fluent English. Upon entering, both the tourists and their belongings were subjected to another round of security checks, this time by military personnel.
"Everyone had to make a list of the items they were carrying - especially electronics. They made sure we weren't bringing anything they consider banned - GPS devices, religious books, or pornographic material," Dharan recalls.
North Korea's stamp on Dharan's passport. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan
The checking process was very detailed, almost excessive. After completing it, Dharan became one of the very few people in the world to receive a passport stamp from North Korea, as the country had previously refrained from stamping passports.
Drinking Water, Very Important
On Day 1, the moment they reached North Korea, Dharan and everyone else made their first stop. No, not to the hotel, but to the mineral water factory. Yes, it was a part of their itinerary, where they visited, and drank, water made in North Korea.
However, to Dharan's surprise, he didn't see anyone working in the factory. "The entire thing felt staged," he says, after spotting only two people in a 'fully functional' factory.
Round And Round In Circles
Throughout their stay, their itinerary was fixed and non-negotiable. Every day, they visited sites only within Rason. According to Dharan, the group was sometimes taken on longer routes to reach destinations that were actually nearby - likely to give the illusion that they were travelling far and wide. But Dharan quickly realised that they were essentially being shuffled in circles within a small radius.
Dharan and Company. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan
During their four-day stay, they visited several places - including a museum, a deer park, multiple schools (including one for orphans), a few factories, and even courtrooms inside educational institutions. Things that seem ordinary in other countries were highlighted as points of pride here.
A Student Encounter
While visiting one of the schools, Dharan had his first and only chance to interact directly with North Korean civilians.
"I want to travel like you," one child said to Dharan during a classroom visit. But even that moment felt oddly curated. The group was only taken to a single classroom with the same group of children and teachers, and it felt like the rest of the school was off-limits.
Inside the North Korean classroom. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan
"Two weird incidents made me feel like even the school was staged," Dharan says. "First, a student told me he knew English and Russian. Since I've travelled to Russia twice, I know a bit of Russian. So, I tried speaking a few words, and he just froze. It was like he wasn't prepared for that, maybe because their answers were rehearsed."
Another moment that struck him as odd was during a visit to a school basketball court. When they arrived, it was full of children playing and laughing. But just a few minutes later, as they drove away, he looked back - and the court was completely empty.
Dharan mentioned that the students did not look 'happy'. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan
They were also shown cultural performances by schoolchildren in a large auditorium, but even those left Dharan with mixed feelings.
"Even though the kids were dancing and doing all the right moves, their faces looked sad. There was no joy in their expressions," he says.
The Marshall's Statue
There is no secret that the 'Captain', Kim Jong Un, likes elaborate things - and his statues are no exception. On the second day of the trip, visiting one such statue was a key part of the group's itinerary. Just before reaching the site, they were given a serious briefing.
"We were told that if we couldn't show proper respect to the Marshall, we should stay in the bus," Dharan says.
'Captain' Kim Jong Un's statue. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan
And how were they supposed to show that respect? By buying a plastic flower, laying it at the foot of the statue, and bowing deeply. The moment felt more ceremonial than spontaneous.
'India Means Baahubali'
Dharan says that it wasn't just the schools and factories that felt staged - the entire city of Rason seemed to exist as a carefully curated experience for foreign visitors.
"I saw taxis running at 5 am, which just felt unlikely in North Korea," he says. "We'd see families in traditional clothing laughing and taking photos near the road. But none of them ever spoke to us. Not once."
At night, the silence was eerie. It was as if the city simply shut down.
Bhuvani and his guide named 'Kim'. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan
"From the small window in my hotel room, I could see that no one was outside at night. But the next morning, exactly at 5, people would appear again, working around their homes like nothing happened," he says.
Moreover he also recalled that everyone seemed to have the same answer for a lot of things. "Whenever I asked about India, everyone answered Baahubali, as if they wanted to show us that they do watch international cinema here," Dharan adds.
The Bear Bones Alcohol
The hotel they stayed in was, in Dharan's words, "very clean and tidy". The food was decent - not amazing, but edible - and almost always cold. The menu was curated specifically for the tourists. Western-style dishes made up nearly 80 percent of what they were served, while the local cuisine was served only to the guides and drivers.
Dharan even suspects that the food was cooked somewhere else and brought in.
The 'snake' alcohol. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan
"It was too cold to have been prepared in the same hotel kitchen," he says. "But the taste wasn't bad."
More than the food, though, Dharan and the others were intrigued by the local alcohol. They visited a couple of alcohol factories - one for beer and another for wine.
But the strangest product they encountered? Alcohol brewed with tiger bones, bear bones, and even dead snakes.
"I didn't try it while I was there. But back in China, I took one sip - and immediately threw it away. I didn't want to risk dying in China. I had to come back home," he laughs.
Postcards From North Korea That No One Received
Dharan spent between Rs 4 to 5 lakh on the entire trip. While the basic tour package cost just about Rs 1 to 1.5 lakh, the rest went into spending within North Korea - on souvenirs, rare alcohol, and some rather expensive postcards.
He sent four postcards to friends and family - each costing nearly USD 100. He also had to deposit money for a local ATM card, which he never got to use because there were no functional ATM machines available.
North Korean schools display photos depicting the North Korean army ‘destroying' the American army. Photo: Bhuvani Dharan.
"I thought the postcards would be a cool souvenir. I even sent one to myself. But none of them have arrived, it's been months," he says.
Good Bye, North Korea
Throughout the trip, the group had zero access to the outside world - no mobile signal, no Internet, no contact. But on the final day, while visiting the border zone between North Korea, China, and Russia, they briefly picked up a mobile signal.
"We were told to stay quiet and discreet if we got on the network. But when I checked my phone, I saw a news alert - 'North Korea had officially banned tourism again'. My stomach dropped. I thought, 'Are we stuck here now'," he says.
After some tense discussions with the guides and their travel organiser, they were reassured - they were indeed the last group allowed in. They would be allowed to leave on schedule.
When NDTV asked Dharan whether he would consider returning to North Korea, he smiled.
"They told us clearly - if we say anything negative about North Korea in our videos or posts, we'll never be granted entry again. So, no, I don't think I'll ever go back. They will not allow me back in," Dharan concludes.
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