Understandably, North Korea is an unusual destination. Due to what they understand and hear about the country, a lot of people are fearful of going there. We however, at Visit North Korea, pride ourselves at being and thinking different. We want to break down fear to build a better future. Having been to North Korea many times on our tours, we know from experience there isn’t anything to be scared of. So, for our British readers today we want to show you a number of places in the UK we think are way, way scarier than North Korea! If you think the DPRK is something to be scared of, then have you got what it takes to visit any of these fine destinations? Let’s find out!
1. Paisley
Up and over the border Paisley is a little known town on the periphery of Glasgow in Renfrewshire. Why is it scary? Just imagine Scottish culture in its roughest, toughest and least sophisticated form, what better have you got as a testimony of that than it’s own poster girl Mhairi Black MP! Not your first destination in Scotland, surely!
2. Jaywick, Clacton-on-sea
Jaywick is officially the most deprived council area in all Britain, situated in Clacton-On-Sea, a seaside town in East Essex long abandoned by the rest of the world. It has a peculiar origin, due to being converted from a derelict Butlins resort into an estate. The area gained infamy for being a hotbed of support for UKIP a few years ago, which should tell you everything you need to know about the place.
3. Grays, Essex
Essex has the unfortunate mark of being mentioned twice in this piece, anyone surprised? Not really! Grays is another delightful destination in the county. Situated on the estuary of the river Thames, the town is grim, deprived and has nothing of any importance, bar being the birthplace of Russell Brand. Watch out for its mockney accent too!
4. Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Dewsbury is a post-industrial town situated near Leeds in West Yorkshire. The decline of its industries in the 1980s and onwards set it on a path of deprivation and unemployment which many areas in the North of England have also suffered. However, the town became nationally infamous in 2007 for being home to Karen Matthews, whom staged the “disappearance” of her 9 year old daughter by kidnapping her as part of a national fundraising scam.
5. Coventry
Wondering if any major cities were going to make this threshold? Absolutely! Coventry is a gem. Destroyed in the 1940s through German bombing, the city centre has become a grim eyesore due to the overwhelming presence of heinous 1960s architecture. Seriously, you’d be better off coming to Pyongyang!
6. Salford, Greater Manchester
Manchester might have coronation street, but Salford without a doubt wins the coronation of one of the most terrifying places in Greater Manchester. As a whole the wider area and city is great, providing you avoid this enclave notorious for its deprivation and crime. Approach Salford with caution, more likely for something to go wrong here than in the DPRK.
7. Peterlee, County Durham
The only good thing about Peterlee is that you probably haven’t heard of it! This is a town on the old Durham East Coast, an area that had its soul destroyed through the loss of the coal industry. It was a “New town” built following world war II to reorganise pre-war slum areas. It’s a groggy mess of backwardness and ugly 1960s design, serving no purpose but to be avoided.
So maybe after reading through all this, you’ll realize North Korea isn’t that bad after all, right? North Korea may be poor, but unlike these spectacles it has culture, beauty and civilization too! We’d never call it a paradise, but when you’re comparing Pyongyang to Paisley what other terms are left? Make sure you check out some of our quality packages to get as far away from these places as possible!
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