Duck massages, popped rice lure crowds to Can Tho’s Son Islet in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Phan Kim Ngan, director of the Son Islet Agricultural Tourism Cooperative, said the destination normally receives around 400-500 visitors a day.

During the holiday, the number has doubled, including tour groups brought by travel companies as well as families traveling independently.

Notably, visitors from northern provinces and cities accounted for a significant share of the total.

"Some groups have returned many times. One group has visited nine or 10 times, while one group that came this morning was visiting Son Islet for the eighth time in just one month," Ngan said.

Popular activities such as visiting fish farms, watching snakehead fish leap out of the water to snatch food from their keepers' hands, picking fruit, and making traditional Vietnamese cakes remain the destination's main attractions.

Local residents began preparing early to cope with the surge in visitors.

Around 100 local people are currently involved in guiding and serving tourists, though staff shortages remain on peak days.

"More than 130 groups visited on Monday alone. We have to prepare the space and personnel in advance to serve them in time," Ngan said.

One of the experiences attracting visitors is the traditional rice-popping activity at Be Hai Garden.

Bui Thi Nhung, owner of the Be Hai Rice-popping Garden, said the activity is associated with childhood memories and the traditional lifestyle of people in southern Vietnam.

Her family revived the activity so visitors can experience it firsthand and get a feel for traditional rural life in the past.

Bottle-feeding fish is another popular activity, especially among children.

Food is placed in bottles, which children then lower into the water as schools of fish compete to feed from them.

Many children burst into excitement as the fish crowd around the bottles.

At Phuong My Garden, the duck massage experience has also attracted large numbers of visitors.

Bui Thuy Lieu, owner of Phuong My Garden, said the service was launched in May 2025 after a flock of around 30 ducks was trained.

Since its debut, the unusual experience has quickly received positive feedback from visitors.

Nguyen Minh Quan, 50, a tourist from Hanoi, said he was impressed by the destination's friendly atmosphere and distinctive experiences.

"This is the first time I have brought my children to Son Islet. The air is fresh and the place feels close to nature.

"I especially enjoyed the 'duck massage,' when food was placed between my feet and the ducks came over to nibble at it. It was so ticklish that I could not stop laughing," Quan said.