French tourists carry heavy loads of rice on their shoulders in the morning and hunch over to rake clams in the afternoon on Quang Ninh island.

During their 10-day stay on the famous island of Quang Ninh, two French tourists experienced for the first time using sickles to harvest rice, plow, carry rice, rake clams...

In early November, two French male tourists - Loic Pesquer (24 years old) and Antoine Habert (26 years old) - traveled to Co To (Quang Ninh), a place known as the "island paradise" of the North.

During their 20 days exploring Vietnam, they spent 10 days in Co To with the hope of deeply understanding the beautiful scenery and traditional culture of the locality.

"This is the ideal place for us to temporarily escape from crowded cities, busy modern life, and find wild, peaceful nature," the two boys shared.

Loic Pesquer (right) and Antoine Habert (left) had interesting experiences in Co To. Photo: Thu Bau

In the last months of the year, Co To returns to a peaceful life after a "bumper" tourist season. The islanders focus on agriculture , small-scale industry, and fishing. This is considered a time for Co To to "rest and recover".

At this time, Co To not only has blue sea, white sand, romantic sunset but also fields turning golden yellow. On the island, Loic and Antoine experienced the life of "farmers in the morning and fishermen in the afternoon".

In the morning, the two tourists were led to the fields to plow, harvest, and carry rice with the people of Hai Tien village, Co To special zone. This was the first time in their lives that they saw and directly did these jobs. Seeing Loic awkwardly holding the sickle or struggling to lift the rice onto his shoulder, the farmers burst into laughter.

Loic's first experience harvesting rice. Photo: Thu Bau

"This experience was more interesting than any tour I had ever had before. When I harvested and carried the rice myself, I understood how hard-working and strong the local people were. The journey to get rice is not easy," the male tourist shared.

Antoine was "exhausted" when the locals showed him how to plow the fields with buffalo, a job that required strength and endurance. He also did not understand why the skinny farmer could carry heavy loads of rice and walk straight through the fields.

Antoine tries plowing the field. Photo: Thu Bau

The seasonal tourism program in Co To is being jointly implemented by many households and homestays, combining "sightseeing - working - local cuisine".

Ms. Nguyen Minh Hue, owner of a homestay in Hai Tien village, Co To special economic zone, said that the experience of being a farmer on the island received positive feedback from international visitors.

"This is the first year I have taken tourists to work in the fields with the locals. This is a suitable experience during rough sea days when fishing and clam digging are not possible, and also creates a diverse experience for visitors. They get to be closer and more connected with the local people on the island," Ms. Hue shared.

Antoine struggles to carry rice. Photo: Thu Bau

After the rice harvest, in the afternoon, Loic and Antoine go raking clams, catching snails, and fishing. The two male tourists wade through the water, "hunching their backs and knees" to find seafood hidden deep under the sand. The "spoils" brought back are processed into rustic but very "appetizing" dishes such as clam soup, seafood porridge, sour fish soup...

"After a day of hard work with the locals, a simple meal also makes tourists feel delicious," Ms. Hue shared.

Local people enthusiastically guide male tourists how to rake clams. Photo: Thu Bau

Co To has more than 50 large and small islands, with special geological structures. The special zone is divided into two large archipelagos with concentrated population: Co To Lon and Thanh Lan.

Small Co To is located in the Northeast of Big Co To and the Northwest of Thanh Lan, forming a triangular island system. Other beautiful islands include Carp Island, Southeast Island, Lion Island, Hon Ngang Island, Bay Sao Island, Vang Chau Island...

Fascinated by the peaceful beauty of Co To in the off-season, tourists do not choose to come to Co To (Quang Ninh) in the bustling, crowded summer. Tourists who love peace come to this island district in the last month of the year, when the weather turns to autumn, the pace of life is cool and quiet.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khach-phap-sang-ganh-lua-triu-vai-chieu-cong-lung-cao-ngao-tren-dao-quang-ninh-2461625.html