If you’re looking for unique ideas on what to do in Vietnam, I have some suggestions!
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to lead your army of passionate minions? Do you like ducks? Well, guess what, the Duck Stop in Phong Nha, Vietnam allows you to do both!
The Duck Stop truly offers an experience I never thought I needed in my life. Leading hundreds of little webbed feet minions through a small field, navigating how to walk as they stop all over your toes? I was delusional to think I didn’t need this. And it was a dream that came true in Vietnam.
What is The Duck Stop
The Duck Stop is a small family-run business in the heart of Phong Nha, Vietnam. They offer a full experience, from Vietnamese culture, a tour of farm growth and native plants they grow, to ducks and finally, they treat you with an amazing homemade Vietnam crunchy pancake.
The farm operates in small groups, which gives you space to get some personal time with the duckies, and even water buffalo if you choose!
Cost: 100k / 4.05 USD
What the Tour Offers
The farm runs all day, so you can show up any time between operating hours and you can find a tour to join.
It starts with a rundown of the place, who they are, what they do, and what they offer. You can choose between two packages:
The Duck time for 40 minutes, then some yummy homemade crunchy pancakes!
OR
Duck time and some extra time to spend with the water buffalo, in addition to the crunchy pancakes.
(Note: The pancakes are so good)
The Duck Stop Tour
I chose to do just the duck time, so, let me go through, in detail, how amazing it was:
First and foremost, you need a footwear change. For what reason? I don’t know, they never said, but I felt very stylish.
To truly make you a fashion icon, they give you the iconic Vietnam hat to rock with.
Once you are up to duck army standards, it’s time to enter their domain. These lovely creatures are hungry and very eager to meet you, so be prepared for the charge for ducks in your direction. Fear not though, for their webbed feet are anything but ferocious.
The guides at the Duck Stop are very energetic and great at making you feel comfortable! Don’t be fooled though, they also take a lot of pleasure in watching you freak out over the duck swarms, so they may let you run around for a bit.
You will take turns grabbing food and lowering the precious feed into the swarm of feathered madness. The beaks biting at every exposed section of your hand actually really tickles. I never thought of beaks being filled with saliva, but my hand came back wet. I officially shared a pact with these birds.
Additionally, you are sat on a bench with the feed thrown at you so the ducks jump on top and wiggle between your feet. I can promise you, it’s a little bit scary but a lot bit amazing!
After this, it is time to become the duck beacon of light. AKA the Duck Leader.
The guides give you a full interactive presentation of how to interact with the ducks properly. Here are the steps:
- Shake the food and shake the body – it gives good vibes
- Quack to establish you are one with the ducks
- Quack LOUDER to establish your dominance
- Throw some food to make the beaked cuties bow
- Feel like a badass duck boss bitch
That’s it.
It’s really simple actually!
The End of The Duck Stop Tour
As you walk back to the seating area you are followed by the masses of duckie joy. To enhance your excitement of the day, a nice crunchy, and savory pancake is waiting for you. They are savory crispy pancakes that you roll up in rice paper and dip in peanut sauce. It’s really tasty and quite filling. Yum!
I can tell you absolutely everything about the Duck Stop tour and adventures, but I don’t think anything can prepare you for the joy this place brings you.
My biggest advice when you stop here is to go into this experience with confidence! That is how a Duck leader truly leads.
You come out a new person (and with a bunch of new friends who enjoy you)
Please let me know how your adventure goes and if you enjoyed the stop as much as I did. Good luck on your travels my friend!
Shannon
Other Vietnam-Related Posts
If you’re looking for more to do in Phong Nha, you should check out The Dark Cave Tour as well.
If you’re interested in adding other destinations in Vietnam to your itinerary, check out my post about Ninh Binh and what to do there!
Additional Vietnam Info
Accommodation
I use hostel world when looking for hostels or private rooms when I travel. Especially in Vietnam, it has proven to be the easiest and cheapest way for me to book my accommodations.
I have also been recommended to use Agoda by multiple people for hostel/hotel booking in Asia. It is a competitor app for travel booking so it has some amazing prices!
Sim Card
You can buy SIM cards at most airports, but e-sims are easier to get data in other countries. You can buy your plan before you go to any country and have data ready for you as soon as you land. Airalo is great for e-sims, it covers over 180 countries and is so easy to use!
Transportation
Grab and Gojek are the “Uber” of Vietnam. They have competing prices so it’s good to check out both!
Vexere is also the local app for booking overnight buses between major cities. It’s half the price of booking transportation with hotels or hostels.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Shannon. A small travel lover with a laptop.
I’m an avid plane rider and backpacker, currently traveling between lots of working days. This year I am making travel my #1 priority, and I plan to document it as much as I can.
