At the Ben Do Con Son boat landing in Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City, a water buffalo bows its head on cue, welcoming travelers as white egrets settle onto its back. When the owner calls out, the buffalo shakes its head, and five egrets fly in to line up along its back. For families exploring the Mekong countryside by boat, it's become one more stop worth adding to a floating-market-and-orchard tour.
The Vietnamese newspaper Dan Tri reported the story on August 6. The setting is an islet in Con Son, across the Hau River from central Can Tho. Weekend visitor numbers are said to spike especially high. Crossing to the island by boat to meet a talented buffalo and bird amid the rhythms of farm life — here's how to actually work this experience into a family itinerary.
What Happens at the Boat Landing — the Buffalo Bows, the Egrets Line Up on Its Back
When the owner, Le Van Can, 51, gives the signal, two water buffalo bow their heads to greet guests. The black one is named Xe, the pinkish one Phao — both named after pieces in Vietnamese chess (co tuong). When Can calls again, five nearby white egrets fly in and land on the buffalo's backs. Visitors can watch the whole sequence unfold and take photos of it.
The rapport between the buffalo and the birds comes from the accumulation of daily care. According to Can, each buffalo eats more than 30kg of grass a day and bathes five or six times on hot afternoons. Because these are animals raised with real care, they bow on cue, and the birds land on their backs without fear of people. Can says he wanted to preserve the look of an old-fashioned rural landscape. Visitors who see a buffalo greet them for the first time often say they're surprised.
This one scene resonates because the water buffalo is the very image of rural Vietnam, having supported rice farming from north to south. As mechanization spreads, city children have fewer chances to touch a living buffalo. For families visiting from Japan too, getting close to a buffalo and birds amid a farming family's everyday life — unlike a petting zoo — leaves an impression that goes beyond a good photo. It's precisely because this is a scene drawn from everyday life, not a flashy attraction, that it tends to stick in a young child's memory.
Cross by Boat and Pair It With the Floating Market for a Half-Day Loop
Con Son is an islet in the Hau River, reached from the opposite bank by ferry. Crossing by boat rather than a bridge gives you the sense of stepping into countryside set apart from the city's bustle. The islet already has the makings of community tourism, with farming families welcoming guests, and trips to visit orchards and riverside life are already well established there. This buffalo-and-egret scene is a new highlight you can add along the way. Rather than making it a destination on its own, it works best paired with Can Tho's classic waterside circuit. See the trade on the water at the early-morning Cai Rang Floating Market, then visit an orchard or a farming family on the islet during the day, slotting in the buffalo-and-egret scene in between.
Can Tho's food scene is strong too — a night market in the city and a morning market on the river let you cover both ends of waterside life in a single overnight stay.a route covering Can Tho's night market and morning floating market in one overnight stay— add a half day at Con Son, and you get a two-part trip covering both the city and the islet. If the timing lines up,All-you-can-eat durian in Can Tho— you can pick up flavors like that, straight from the source, during the same stay.
Mekong islet tourism can get crowded fast once it catches fire on social media.Tien Giang's Thoi Son Islet, where small boats once meant a two-hour wait— as with that example, popular spots tend to form lines on weekends. Con Son also sees more visitors on weekends, so booking the ferry for early morning helps you avoid both the wait and the midday heat. It's hard to see the buffalo's greeting while it's bathing, so arriving at the boat landing in the morning is the safer plan.
Practical Notes for Interacting With the Animals
Talented as they are, the water buffalo are still large livestock, and the egrets are close to wild birds. Get the distance wrong and you risk startling the buffalo or scaring off the birds, ruining the moment. If you're traveling with children, it's worth going over these points beforehand.
- Say a word to the owner before approaching. Leave the timing of signals and feeding to the owner
- Don't suddenly stand behind a buffalo or right in front of its face. Keep clear of the hind legs and approach from the side
- Don't startle the egrets with loud noises or sudden movements. Avoid flash photography
- After touching the buffalo or the water, always wash your hands before eating or drinking. Adults should hold young children's hands
- Come prepared for mud and strong sun with non-slip shoes, a hat, and drinking water
- Once you reach the island, check the last ferry departure time first
Add a Slice of the Countryside to an Overnight Can Tho Trip
The buffalo's bow and the egrets perching on its back grew out of the owner's daily routine, kept up in an effort to preserve the look of rural life. It's not a staged spectacle built for show, but a scene drawn from everyday life, where buffalo, birds, and people share a close distance. As word spreads, crowds will likely grow too, but the closeness you can feel now — the buffalo's breathing, the river breeze, on a quiet islet — is worth experiencing while it lasts. If you're spending a night in Can Tho, setting aside half a day at the Con Son boat landing between the floating market and the orchards adds one more scene of countryside to your travel memories. Before you head out, the two things worth checking are the ferry schedule and how busy it gets on weekends. Beyond that, all that's left is to wait for the buffalo's cue and the egret riding the river wind.
