Technology-Free Summer Vacation

DTO - In the hustle and bustle of modern life, tablets and smartphones seem to have become "close friends" of children. However, a new trend is gradually taking shape: Urban families are returning to Dong Thap, a land of peaceful plains and rivers, to help their children distance themselves from their "technological friends" and rediscover the true values ​​of childhood.

Children enjoy the experience of riding a buffalo cart at VietMekong Farmstay (Tam Nong district)

Let children return to nature

In a world of rapidly developing technology, children spend more and more time in front of phone, tablet or television screens. This not only affects physical health but also limits the development of soft skills, communication and connection with the natural world. Many parents in big cities admit that, despite having economic conditions, due to busy work, they lack time to take care of, talk to their children, or experience life in nature with their children, learn life skills, survival skills from the natural environment. Every summer vacation begins, instead of playing outdoors, integrating with nature like previous generations, many children choose to "spend summer indoors", immersing themselves in video games or social networks.

Ms. Huynh Thi Ngoc Phung - a parent from Ho Chi Minh City, confided her very common concerns: "I realized that although my child was very good at studying, he did not know how to wash rice, wash dishes, or simply distinguish between vegetables. He was also very shy when communicating with strangers or handling unexpected situations." Because of these concerns, Ms. Phung was determined to find a "truly different" place for her child to interact, be independent and live close to nature. "Dong Thap was an unexpected but very correct choice" - she shared, her eyes sparkling with confidence.

From that real need, agricultural tourism models and eco-experiences in Dong Thap are becoming more attractive than ever. Not simply a resort, these are programs encapsulated in the philosophy of "Playing while learning - learning while playing", bringing children to live in the middle of nature, experiencing work, exploring the native living environment and practicing life skills in the most natural way.

At Tram Chim National Park, the “Agricultural Summer Camp” experience tour conducted by WildTour Company has attracted the attention of the community of parents with young children. In this tour, nearly 50 primary and secondary school students and their parents had a very special 2-day-1-night trip. The children were able to pick vegetables, make pancakes, use binoculars to watch birds, grind flour with a stone mortar, compete in stilt walking, look for fireflies at night, watch the sunset over the rice fields, identify plants and trees... Without phones, without wifi, the children seemed to relive the childhood of their grandparents, grandparents, and parents - a childhood filled with laughter and endless discoveries.

Ms. Bui Minh Nguyet - representative of WildTour Company (Ho Chi Minh City) commented that the demand for tourism combined with experiential education for children is increasing rapidly. "We build tours that are both fun, career-oriented and practice life skills - survival in the natural environment. In the summer of 2025, the "Agricultural Summer Camp" program will be held for 4 days and 3 nights, divided into 3 sessions in June, July and August. Each session will accept a maximum of 15 students who can swim, from 8 to 15 years old to ensure the quality of experience and safety for children" - Ms. Nguyet shared.

Children participate in harvesting kumquats at VietMekong Farmstay (Tam Nong district)

Life skills from simple things

The special thing about nature tours is that they not only entertain children, but also help parents understand more about their children, their adaptability, independence, and true personality when living without the intervention of technology. Many parents were moved when they saw their children know how to cook, wash dishes, play folk games with friends, or listen to the sounds of the "earth" that have long been overwhelmed by electronic music.

Not far from Tram Chim National Park is VietMekong Farmstay - one of the typical eco-tourism farm models of Dong Thap province. With a vast space of rice fields, rivers, vegetable gardens, fish ponds, goat, buffalo and rabbit pens, VietMekong creates a poetic "slow-living world". Here, "Dong Thap Muoi Camp" is designed according to the ancient community accommodation model, with a capacity of 40 - 45 people, an ideal destination for groups of students, students and young people who are passionate about exploring.

No need for technology, no need for modern games, this place attracts with rustic things: lighting a wood stove to cook rice, grilling snakehead fish, harvesting clean vegetables, looking for amphibians at night, listening to stories about reclaiming wetlands... These are valuable experiences that help children understand their roots, appreciate labor and feel the simple happiness of nature.

Children experience making traditional cakes at Tram Chim National Park

Nguyen Cuu Long (14 years old), from Ben Tre province, shared his joy at being immersed in life here: “This is the fourth time I have come back to VietMekong Farmstay in Tam Nong district for summer vacation. The most enjoyable thing is being immersed in nature and experiencing rural life. Through exploring the culture of the people here, I have learned many things and had the opportunity to connect with friends, learn some survival skills... we know how to appreciate food and cook”. Nguyen Cuu Long's sincere sharing is the clearest proof of the value that these experiential tourism models bring.

In addition to attracting tourists from other provinces, the demand for experiencing nature among Dong Thap people has also skyrocketed recently, especially in the summer. Grasping this taste, many tourist destinations in the province have invested more heavily in products and activities related to nature, in order to meet the desire of local tourists to immerse themselves in cool green spaces.

Hoang Hao Ecological Garden in An Hoa Commune, Tam Nong District, is chosen by many families to visit, experience and relax on weekends. Ms. Lam Thi Nguyen Nhi - owner of Hoang Hao Ecological Garden Tourist Site, shared: “Currently, tourists tend to like to explore natural landscapes and immerse themselves in nature. Therefore, we regularly innovate miniature landscapes, invest in expanding fruit gardens and clean vegetable gardens for tourists, especially families with young children, to visit and experience. Besides relaxing, when coming to Hoang Hao Ecological Tourist Site, visitors can experience the freshwater pearl farming model, pick vegetables and fruits in the garden... This brings a lot of fun to children when coming here”.

Hoang Hao Eco Garden grows many kinds of fruit trees for visitors to experience.

Comprehensive educational destination and development potential

Dong Thap is not only a bright spot in the development of agricultural and ecological tourism, programs such as: "Agricultural Summer Camp", "Summer Camp for Independence Connecting with Nature" ... are also effective and practical forms of out-of-school education. In the context of the current curriculum with few experiential activities, tours combining education and relaxation like this are the necessary solution for the comprehensive development of children.

In addition, Dong Thap’s effective use of its natural landscape, wetland ecosystem, reclamation culture and natural agricultural production to design specific tourism products for students is a step in the right direction. This not only contributes to diversifying the province’s tourism products but also positions Dong Thap as an ideal experiential education destination. However, to expand the scale, the province needs to have more programs closely linked with schools, unions and social organizations to turn this tourism product into a long-term popular model, reaching a larger number of students.

It can be seen that recently, choosing to travel back to nature, close to nature is becoming a trend and is favored by tourists. Promoting those advantages, Dong Thap's agricultural tourism destinations also promote the development of this type, bringing unique and meaningful experiences.

My Ly

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/du-lich/ky-nghi-he-khong-thiet-bi-cong-nghe-132549.aspx