The Duck Stop

Until now all of my travels have taken place within the boundaries of Europe. In two and a bit years I have covered 25 separate European countries and many villages, towns, and cities within them. In the future I plan to spend much more time further afield; because it is a long held aspiration but also encouraged by the added inconveniences of travelling in the EU caused by Brexit.

The one country outside of Europe that I have already visited is Vietnam and the two weeks I spent there inspired a desire to see so much more of South-East Asia and beyond.

I could write endlessly about many of the amazing places I visited in Vietnam. As a lover of natural spots, locations such as Ninh Binh and Halong Bay were incredible and lived up to much of the hype. However, this blog isn’t for tips and itinerary suggestions, for them there are a million other websites.

One weekend of my brief stay in Vietnam was spent in the relatively small village of Phong Nha. The area is most notable for its caves; there you can find the largest caves in the world. Indeed that was the main reason for us braving two night buses to go there and back from Hanoi.

The caves are indeed awe-inspiring and one truly appreciates the extreme power of nature when there. However, when I think of my visit to Phong Nha - indeed Vietnam in general - it is not the first place I recall. That would be ‘The Duck Stop’.

A friend of ours who was living in Vietnam had recommended this place to us but it truly is one of those places that you can’t fully comprehend the attraction until you see it for yourself.

Using bikes from the homestay we were staying at, it took a little over 30 minutes to cycle there through acres of farmland and boggy fields. You feel like you are heading further and further into the middle of nowhere until you suddenly come across this most peculiar of locations.

At The Duck Stop you are greeted by the young hosts, for us it was a young girl of about eight years who lived in the nearby village. Her English was perfect and whilst we waited she told us about herself, her village and her desire to travel in the future.

After a short wait we were taken into a closed off area where you are immediately greeted by hundreds of white ducks. You are told to sit down and food is placed in your hands; the ducks immediately converge and eat from the palm of your hands.

Next is the truly weird yet wonderful sensation of the ducks trying to get the food that you have placed between your feet. It is one of the most surreal moments, particularly now looking back, to find yourself sitting with a couple of strangers in a remote area of wetlands in Vietnam, with hundreds of ducks fighting to eat food shielded by your feet.

You are then invited to take you turn to become a ‘Duck Leader’ and be ‘worshipped’ by your many subjects. Walking around the enclosure with a handful of food you are followed by a herd of ducks. You are instructed to throw the food into the air and as it lands you drop your arm so as the ducks heads lower to the ground simultaneously, as if bowing on command.

The ducks are not the only attraction here and you are offered the opportunity to meet the other star attraction, Donald Trump. Donald is the resident water buffalo; a huge, well-cared-for creature which you ride around the surrounding wetlands - including through water as high as Donald’s back - and are all forcibly told to strike the same pose.

Returning to the main building you have the option for some incredible homemade food and a local beer. A fine end to what is truly one of the most bizarre and enjoyable places I have visited and all for what roughly equates to about five pounds.

Posted: 30/04/2021

Written by: Tom Taylor (@tomtayloor)