As I finished up my weeklong tour of North Korea a few days ago, I couldn't help but compare my experience to the articles and posts I've read about the country: The country is, by reputation, very difficult to get into (in terms of visas and the logistics of physically going), with only a handful of visitors coming each year--I've heard 4,000 being batted around. When I told my friends about the trip I was planning, their reaction was almost always one of amazement.

Here was the sum total of the efforts required for me to take this trip:

1. Transfer about 1,400 euros to the "travel agent."
2. Pick up my visa from the North Korean embassy in west London (which involved filling out a simple form and paying 10 pounds to the consular officer, who was very polite and spoke great English).
3. Get a Chinese visa (which you don't even need if you're just quickly transiting China).
4. Book a flight to Beijing.
5. Check in at Air Koryo's counter at the airport, where my e-ticket was waiting for me.

Immigration and customs at FNJ were a piece of cake, then step out of the airport and onto the tour bus and all your needs are taken care of for the next week, until you get on the train headed out to China.

During my time there I frequently saw another busload or two of tourists, plus various small/private groups. Our guides said they handle something like 20,000 people per year.

Okay, so Pyongyang isn't exactly a weekend trip to Paris. But once you work up the guts to actually go, the preparation required is slim compared to, say, a weeklong trek through any part of Africa.

So does North Korea really deserve its reputation as an exotic destination almost nobody's seen, the trump card in the "what countries have you been to" game? I'm not doubting the country used to have this status. But now?

Those of you who have visited North Korea, or maybe just fantasized about it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.