Taste of rural life: Korean tourist tries buffalo ride, catching fish with bare hands in Ninh Binh

Choi, from Seoul, first traveled to Vietnam in 2018 and has since made frequent trips between the two nations. He is currently learning Vietnamese and, along with two friends, creates content about Vietnam, which they share on a YouTube channel with nearly one million followers.

The Korean tourist shared that he loves Vietnam for its landscapes, food and affordable prices. Although he has explored over half of the provinces in the country, he only visited Ninh Binh for the first time in May during a reality show.

In his three days in Ninh Binh, Choi explored Mua Cave, Trang An Landscape Complex, and Tam Coc, and participated in activities he had never tried before.

Jongrak Choi poses for photos while sitting on a water buffalo in Ninh Binh. Photo courtesy of Jongrak Choi

"I’ve never ridden anything, not even a horse," he said. At first glance, he thought riding a buffalo would be easy, but when he climbed on, he found it difficult.

Choi learned to ride a water buffalo at Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District, located within the Tam Coc - Bich Dong complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The area surrounding the cave spans about one hectare and is dotted with mountains, rivers, rice fields and waterfalls. The buffalo, named Mia, looked big but was docile. It took Choi about several minutes, with the help of a local guide, to get comfortable on the buffalo's back.

Afterward, a local led Mia on a walk through the landscape.

"The rural scenery of northern Vietnam is completely new to me," Choi said.

Jongrak Choi takes a buffalo ride in Ninh Binh, accompanied by a local man. Photo courtesy of Jongrak Choi

In addition to riding a buffalo, Choi also had the chance to experience life as a farmer by planting rice and catching fish in the fields. While planting rice was not too challenging for him, he struggled to catch a fish as large as his forearm. Before stepping into the field, Choi donned a conical hat and belly-high boots, and used a trap to catch the fish.

"The fish was strong and slippery, so it took me over five minutes of wrestling with it until it tired out," Choi recounted.

Jongrak Choi holds a fish he caught in Ninh Binh. Photo courtesy of Jongrak Choi

After his farming experience, Choi continued his journey through Ninh Binh by conquering Mua Cave, where he enjoyed views of the Trang An Landscape Complex. The cave is also home to a number of temples and shrines.

He also took a boat ride to admire the Trang An Landscape. The peaceful countryside made such an impression on him that he even imagined retiring there one day.

Beyond the scenery, Choi was also touched by the lives of the local people in Ninh Binh. One memorable encounter was with a man who sold goat meat and shared his story of overcoming hardships through his business and serving tourists.

"All the people of Ninh Binh speak about their homeland with such pride," Choi said.

Following his visit to Ninh Binh, Choi plans to bring his parents to Vietnam to visit again. He noted that there is nowhere in South Korea with the same atmosphere and landscape as Ninh Binh.