After a trip to Phong Nha in June 2024, Esteban Zanelli, a German digital nomad, shared a photo of him sitting among a flock of ducks on his Instagram page captioned: “I just had a silly but extremely relaxing experience at a farm called The Duck Stop.”

He fed the ducks by hand and received a beak massage from them.

Eva, a German tourist who visited Phong Nha, Quang Binh, in September 2024, went to the same farm on the recommendation of a travel blogger.

The entrance fee is VND150,000 (US$5.90), and Eva said it was an “unforgettable” experience being surrounded by over 100 ducks. When she fed the ducks, they rushed at her to perform what can only be called a massage with their beaks.

The Duck Stop, which was featured by The New York Times in 2019 as “a popular budget travel experience attracting backpackers,” allows visitors to experience farm life by doing tasks like herding ducks, feeding them and taking care of buffaloes.

Fran Lavish, a British tourist, also visited The Duck Stop in June 2024 after watching some videos on social media. As an animal lover, she knew this was something she had to try while traveling in Vietnam.

“You definitely won’t find a similar experience anywhere else,” she says.

What she liked the most was holding a container with their food and having the entire flock chase after her. When she raised her hand, they all tilted their heads upwards, and when she lowered it, they followed suit. She said she felt like a general commanding an army. She thinks these authentic close-to-nature experiences will attract foreign tourists, especially from developed countries where rural scenes are rarely seen.

According to the Quang Binh Tourism Promotion Center, The Duck Stop offers a prominent community-based tourism model focused on agricultural activities and life experiences. It has attracted the attention of both foreign and Vietnamese tourists.

Fran Lavish getting a massage from ducks at a farm in Quang Binh Province as she feeds them food during a visit in June 2024. Photo courtesy of Fran Lavish

In recent years rural tourism in Vietnam has been well received by many international visitors.

Experienced tour guides reveal that international tourists, especially affluent ones, are interested in products rich in experiential value, allowing them to immerse themselves in local lifestyles.

In areas like Ninh Binh and Quang Binh provinces and Hoi An town, tourism models such as buffalo herding, farming, and market cooking tours are becoming increasingly common.

Some guides have created even more unique tours that allow visitors to try their hand at construction work and go around cemeteries, or even visit mothers who have just given birth and are in the postpartum confinement period.