Western tourists come to Quang Binh to experience 'duck massage'

The whole flock of ducks followed Fran as she held the food box.

After a trip to Phong Nha in June 2024, German digital nomad Esteban Zanelli shared a photo of himself sitting among the ducks and said he had a “silly but extremely relaxing experience” at a farm called The Duck Stop. He hand-fed the ducks and had them give him a beak massage.

Eva, a German tourist, traveled to Phong Nha, Quang Binh last September and visited this farm at the recommendation of a travel blogger. The entrance fee is about 150,000 VND and Eva said it was an "unforgettable" experience to be surrounded by more than 100 ducks for the first time. When food is spread around her feet, the flock of ducks will rush in, creating a "weird but memorable" massage experience, according to Eva.

The Duck Stop model was introduced by The New York Times in 2019 as "a budget travel experience that attracts Western backpackers". Visitors to The Duck Stop do the work of farmers such as raising ducks, feeding ducks, herding buffaloes and paying their owners.

Fran Lavish, a British tourist, also visited this farm last June after seeing some videos on social media. Being an animal lover, Fran knew this was something she had to try when she had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam.

“You definitely won't find a similar experience anywhere else,” says Fran.

Her favorite thing is to hold a box of food and the ducks will follow behind like an army. When Fran raises her hand, they all raise their heads and when she lowers her hand, they also bow. Fran says she feels like a general commanding an army of ducks. According to the British tourist, these authentic and intimate experiences will attract many international tourists, especially from developed countries where the countryside is rare.

Fran gets a "massage" from the ducks as they scatter food around her feet.

According to the Quang Binh Province Tourism Promotion Center, The Duck Stop is one of the outstanding community tourism models, implemented by individuals or households, associated with agricultural activities and life experiences. The unit assessed that this model received great attention from both international and domestic visitors.

Developing rural tourism is also an important goal set by the People's Committee of Quang Binh province for the period from 2021 to 2025. The locality encourages households, individuals, and communities to participate and introduce products with regional characteristics, experiential value, and to meet tourists' tastes.

In recent years, the rural tourism model has been welcomed by many international visitors. Many experienced tour guides revealed that international visitors, especially high-end visitors, are interested in experiential products that allow them to immerse themselves in the lives of local people.

Therefore, in many localities such as Ninh Binh, Quang Binh, Hoi An, tourism models such as herding buffalo, farming, going to the market and cooking have appeared more and more. Recently, some tour guides have also created strange tours such as visiting pregnant women, working as construction workers or visiting cemeteries.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/khach-tay-den-quang-binh-trai-nghiem-mat-xa-vit-402889.html