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    • North Korea – Pyongyang, Mysteries & Secrets of a Reclusive Nation’s Capital
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    • Turkmenistan. 2023 Travel guide – Independently explore this mysterious country
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  • Adventure Travel
  • North Korea – An American travels to Pyongyang

    Posted on 2020-04-302020-05-01
    American Pyongyang airport

    Brando Cox shares how he visited North Korea as one of the first American allowed into the country following Madeleine Albright’s US State Department visit

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  • Adventure Travel
  • North Korea, a trip from Pyongyang to the DMZ

    Posted on 2016-05-162019-12-24
    DMZ from North Korea

    North Korea. The most isolated country exists in a world of its own. However, lets back up a bit. In 2003 I took my first solo trip to South Korea and somewhere along the way discovered my passion for conflict resolution. My trip to South Korea was my first time travelling alone….something I never realized until writing this post. […]

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    © Nothing Declared: About

    © Nothing Declared creator Brandon Niles Cox is an avid traveler with a dream of inspiring and helping others reach epic reach off beaten destinations. Working as a leader in the aviation industry, a travel consultant and sommelier. Nothing Declared focuses on adventure travel, international conflict research, photography, and the wine we enjoy along the way.
    This site features detailed travel tips, how to guides, photography and informative short stories on rarely visited part of the world. The world is remarkably accessible, and we all need guidance on how to efficiently get there!

    Brandon has spent over 120 months in 180+ UN countries on all 7 continents as an avid traveler, independent international conflict researcher, author, and photographer.

    Currently he lives with his wife Emily in Amsterdam, NL having recently moved from London, UK. Brandon has worked as a leader specializing in building joint ventures and alliances, revenue & inventory management, pricing, capacity optimization and network management. He worked for the Coca-Cola Company after graduating from Georgia Tech studying Industrial Engineering, Management and Marketing. He has studied at Oxford University, as well as in Australia, France, New Zealand and Japan. His passion for adventure travel and conflict resolution began on a sporadic excursion from Japan to South Korea in 2003. Since then, his research has taken him to all 7 continents, over a hundred countries through over 40 active conflict zones. He has produced and directed documentaries in Ukraine, and researched conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Somalia during a 9 month overland journey through Africa from South Africa to Jordan and back.
    Brandon Niles Cox’s work has been featured by CNN, National Geographic, Georgia Tech, NBC, Georgia Tech Alumni Quarterly, MTV, and Delta Air Lines Inc.

    Recent Posts

    Bangladesh – Independent Travel Guide and Top Tips - 17 May , 2025
    Afghanistan – 2024 Independent Travel Guide - 28 Sep , 2024
    Afghanistan – Reflections - 28 Sep , 2024
    Afghanistan – Exploring Kabul - 28 Sep , 2024
    Afghanistan – Torkham border crossing to Pakistan. Independent travel - 28 Sep , 2024
    Afghanistan – The Ancient City of Herat - 28 Sep , 2024
    Afghanistan – Mazar i Sharif & Balkh Independent travel - 28 Sep , 2024
    Afghanistan – Bamyan. The Buddhas and the City of Screams - 28 Sep , 2024

    Categories

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    Recent Comments

    • Brando Niles Cox on Turkmenistan. 2024 Travel guide – Independently explore this mysterious country
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    • Brando Niles Cox on Turkmenistan. 2024 Travel guide – Independently explore this mysterious country
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    nothing_declared

    Making the least traveled places 🌍 more accessible
    ✈️ Traveller🍷Sommelier 📷 Photographer
    🌍 186 /197 countries° 7 continents
    📍 Home: 🇳🇱

    Have you ever seen handmade airport signs? Post Have you ever seen handmade airport signs? 

Post your favorite airport signs. 

📍Nauru 🇳🇷
    🌴 Hidden deep in the jungles of Nauru lie forgo 🌴 Hidden deep in the jungles of Nauru lie forgotten relics of war—Japanese-dug tunnels from WWII leading to rusted anti-aircraft g*ns. 🇯🇵 this is the secret path they followed to access them high atop the mountain.

From 1942–1945, Nauru was occupied by Japanese forces who transformed the island into a fortress. These tunnels, carved into the earth and limestone, served as defense lines against Allied air raids. Today, they are slowly being taken over, but are eerie reminders of a brutal past slowly being swallowed by nature

📍Nauru 

#WWIIHistory #Nauru #AbandonedPlaces #MilitaryHistory #TravelOffTheGrid #PacificWar #UrbanExploration
    Can you imagine an island with no protective barri Can you imagine an island with no protective barrier reef? Just a few meters offshore the ocean drops 3000 m deep!!! 

Nauru sits like a tophat in the Paciic ocean. This tiny island rising majestically from 3000 meter depths of the ocean around it.

The beaches? A bit different. Very majestic. Super raw and beautiful. Seems like you are the first one exploring. Tourist count: 0. Beauty level: Off the charts.

#keepexploring @natgeonl @natgeoyourshot #yourshotphotographer
    1942: 'These will stop Allied b*mbers. 2025: 'hey 1942: 'These will stop Allied b*mbers.
2025: 'hey babe. great picnic spot. Look at this view.' 📸💀

Imagine going for a hike in a remote tropical island and stumbling across a massive anti-aircraft g*n casually chillin’ in the trees like it’s on sabbatical. That’s Nauru for you.

Back in 1942, Japan invaded Nauru during their Pacific expansion, primarily to control the island’s massive phosphate deposits — key for making b*mbs and fertilizer. They fortified the island with bunkers, airfields, and anti-aircraft g*ns like this one, expecting a full-on Allied invasion.

Heres the twist, the invasion never came.

The Allies decided it wasn’t worth a land invasion, and just b*mbed it periodically from 1943 to 1945 via planes and submarines, leaving these g*ns to quietly rust in the jungle. WWII ended, Japan surrendered, and the g*ns stayed

#everycountryintheworld #everycountry #everypassportstamp #history #historyfacts #historylovers
    On our way to Nauru, on Nauru Airlines! One of the On our way to Nauru, on Nauru Airlines! One of the least visited countries on earth...only 200 tourists per year! 

 I was so excited...but when we were served an Australian beer, I asked the flight attendant if they had something local to Nauru? 

Kinda like that scene in the movie "the Mexican" when Brad Pitt asks for an El Camino 😆 

Their response "I need to serve the other passengers first". 🙄

Fair. I don't know if it was just the usual standard response, or what...but it felt a bit strange being one of only a handful of passengers.

Otherwise our flight was great..but felt like we had booked an Uber to Nauru. It was bizarre walking to and from the plane...alone. especially when entering a new country for the first time.

#Nauru #everycountryintheworld #visiteverycountry #everypassportstamp
    Fly to Nauru 🇳🇷 from Europe and unlimited su Fly to Nauru 🇳🇷 from Europe and unlimited sunrises are yours. 
Follow my insta 📸 @nothing_declared

Jetlag. +11 time zones. 
Works everytime🌞🌴

#everycountryintheworld #everypassportstamp
    Just me, 180 empty seats, and 4,000km of Pacific O Just me, 180 empty seats, and 4,000km of Pacific Ocean.

Emily and I flew to one of the world’s least-visited countries — Nauru 🇳🇷 — and ended up being 2 of only a few passenges on the entire plane.
Not a charter. Not a prank. Just a regular commercial flight… with no one else.

Here are a few wild facts about Nauru:
🌍 It’s the third smallest country in the world — only 21 km² (you can walk around it in a day)🤔 hint hint
🛫 There’s only one airline serving the island: Nauru Airlines, with limited weekly flights.
👥 It receives fewer than 200 tourists per year — yes, per year.
💰 In the 1980s, it had the highest GDP per capita in the world thanks to phosphate mining… and then lost it all.
🏝 No capital city. No public transport. No rivers. Just raw, surreal island energy.

Would you visit? Or is this your idea of the ultimate digital detox?

#SoloTravel #HiddenGems #Nauru #OffTheBeatenPath #GhostFlight #RareDestinations #DigitalDetox #SmallestCountries #everypassportstamp
    Nauru is one of the smallest island narions in the Nauru is one of the smallest island narions in the Pacific and we have just started exploring it 

Follow @nothing_declared
    Stepping into the tiny country of Nauru, with only Stepping into the tiny country of Nauru, with only 10 to go like...

197 Countries 👀
    Nauru 🇳🇷 is one of the smallest countries in Nauru 🇳🇷 is one of the smallest countries in the world.  The country has only 3x flight arrivals per week! Everyone shows up to watch....especially the flights which arrive at sunset when everyone can hang out on the beach. It's such a fun atmosphere 

Nauru is really a hidden gem. 🌴 Incredibly authentic. Super clean. Wonderful beaches. Great history. Super chill. Great food, loads of local businesses and lovely little shops dotting the Island. 
Follow us as we explore the central pacific @nothing_declared 

#aviationlovers #planespotting #everypassportstamp #everycountryintheworld #aviationphotography
    Nauru 🇳🇷 Tsunami update 🌊 Thankfully we Nauru 🇳🇷 Tsunami update 🌊

Thankfully we are OK. The tsunami wave / surge wasn't enough to cause damage. 

What's the real story here? The people of Nauru lack an effective early warning system ⚠️ No one knew there was any sort of Tsunami threat.  No sirens, or text alerts. Shocking for such a small island country of only 19 km (12m) in circumference 🏝
    In Nauru right now and just saw news of a Tsunami In Nauru right now and just saw news of a Tsunami headed our way?!

Its supposed to hit right now! We saw the warning online. No warning at all on the island. All of the Pacific is under  threat,, but none of the locals have heard anything. Absolutely zero alert ⚠️ 🙃 and no where to run. What sort of system protects the people of this small island country when emergencies like this occur?
    @nothing_declared is in Buenos Aires with 6 things @nothing_declared is in Buenos Aires with 6 things you can do in a full day here.  It's one of the most fascinating cities on earth. I just love the European charm, the architecture and how's its a bit crumbly and rough around  the edges. 
My favorite part? The people and the food are what keeps me coming back!!
    What are some of your favorite day trips? @nothi What are some of your favorite day trips? 

@nothing_declared is in Buenos Aires, and its one of my favorite cities in one of my favorite countries. Argentina!!

 There is so much to see inside and around this place...it's really incredible and I keep learning more every time I visit
    Where are your favorite FOOD CITIES?! Buenos Aire Where are your favorite FOOD CITIES?!

Buenos Aires is definitely one of my top 10 favorite cities and one of the biggest reasons?! 

The quality of the food and wine is incredible, and so affordable!  Wandering through seems like exploring a European capital 100 years ago. The architecture is crumbling a bit, and that's part of the charm. 

Whether enjoying a steak  and a glass of Malbec in Palermo or sitting down for an Italian feast in San Telmo - the food and sights rarely disappoint
    Argentinaaaaa, The truth is I never left you 🎶 Argentinaaaaa, The truth is I never left you 🎶

On my way to Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Having been here over 20 times I can comfortably say it's one of my top 10 favorite cities in the world. 

Where is a place you keep coming back to?
    Dubai from the worlds tallest Hotel 🤩 I love Dubai from the worlds tallest Hotel 🤩

 I love how the cars stack up like bar graphs as they queue for the  stoplight 🚦
    Nepal sunrises are the best 👌 This is a quick Nepal sunrises are the best 👌 

This is a quick 2 hr km hike from Polhara, Nepal. 

Sarangkot Hill, Pokhara, Nepal 🇳🇵
    Some places are just more magical, more fascinatin Some places are just more magical, more fascinating at night. Kathmandu 🇳🇵is definitely worth exploring after hours. 

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#natgeoyourshot @natgeonl
#natgeonl #Nepal #happytravels #solotraveling #travellingsolo #solotravelling #solotravelingisfun #solotravelstories #solotravel #travelstory #borntotravel #exploretheworld #wonderlust #cntraveler #culturetrip #iamatraveller #wanderluster #traveltoexplore #travelandleisure #openmyworld #travelinspiration #traveltheglobe #ourlonelyplanet #traveldudes #neverstoptraveling
    How does your local hangout spot compare? Follow How does your local hangout spot compare? 

Follow @nothing_declared and maybe we can hang out in Kathmandu someday
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