Vietnam is going viral again for another quirky, experiential tourism offering.
The Ninh Binh province has recently become popular among international tourists looking for immersive destinations after it began offering activities for visitors to experience being a local farmer, such as planting rice, riding buffaloes, and catching fish in the mud.
How this experiential tourism offering started
Buffalo Cave, a rural experience tourism site in Nam Hoa Lu ward, has been attracting a significant number of foreign visitors despite only being established a little over a year ago.
The place was formerly a livestock farm owned by the family of Nguyen The Nhi.
Nhi told DTI News that in early 2024, they decided to partner with young tourism operators to offer experiential farm activities.
Vu Thi Huyen, Buffalo Cave’s operations manager, said that at first, visitors only came for sightseeing, resulting in short stays and low revenue.
Huyen, who has been traveling both domestically and internationally, observed that international tourists seek authentic local cultural experiences.
Therefore, their team decided to create a Vietnamese farmer experience in Ninh Binh, which also created a new sustainable way for locals to improve their income and contribute to the local economy.
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Buffalo Cave rates
Visitors can choose the full experience for VND1 million ($38), which includes activities such as feeding buffaloes, riding them to the field, tilling land for ice planting, catching fish in the mud, grilling fish, and feeding ducks and chickens while wearing a brown farmer’s shirt.
During each activity, the host explains the significance of the work of local farmers.
“When visitors ride the buffalo, we explain how the buffalo is a symbol for Vietnamese farmers, ‘the head of the farm,’ and how it is linked with the hero Dinh Bo Linh of Ninh Binh,” Huyen said.
“When visitors plant rice, we explain the growth process of wet-rice in Vietnam, from sowing seeds, germination, young seedlings, transplanting to grain formation.”
Tourists can also visit Buffalo Cave for sightseeing for VND75,000, which includes complimentary drinks.
According to Huyen, during peak season, Buffalo Cave welcomes over 180 visitors each day, mostly foreigners.
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