Dom Joly
The Travel Diaries
North Korea: surreal controlled spectacle
Dom recounts visiting North Korea, its staged displays, museum visits and the unsettling controlled atmosphere.
Welcome to a brand new season of The Travel Diaries - I’m so excited to be back!
My guest today is comedian, writer and broadcaster Dom Joly. You’ll of course know him from Trigger Happy TV - one of the most iconic comedy shows of the early 2000s - now celebrating its 25th anniversary, with Dom back on tour across the UK through to 2027.
But beyond comedy, travel has been a defining thread throughout Dom’s life. He’s visited 108 countries, and his story begins in Lebanon, where he grew up during the civil war, with what he describes as a “front-row view” of the conflict. His early experiences shaped a lifelong curiosity about the world, particularly places often misunderstood.
Dom is widely credited with bringing “dark tourism” into the mainstream, exploring destinations associated with history, conflict and tragedy, and we also talk about his concept of the “bad news gap”: the difference between how places are portrayed in the media and the reality on the ground.
In this episode, his travel diaries take us from Lebanon and Syria to North Korea, Cambodia, Iran, Canada and beyond.
I hope you love this one.
Destination Recap:
- Palmyra, Syria
- Lebanon
- Rome, Italy
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Cambodia
- Iran
- North Korea
- Rishikesh, India
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Muskoka, Canada
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Morocco
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Swindon, England
- Weston-super-Mare, England
- Algeria
Dom is currently on tour with the Trigger Happy TV 25th Anniversary Tour across the UK until 2027. You can also find his latest book, The Conspiracy Tourist, at domjoly.tv.
This episode was recorded at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall.
With thanks to…
Saily - Download SAILY in your app store and use our code traveldiaries at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase
Sovereign - Visit sovereign.com to speak to a personal travel planner today to curate your perfect Sani holiday this summer
If you’re enjoying The Travel Diaries, don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.
You can also follow me on Instagram @hollyrubenstein and on TikTok for more travel inspiration and behind the scenes.
See you next week!
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