The koi are small, creating a gentle tickling sensation, and the therapy is said to both relax and gently exfoliate the skin, promoting a smoother feel.
The service is offered at Bay Bon fish farm, where owner Ly Van Bon introduced it after COVID-19 to diversify tourism, alongside displays of large Mekong species, some weighing up to 60 kg.
Bon said he had trained the fish to gather when visitors arrive by conditioning them to associate humans with feeding, ensuring close-up interaction.
Bon said he trained the fish to associate people with feeding, letting them go hungry so they gather around visitors; over time, they develop the habit of approaching whenever people arrive, ensuring close interaction for tourists.
Bon also raises archerfish, a small species known for shooting jets of water up to 2 metres to knock down prey and even leaping to catch food, earning them the nickname “underwater archers.”
Since 2025, visitor numbers at Bay Bon fish raft have risen sharply, reaching 800-1,000 on weekends and surging during holidays and Tet, with international tourists making up 30-40 per cent.
Con Son, on the Hau River between Can Tho and Vinh Long Province, is emerging as a distinctive Mekong Delta eco-tourism destination. The islet has about 65 households, with more than 30 directly engaged in tourism and 20 linked to an agricultural tourism cooperative.