Kimkim Trip Reviews for Thailand

Can you do it by yourself? Maybe, but if you work with kimkim, you KNOW they'll get it right.

This was my second assisted trip. I didn't have the time to plan my own itinerary, and having gotten myself to the other side of the world, I knew I didn't want to mess around bumbling around and going to beaches that weren't the right vibe. Bella put together the perfect itinerary for me, combining some excursions for snorkeling, rock climbing and sea kayaking with some planned downtime. Without Bella, I never would have known about Koh Yao Noi as a possibility. She was able to troubleshoot minor issues as they arose during the trip and was always there to make sure I got to my next stop safely.

I consider myself a fairly competent and confident traveler and still, it was really comforting to know that Bella was there to backstop me if I needed help with last minute arrangements (like when my solo climbing excursion turned into a two- then three-person outing) and that the people they're connected with are reliable and reputable. As a solo woman traveler, it was reassuring to know that I wouldn't end up with some untried guide.

Everything was so easy. All of my transportation was arranged. Every guide I met in each location was helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. They went out of their way to help me get plenty of pictures on our tours. When I ran into a flight delay due to weather, Bella immediately helped rearrange my ground transportation and room accommodations and really helped turn it all into a minor inconvenience rather than a major travel setback. The location choices and excursions were thoughtful. I had a wonderful trip and it couldn't have been easier to arrange all of it.

Our trip was amazing, kimKim planned everything down to our Airport shuttles. Tour guides were great and knowledgeable.

From November 27-December 13th my wife and I had an amazing experience touring Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and many of the islands. I would have to say to have such a well planned trip, it first goes in the preparation. Tina was incredible, from helping us plan our trip, making sure our transportation was secure, setting us up with a very knowledgeable tour guide while we were in Bangkok, that taught us about the history and culture, and took pictures and videos of our trip as well. Tine gave us suggestions for different activities outside our excursions, and most importantly, being available during our stay. Anytime we had a question, she made time for us as if we were her only customers. If you are planning a trip, definitely reach out to Tina.

I have never used an agency like this to plan a vacation before and I was a little skeptical. I take it all back now. Minah helped me plan the perfect 11 day trip across Thailand doing all of the things that were important to us. She handled domestic flights, hotels, transportation, and all of the excursions I dreamed of seeing. We didn’t have to worry about a thing! It was perfect!

This Thailand trip was truly an excellent experience. Everything from the culture to the food was amazing. Our first tour guide Betty did a great job showing us the Mosque and China Town. We enjoyed him so much and he was very informative. I liked how well Kim Kim put the trip together also. We always felt like VIPs because of the private guides and shuttles, even the signage at the airport upon arrival was nice. We made a stop by Perfect Tailor and I would like to personally thank SK for the experience. Everything was perfect and I’m so happy we booked with Kim Kim! I will definitely book another international trip with Kim Kim after this.

This was an amazing trip especially for only being there one week. All of the guides were great! Wish I had more time.

Hotel Reviews

De Lanna Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Night Hotel Bangkok - Sukhumvit 15

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Elephant Day Care at Patara Elephant Farm

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tuk Tuk Tour (Private)

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doi Inthanon National Park Trekking

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Sunset Point, Wat Pha Lat, Wat Doi Suthep, Wat Umong

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ayutthaya Day Tour with Lunch

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our experience with Hien and KimKim Travel was nothing short of exceptional. Hien curated an incredible itinerary and thoughtfully walked us through each day in advance, making the entire trip feel seamless and stress-free. She remained readily available throughout our travels for questions or last-minute adjustments, which gave us complete peace of mind.

The hotel accommodations she selected were flawless—beautiful, spotless, and perfectly located. Every tour and experience was tailored to our personal preferences, making the trip feel truly custom.

We cannot wait to book our next adventure with KimKim, and we recommend Hien without hesitation—110% all the way.

Hotel Review

Rayavadee

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful beaches, food, clean, amazing staff

Staff

10/10 so helpful and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, super comfy

Activity Review

Half Day at The Elephant Sanctuary Krabi

Krabi

Incredible!! Friendly staff, one in a lifetime experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Heidi was very helpful throughout the planning process. She updated our trip a couple times as we finalized flight times and asked for some different activities.

While we were on the trip, everything went very smoothly. We had private transfers, our guides were very helpful with local recommendations, and everyone we interacted with was very friendly and helpful. An added bonus was having our guides help us through check in at the airports which was a different process than we were used to.

Overall, our trip to Thailand was amazing. We spent time in Bangkok at temples and different markets, time in Chiang Mai with elephants and hiking in the rainforest, and days in Phuket doing ocean activities. Our guides made each day transition smoothly and our accommodations were perfect. I would not have changed anything about the trip and would definitely use kimkim again for future travel!

In general, our trip was great. Our guides were wonderful, and most of the drivers excellent. We really enjoyed most of the activities, and most of the hotels. Adding in the activity to make floats for Loy Krathong was wonderful, and we highly recommend the Thai Farm cooking class. They do an amazing job! The only hotel we did not like was Tree Tara in Lampang
For a variety of reasons, I would not recommend it. And although we really liked the hotel near Khao Sok, there were several misunderstandings around food orders.
The hotel in Bangkok turned out to be lovely, and in a great location as we could walk to restaurants and Lumphini park. The other hotels were generally quite nice as well. We enjoyed most of the activities, but sometimes it was just too much packed into a day( we are the kind of travelers who read all the signs in the museums!), and it seemed our tour guides felt responsible to get us everywhere in a timely fashion, but maybe we would’ve liked more time at fewer stops. But we sensed they were doing their job! For example, we had very little time at the Artists House in Bangkok.
The crowded busy tours to James Bond island and the lake at Khao Sok covered a lot, and we were glad to see the sights, but again being rushed around like like wasn’t our favorite. We realize we are tourists too, but tend to like quieter, slower activities!
Trang was wonderful to work with, and I do think she listened and worked really hard at putting together the trip we envisioned. It was great having our itinerary worked out and drivers, and some amazing things added we would never have known about! She answered our many questions quite thoroughly, and appeared to do quite a bit of research for us, which we appreciated. We have not used a travel agent before, so it was a new experience for us. If we were to ever return, I think we would just see more countryside and national parks!

Hotel Reviews

Ao Nang Villa Resort

Krabi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Khaosok Boutique Hideaway

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

White Boutique Hotel and Spa

Staff was incredible!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laluna Hotel & Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

J

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thai Thai Sukhothai Resort

Sukhothai

Lovely hotel, nice location, wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mandarin Hotel Bangkok, managed by Centre Point

Good location, very nice facility. Couldn’t find the concierge, you just need to ask …amazing breakfast! Nice pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Sukhothai Historical Park (B)

Sukhothai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Khao Yai National Park – Bangkok - Loy Krathong Experience

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My partner and I took a 12-day trip to Thailand. Even before we left, we had a lot of questions and made a number of changes to the itinerary to suit what we were looking for during our luxury trip. Elizabeth was receptive, positive and happy to accommodate until we had it just right. The planning was excellent overall.

During the trip, it was clear that Elizabeth had planned everything exceptionally well. From drivers to tour guides to hotels, everyone was on time, had our requests and treated us well.

In terms of the excursions and activities, they were generally of high quality. When a concern did arise, the communication from Elizabeth was excellent - very attentive, clear and reliable. She also jumped in immediately and resolved the situation and then went the extra step to ensure future tours went smoothly.

We came in at the last minute with a week before our flights to Thailand looking for trip options (was a last minute vacation!) and Bella promptly went back and forth with us several times at odd hours of her day on the other side of the world, quickly helping us land on a great trip for us, including having to very very carefully play tetris with shifting availability days/times as we booked so close to the days of the events.

Everything was meticulously organized -- drivers and guides for every segment, with her WhatsApping us contact info beforehand and quickly changing drivers when we had a delay during one event to make sure we were continually cared for. The guides she picked for us were very interested in going out of their way to customize the experience to our trip desires, flipping up destinations midday if they had more interesting sounding ideas after they got to know us, adding side trips, etc.

We couldn't have asked for a better experience, and especially with such wildly limited notice our expectations were very exceeded.

Hotel Reviews

Buri Sriping Riverside Resort & Spa

Chiang Mai

Staff were super friendly. 24 self laundry was awesome. The grounds were beautiful. The pool was lovely. The breakfast was so-so. We wished we had been closer/more walkable to old town - there wasn't much in walking distance from the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Suites Bangkok

Bangkok

Great location. All the staff were really friendly. Room was great. Breakfast was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chiang Rai in a day!

Thailand

Absolute must-do experience. The white and blue temples are unbelievably pretty and interesting. The grounds of the white temple can be explored for hours. The art by the designer of the white temple is also very interesting and he was prolific. Long drive but completely worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Khantoke Dinner

Chiang Mai

Very very touristy experience -- tour bus after tour bus pulled up and filled the venue. But the dances were fun, the food was pretty good, and it was a good duration. The cocktails were mediocre.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Dao Cave & Art Village Baan Kang Wat Visit

Chiang Mai

Quite a long drive for an okay-ish cave. We ended up doing a different crafting village/fair another day instead of the Baan Kang Wat one, so this review is only for the cave. Most of the cave is unlit (the guide used a propane lantern and flashlight), and significant portions have been permanently closed off for safety after floods the last few years. Still pretty and interesting, but not very long and middling as limestone caves go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park!

Chiang Mai

Good set of activities in or near the Doi Inthanon park. Very pretty views -- waterfalls, forest hikes, hill tribes, temples.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Expedition at Chai Lai Orchid Ecolodge!

Chiang Mai

It was a fun experience petting and feeding the elephants in a couple different spots, but the rest of the "whole day" experience was some odd random activities that were mildly entertaining (bamboo raft ride, walkaround the hill tribe village without much explanation, etc.) but would have been better spent doing other things.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ayutthaya’s Ancient Wonders & Local Flavors

Thailand

The scale of the ruins was grandiose, but the lack of our (humanity's, not us the tourists) knowledge about the history of the site means that it's mostly just a bunch of ruins with very limited context to walk around. We tend to be looking to combine historical context with tours, so this one was a bit disappointing compared to our other activities on this vacation. The food stop itself was good for river prawn fans, but outside of the local river prawns, nothing special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at Blackitch Artisan Kitchen

Chiang Mai

Our dinner at Blackitch was truly excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Traditional Thai Massage at Fah Lanna Spa

Chiang Mai

Our time at Fah Lanna Spa was wonderful. The staff were very friendly and all our services were excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience

Chiang Mai

This was absolutely a highlight of our trip. Our chef instructor was incredible and gave us way more than just recipes, but instead a set of guidelines for how to be creative with Thai cooking. She also helped provide tips about how to get ingredients back home. It was really fun to go around the market with her before we headed to the cookery. Everything we cooked was delicious, but I am also going home looking forward to being able to re-create what we made.

Quality of Experience

Loved having the private experience - we were really able to ask questions specific to how I cook at home and I really feel that I'm going home with practical knowledge.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

True Taste of Chiang Mai with Evening Foodie Tour

Chiang Mai

Once again, we trusted all the choices with our guide and that was not a mistake. Everything we ate (and we ate a lot!) was delicious. It was super fun hopping around in the tuktuk.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Doi Suthep Temple Tour

Chiang Mai

Once again, this was a perfect activity to do on a travel day. Our guide was extremely informative and we learned a lot of new things despite already having been to several temples. The views from the temple were really stunning and the overall ambiance was really lovely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Erawan National Park visit

Thailand

This was a really fun day - we enjoyed getting out of the city and seeing some stunning waterfalls. The hike up to the last waterfall wasn't too strenuous.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tour by Tuk-tuk in Bangkok!

Bangkok

We followed our Guide's recommendations all evening and tried things that we would never have otherwise known to order. The food was delicious and we particularly loved the latter stops on the tour that were more market/street food like.

Quality of Experience

The one thing we would change would be the first stop that we did - it was inside a food court. We'd recommend sticking to the more open street market locations!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Bangkok City Tour

Bangkok

The Grand Palace and all the temples were really beautiful. We learned a lot about Thai history and Buddhist practices. Our guide was great and the pacing of the tour was perfect. We saw so many things!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Bangkok! A short visit to Wat Saket Temple

Bangkok

This was a perfect arrival activity for when we were a a bit jet lagged. The temple was pretty and had a good view. Our guide taught us some basics about Bhuddism.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aloha,

Bella and the entire team was so amazing and wonderful to work with and experience Thailand for the first time was truly a dream.

Bella was quite professional, very customer oriented and truly awesome to work with.

Bella was able to work with our needs and budget and made several thoughtful plans for us to choose and whatever questions we asked, she answered it quickly. Bella was very informative and made sure that we were taken care of each part of the trip from beginning to end.

The Bangkok Team: Our guide and driver, Anita and Shin, both were super awesome as well. Both were friendly, smiling all the time and just happy. That set the tone everyday. Anita shared the cultural, historical and personality everywhere we went. We loved the temples, sights, and food experiences. The temples were truly magical and wondrous. Chinatown, Floating Market, the Railroad market and all of the other sites we’ve seen was remarkable and “you have to be there to see and experience it.”

The Chiang Mai Team: Our guide, Cookie and driver were wonderful too. Cookie shared special stories with each place we visited and as we visited different temples and attractions, people knew of her and respected her. We felt very special to be in her presence.

If you ever want to go on a trip, please contact KimKim and you won’t regret it. We’ve bumped into several people who used other services and they did not get the services that we experienced.

We loved the fact that we were taken care of from arrival to departure, from hotel to attractions, food and sights made our Thailand trip filled with cherished memories, new found friends and a lifetime of experiences.

Bella and team, we loved it and we will be back.

Me ke aloha,
Jessica & Scott

Hotel Reviews

Layalina Hotel

Phuket

Layalina Hotel in Phuket was quite unique due to its hidden location; you'd almost miss it sandwiched between other businesses. Once you find it, though, its proximity to the beach and local spots is ideal for exploration. It had a charming quality about it, and I did enjoy my time there despite Phuket being a bit too touristy for my taste.

De Lanna Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

De Lanna Chiang Mai was a lovely hotel, located in a peaceful area. I enjoyed the quietness and proximity to food and massage places, and it was close to a 7-Eleven, which was handy for those unexpected needs. The mosquito spray I got there was a lifesaver considering the presence of mosquitoes in Chiang Mai. Overall, a very pleasant stay.

Silom Serene Hotel

Bangkok

The Silom Serene Hotel in Bangkok was fantastic. It's in a superb location, close to markets where you can grab fresh produce and smoothies. The staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming, always greeting us with smiles. I felt so safe and well taken care of, even when I arrived late at night. They guided me to my room and ensured I was comfortable. It truly felt like a home away from home.

Activity Review

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

The Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience was just incredible! It was such a personal experience, reminiscent of visiting a relative's house and exploring the local farms for ingredients. Our teacher was amazing, making sure we felt comfortable throughout. I loved the warm, family-like atmosphere. The class being small was a bonus, making the experience intimate and enjoyable. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

I highly recommend KimKim.com (Prestige Asia) for your next trip to Thailand . They made this the easiest (and cheapest) getaway to plan last minute. Airport to hotel transfer, booking, and checkin were all convenient and the cars and rooms exceeded our expectation. Our guides were with us full days and were punctual, prepared, thoughtful, and gracious. In Bangkok, Game, and driver, Dan, were flawless. I loved that they were our guides both days waiting to pick us up in the lobby, stayed engaged all day, anticipated every need (water, food, breaks -etc) and even made Bangkok traffic a bit less nerve wracking. I literally couldn't stump Game no matter what question I asked and her introduction to traditional Thai food and culture reflected her thoughtful listening and getting to know us. The temples she chose for our visit were beautiful; but her timing on each beat the rush and capitalized on the events of the day like the monk's morning chant, afternoon blessings at the reclining Buddha , and changing of guards at the Palace. Her faith and love for her country and its history was reflected at each place and it made our visit so much more spiritual and impactful.
In Chiang Mai, Kan was a force of nature! She picked us up for an evening street food tour and drove us herself. She expertly navigated rush hour traffic while pointing out the things to see on our route. We visited a few temples before the street food market and Kan's timing was perfection. We caught the monks evening chant at one, a beautiful sunset on the temple with the golden domes, and an after dark experience at the last that cast the scene in a whole new and beautiful way. We got to see the place lit up and experience it in a more quiet reflective way. Kan knew many of the monks and watching their interaction was fun. She pointed out the monk school and Buddhist university nearby and helped us understand the process and call to becoming a monk. Kan pointed out the differences between the culture, language, and temples in Bangkok and those in Chiang Mai. She really made it feel like a completely new experience though we spent the previous two days at temples. At the street market Kan knew everyone! She was like a local celebrity with vendors greeting and joking with her. She listened to our taste and needs and found exactly the right things for us to try and even a place to sit down and enjoy it in the busy market where such was limited. We absolutely couldn't have had that experience without her guidance. Her love of the city and ability to make us feel at home in it gave us the courage to venture out on our own and enjoy it the next day.
In Phuket, we had our only small group tour- having done only private tours in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Even that felt personal and tailored to our needs. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the pier for our speedboat tour to Ko Phi Phi island. After breakfast and a brief (and hilariously colorful) introduction at the pier, we were assured in boarding our covered speed boat with about 30 other people. I was immediately so grateful not to have been on the larger much slower boat that seemed to herd tourists! Our guide Pineapple was so much fun. She danced and joked and entertained everyone. She and the young man with her were the life of the party. They kept everyone entertained on the ride out to the islands but also made sure we were safe, accounted for after every event, and well fed and hydrated. Our group was fantastic and so much fun. I was happy to spend this time with them. Later our long boat captain was also amazing offering to take photos for us, finding amazing spots away from the crowds, and even assisting me when my sea legs failed.
On every tour, in every hotel, in every car or transport, at every meal, I felt heard and considered by our tour planner Minah. David and Lily were also amazing help on the phone when we landed and I had questions. Most of those questions were really just them reassuring my own uncertainly because I had never been on a tour that was so reliable and so anticipatory of my needs.
I genuinely couldn't be more grateful to KimKim.com for an absolutely flawless, fun, and spiritual trip. I am 100% certain it was so because of them. While I could have likely spent the time to research and book most of it myself I would have most definitely missed the context and connection they brought and most certainly would have been a lot more stressful had I not had their expert help.

Hotel Reviews

Oceanfront Beach Resort

Phuket

This hotel was the gem of our trip. It is absolutely breathtaking. Our room had an amazing ocean view and a layout that made me want to sketch it so I could recreate it at home. The finishes were all pristine and modern. The bed was comfortable and the view could be seen from the couch, the bed, and even the enormous bathtub! Like all hotels in this area it's across a busy street from the beach but access is easy. The pools are beautiful. The restaurant is listed as Italian but had a menu the size of a small novel and served every kind of cuisine unimaginable. There is even a shuttle to town. Loved this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and sleek with clear Asian influence.

Location

Great view, not truly a beach resort but as close as any in Patong. Beach access is available but it's a very busy slightly scary street to cross.

Staff

Impeccable. Perfection.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless and luxurious

Centara Riverside Hotel Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

The hotel is beautiful. The view of the river is nice. The staff is extremely accommodating and friendly.

Authenticity & Character

The space is undoubtably beautiful. The lobby is particularly beautiful and the restaurant overlooks the river.

Location

While this may be exactly what some visitors like about the hotel, it was too far from the center of town and less walkable than we would have preferred.

Staff

I have never experienced staff as professional and gracious as I have in Thailand in general and this hotel is no exception. The staff are amazing all around.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spotless.

Rembrandt Hotel and Suites SHA Plus Certified

Bangkok

The staff at this hotel are the stars of this review! I have never, no matter the rating or class of hotel or the city in which it was located, felt so catered to or cared for. There wasn't an encounter with any of them that was 100% above any expectation. I could have had. The front desk, bellman, bar, restaurant, and room service staff were all impeccably dressed, professional, warm, and genuinely thoughtful of their guests. No one missed a single opportunity to make us feel like not just guest but literally celebrity guests. The room itself was comfortable and clean and though it could use some updating to finishes was in the perfect location to explore downtown. We had an amazing view and felt safe at all times. Highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Just enough traditional style

Location

Perfect home base

Staff

I'd give them 100 stars if I could

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was spotless though some finishes could use updating

Activity Reviews

Explore the Koh Phi Phi By Speedboat

Phuket

Absolutely stunning. The experience was one for the books. Can't recommend enough. Our guide - Pineapple - was a hoot! Our group was small and fun. The tour itself was such a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Loved everything about this day. The longboat excursion is not to be missed. Be sure and add it at the pier. You won't regret if.

Food

The restaurant choice was good and had many options for everyone However, if you chose, you could eat wherever you like in the village on your own. On the way back, we were served pineapple and watermelon and cookies. There was always soda and water available and the guides encouraged everyone to help themselves and drink water.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our boat captain actively avoided as many waves and bumps as possible. His driving experience was obvious to anyone who has ever ridden in or driven a speedboat. The staff at the pier were extremely accommodating, making sure everyone got on the boat carefully and safe safely. Our guides were a blast on the boat, entertaining everyone and making sure everyone had water and food. When we reported or reconvened anywhere they counted and insured everyone was there the entire trip felt safe, safe and fun because the staff was so attentive and clearly well trained in safety.

Transport

The speedboat was most definitely the best option for the island tour and our long boat was so much fun

Elephant Jungle Expedition at Chai Lai Orchid Ecolodge!

Chiang Mai

The jewel of our whole trip. I loved this tour so much. We have seen the space shuttle launch, nearly touched whales jumping near our ship off the coast of Sidney, gazed at the Northern lights, dog sledded in Alaska, and traveled to many many places and this is hands down the coolest thing we have ever done as tourists. The village is rugged and simple but beautiful in both. The people were all warm and kind. The tour itself was so much fun. There was so much to do and see. I was terrified of the bamboo raft but within moments felt secure and found myself lost in the sights around the river. Watching and even petting the elephants as they moved through the forest path beside us was magical. When they chose they left the path and climbed hills to graze on vegetation and then rejoined us. I would have never experienced bathing an elephant otherwise! That even sounds odd to say but splashing water on an elephants back as she lay in the river beside us was the coolest thing ever. She literally made eye contact the whole time. I wasn't sure which one of us was more interested in the other. Even our lunch by the river was so authentic and cool - served to us in a hut in banana leaf with a bamboo spoon with veggies cooked in a bamboo shoot! Feeding the elephants was so much fun. The trek to the waterfalls and even watching braver guest go under it was so much fun. Our guide Sam made everything perfect. Even in such a rugged place he made us feel safe and went out of his way to make sure my clumsiness didn't ruin the day! He was always there with an outstretched hand to make sure I was steady. He even made me a very helpful bamboo walking stick - which was later swiped and eaten by an elephant - and even that was cool! His guidance made this the best day ever. Later watching the baby elephant interact and play with his teenage handler would put any western notion about exploiting animals to rest. It was completely clear in this village the elephants call the shots and the villagers are there to care for them. There were no cages to be seen, no walls or enclosures, no leads or leashes, no rides or saddles. I never even saw a rope on an elephant. They literally went where they pleased. The baby elephant was even leaping and running and mimicking the noises of his minder. The boy would lay in the grass and the baby would run to him and stand over him. The bond was clear and experiencing it was touching. There is so much to see and do on this tour. Experiencing the beauty and simplicity of this place and the people and animals here will deeply impact the way you view much in life. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Perfect in every way. So much to see and do. All of it mildly terrifying on its face but so worth it after just a few moments you forget your comfort zone and are lost in the moment.

Food

How can it get any better than eating food with homemade bamboo spoons that is grown in the village, cooked in bamboo shoots and banana leaves, while sitting on a hand weaved mat in a hut on the river while watching elephants play?!?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sam is a superstar., a genuinely warm, kind and caring man who clearly loves his job, people, nature, and life. A true gem. We are so grateful to have spent the day with him.

Transport

At first glance the trucks look a bit rugged but they traversed places my very expensive jeep wouldn't have managed as well. The ride is a bit scary - up some fairly steep hills on dirt roads but the driver managed it all as if it was nothing. Keep your eyes closed and your hand on the rail and you'll be grateful you fid. Oh and the bamboo raft ride was amazing. Again, scared the heck out of me at first, but I'm so glad I put that aside and had the best day ever.

Chiang Mai Temple Local Street Food Tour

Chiang Mai

I couldn't believe how new and different this felt after two full days of temple tours. Our trip was arranged well with one day of very ornate grand temples in Bangkok, followed by a day of historic temple ruins, and then this tour in Chiang Mai. I was worried it was too much; but each felt different and this was no exception. The architecture was unique and just as beautiful. I loved the monk chant and wishing lanterns. Our guide, Kan, made this a truly special day by timing everything just right. We caught the monks chant, then saw sunset in the perfect spot, and then experienced beautiful temples illuminated at night. I would have never been able to have done this without her. Loved it.

Quality of Experience

Perfection. I could have wandered the grounds of any one of these places all day.

Food

The street food tour was a sensory circus! The smells, sounds, lights, people, traffic and sidewalks that seemed intent on causing injury were a lot! I would have never tried this without Kan but I'm SO glad I did. Though we are consummate foodies, after a much too late night of way too many cocktails in Bangkok and a flight we likely weren't the best tour guests but Kan managed to find food we enjoyed. She seemed to know everyone and found the perfect spot to enjoy it peacefully in a place that would have otherwise felt a bit chaotic. Best advice - separate your Bangkok bar crawl tour from your street food tour by a least a day so you can fully enjoy both. Seems obvious in retrospect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kan was knowledgeable and fun, welcoming - like seeing it with a friend.

Transport

Punctual, safe, and clean.

Exploring the Ancient Ayutthaya

Thailand

Game (our guide) made this tour deeply meaningful by explaining the history of the site. I would not have understood how moving this place was without the context she provided. On its own beautiful and tranquil. The ruins themselves feel intimate and sacred. Even walking the grounds and path around the water make you feel connected to the very long history of this place and the people.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful and touching.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Game and Dan are the dynamic duo!

Transport

Flawless

Bangkok Spiritual Encounter

Bangkok

Deeply touching experience. Guide Game and Driver Dan made this a truly magical day.

Quality of Experience

Flawless all around

Food

Game's restaurant choice was perfect. She listened to what we liked and ordered our food ahead of time. When we arrived the table was set and, though we would have been delighted for her to join us, she left us alone to enjoy the meal. Later, she even helped us pick out and try durian!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best part of the day was chatting with and getting to know Game, our guide. Driver Dan was an expert at traffic on roads that would have made me otherwise very nervous.

Transport

Perfect. Punctual. The van was comfortable and felt safe. We were on a private tour with just the two of us and our guide so there was ample space. It was well stocked with water and tissues and nice and cool on a hot day.

Tina planned an amazing 8-day trip for my group across Bangkok and Phuket, and overall, we had a truly great experience. The itinerary was full, well-organized, and we made incredible memories together.
For the Bangkok portion, our tour guide Leenna was wonderful. She was knowledgeable, kind, and gave us the perfect amount of information without overwhelming us. We also loved having the same driver throughout our time in Bangkok — it made everything smooth and stress-free.
There were a couple of areas that could be improved for future travelers. Several parts of the itinerary mentioned stopping by temples, but it wasn’t clearly stated that we would be entering them. Because of that, we weren’t prepared with the proper attire and ended up having to purchase clothing almost every day. It would be really helpful for clients to know ahead of time when temple attire is required.
When we arrived in Phuket, our guide Ben was very sweet, but she talked a lot, to the point where it became a bit overwhelming and didn’t allow us the autonomy to just enjoy and soak in the beauty of Phuket at our own pace. We still had an amazing time at all of our excursions — everything we did was incredible — but the guiding style felt a little intense at times.
Another small challenge was that in Phuket we did not have one consistent driver, and we weren’t given advance information each day about who our driver would be. Not knowing who to look for during pickups was nerve-wracking at times, so having either a consistent driver or clearer daily communication would make a big difference.
Despite those minor issues, the trip was truly amazing overall. We had a fantastic time, created beautiful memories, and I’m very happy we went. Thank you to Tina for helping us plan such a memorable adventure!

Overall: Our trip to Thailand was an incredible experience with many once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I gave the trip 4 stars out of 5 mainly because the Ko Phi Phi portion wasn’t for us and if we had it to do over again we would have spent time at a different location. This is not a reflection of KimKim and the outstanding service provided, but our lack of research. We would use KimKim again and highly recommend KimKim without hesitation. KimKim did an excellent job coordinating a great itinerary and logistics were excellent with a couple of minor issues - one pickup was delayed substantially and required calling KimKim. Tina, our itinerary coordinator was exceptional - always available to answer questions and help with any issues that came our way. We will definitely use KimKim for future trips.

This review will cover each of the itinerary items in detail. But overall the itinerary was a great collection of activities. We really appreciated having all the airport transfers organized ahead of time-this relieved a lot of stress. A couple of issues to point out: the itinerary was probably too fast paced for us - in one case we had to cancel an activity because we needed a bit more leisure time to recover from travel. Also, scheduling a 3 hour tour of temples, in the heat of the day, immediately after arriving at our hotel after a morning of travel was not desirable. We understand there is a desire by KimKim to fit in as many activities as possible.

Day 1 - Arrival in Bangkok
Pickup at the airport was without issue. The airport was quite busy (as expected!) with many groups being picked up. However, we were connected with KimKim and transported to our hotel relatively quickly. Our hotel, the Quarter Ari, was quite nice and our suite fit our family well. Pickup required meeting multiple family members at the airport at different times and KimKim’s flexibility in supporting multiple pickups was nice.

Day 2 - Walking Tour of Bangkok
We were greeted by our tour guide, Betty, in the morning (right on time). Betty was fantastic, one of the best tour guides we’ve had, not only on this tour but any. Betty took us on tours of temples, the recently opened Grand Palace, and the flower market and weekend market. The tours were great and Betty was a fount of knowledge, explaining many historical and contemporary facts relating to Bangkok and Thailand.

Day 3 - Floating Market, Railway Market, and Chinatown
We met Betty and our driver in the lobby of our hotel in the morning right on time to drive to the Floating Market and Railway Market. The Floating Market was great. The Railway Market was a bit cramped for what we wanted at the time.

One note: with Floating Market and Railway Markets back-to-back we didn’t have time for lunch so got a late lunch (~3:00pm) when we were back at the hotel. However, when it came time to eat in China town we weren’t hungry - fitting in time for a lunch meal earlier would have been better.

China town was very interesting, but probably too crowded for us after a long day (and the day before), and as mentioned we weren’t hungry for the dinner Betty bought for us. We got our first taste of mango sticky rice which was delicious!

Day 4 - Travel to Chiang Mai and Temple Tours and Flower Market
Travel to Chiang Mai went perfectly. Our driver met us at the hotel and transported us to the airport on time. Pick up at the Chiang Mai airport was also seamless. However, when we arrived at our hotel we were immediately greeted by our guide to take us on tours of the historic Chiang Mai temples. It would have been much better to provide an open afternoon after our arrival to adjust to Chiang Mai and our hotel the Phra Singh - which was excellent (probably the best hotel of all that we stayed at). One of our group decided to skip the tour because they needed to rest. Also, to be honest our guide was not good for the temple tour. He was a very nice man, but his English was difficult to understand, and he often didn’t respond to our questions because it seemed he had difficulty understanding us. The Flower Market was nice, but not much compared to the one in Bangkok, so maybe this could have been skipped.

Overall, Chiang Mai was incredible. Great laid back vibe, with a lot of art and culture. Could have stayed an extra day.

Day 5 - Grandma’s Cooking Class

Met our driver and departed for the cooking class on time. Grandma’s cooking class was excellent. The Chef/Instructor was great - spoke great english and was very enthusiastic and effective at managing and teaching the class. When my daughter burned her finger he was very attentive. Highly recommended.

In the afternoon, because we were quite tired we canceled the Temple and Hill Tribes tour.

Day 6 - Elephant Sanctuary

Met our driver on time for a nice drive to the Elephant Sanctuary. The tour of the sanctuary was great. The guide was excellent, introducing us to the elephants, their behavior, and the philosophy of the sanctuary. Recommended.
In the afternoon, several of us had wonderful massages at the spa across from the hotel.

Day 7 - Travel to Phuket

Travel to the Chiang Mai airport for our flight to Phuket was uneventful. Tina helped us check in to our flight and provided all necessary booking information. Pickup at the Phuket airport was a bit delayed requiring us to call Tina to inquire about who would be meeting us. The Novotel Hotel was nice. It would have been nicer had we requested a room with a view. We also would consider upgrading hotels in the future.

Day 8 - John Gray’s - Hong By Starlight

To be honest we were dreading the fact that this event was scheduled to go from 10:00a - 9:00p. But this activity was fantastic - probably the highlight of our trip. The islands were incredible, John Gray’s did an outstanding job as tour guides and navigating the sea kayak’s. Food was some of the best on the trip, and the sunset, starlight tour with bioluminescence was absolutely magical. Highly, highly recommended.

Day 9 - Leisure day

It was great to have a leisure day.

Day 10 - 12 Ko Phi Phi

I’ll review Ko Phi Phi overall as there weren’t many separate activities other than the Scuba Diving which was excellent. Although, to be honest other than the diving, Ko Phi Phi wasn’t really for us as we were looking for more of a beach experience.

Travel to Phi Phi via ferry was on time. Tina provided us with the booking information, check in and travel went without incident with our hotel reps picking us up at the pier. ChaoKo PhiPhi had a couple of issues. While the hotel grounds and facilities were nice if spartan, our rooms faced trashy alleyways and one room smelled to the point that we needed to change rooms, which took over a day. It didn’t appear there were any hotels on the island that were any better - so were we to do it again we would probably find an alternate destination rather than Phi Phi.

The scuba diving was exceptional. Blue Water Divers was excellent, friendly, safe, thorough. Highly recommended.

Day 13 - Travel to Bangkok

Travel on day 13 was long - speed boat to Phuket pier, pier to airport, flight to bangkok, ride to Hotel, all of which took the entire day. Travel was uneventful and well coordinated by Tina. One note: we took a speed boat from Phi Phi to Phuket which was very rough (in part due to the weather). But the speed boat might not be for everyone, especially those who get sea sick.

Day 14 - Shopping in Bangkok, Traveling back to the U.S.

It was nice to explore Bangkok a bit more and do some shopping. Travel to the airport was uneventful. The departing flight was on time.

Hotel Reviews

ChaoKoh Phi Phi Hotel and Resort

Krabi

Nice hotel in a great location. However our room had a view of a trashy alleyway and our second room had a smell that required moving rooms. Staff was not particularly friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Reflected the culture of Phi Phi

Location

Right in the center of Ko Phi Phi

Staff

Could have been nicely and more responsive, required two days and multiple complaints about a bad smelling room for any response.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean except for the smell.

Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach

Phuket

Very nice hotel on a great beach location. Great service, in hotel restaurant. But we would have liked a room with a view.

Authenticity & Character

Seemed to capture Phuket nicely.

Location

Great beach, not too far from shopping.

Staff

Friendly, attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

We would have liked a room with a view.

Phra Singh Village

Chiang Mai

We loved this hotel. Great staff and service, great location. Tucked away in a private alley for privacy.

Authenticity & Character

Historic character

Location

Right in the heart of old town Chiang Mai

Staff

Very friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

The Quarter Ari by UHG

Bangkok

This was a great hotel in a great location. Very friendly service.

Authenticity & Character

Great modern Thai character.

Location

Great shopping and restaurants in vicinity

Staff

Very friendly and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Activity Reviews

2 Fun Dives for Certified Divers

Ko Phi Phi

The diving was amazing and diving company and divemaster/guide was amazing. Unfortunately one of the two diver opted not to dive. Also, there was no need to pay for the park fees ahead of time.

Quality of Experience

Amazing diver with a great diving company

Food

Great lunch of fried rice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was very friendly. Divemaster was great. Orientation was thorough.

Transport

Great boat ride out to dive site.

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

This was the highlight of our entire trip to Thailand.

Quality of Experience

Amazing experience - staff and guides were amazing. Food was equally good.

Food

Some of the best Thai food we had during our entire Trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing guides.

Transport

Perfect

Elephant Nature Park Visit

Chiang Mai

Great visit to the Elephant Nature Park. It was amazing to interact with the Elephants.

Quality of Experience

Elephant guide/driver was great. Interacting with the elephants and learning about the nature park was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great, communicated well

Transport

Perfect

Grandma's Home Cooking School

Chiang Mai

This was an amazing experience. Cooking class was great with a great chef/instructor at a very nice farm. The only unfortunate thing was my daughter burning her finger during the cooking class - the instructor was very attentive.

Quality of Experience

Aside from the finger burning the class was perfect!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chef was great!

Transport

Perfect

Welcome and Temple Treasures of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

The temples were incredible. But it was very difficult to go on this tour immediately after traveling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in the heat of the day. Our guide was not good and transport was delayed.

Quality of Experience

Better guide and transport, not scheduling it right after arrival in Chiang Mai

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide did not speak English well enough to communicate.

Transport

Pickup was delayed by about a half hour.

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Very interesting but crowded.

Quality of Experience

Very interesting - eating bugs!!

Food

Bugs were a bit over the top. Other food was amazing especially the Mango Sticky Rice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amazing guide

Transport

Perfect

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

The floating market was amazing. The Railway market was a bit crowded and hot.

Quality of Experience

Great experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guide was incredible.

Transport

Perfect

Exploring Bangkok by local transfers and walking tour

Bangkok

Great tour of historic temples and sites was the perfect start to our vacation.

Quality of Experience

Historic sites

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guide was one of the best we've had.

Transport

Perfect

First-time KimKim customer. Won't be my last. Organizer Tina with CK41 Tours From Thailand handled everything efficiently and perfectly. She was very patient with our many questions. Great communication throughout the process. During the trip, everyone showed up as promised (guides & drivers). No problems at the hotels. This allowed us to relax and enjoy our vacation to Thailand, Vietnam, & Cambodia. We packed a lot of activities & major sites into our 17-day trip; everything went smoothly.

Hotel Reviews

Miracle Transit Airport Hotel

Bangkok

No complaints. Friendly staff. They welcomed us at our late check-in and were very helpful with our early check-out. Room was clean and comfortable. Would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Phka Chan Hotel

Siem Reap

No complaints. We were welcomed at check-in. Friendly staff. Room was clean and comfortable. Location was great. Breakfast was great. Would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Athena Cruise

Ha Long Bay

No complaints. Well-organized from check-in to check-out. The cruise director is amazing. Friendly staff. Activities & sites visited were great. Room was clean and comfortable. Food was delicious & plentiful. Would go on this cruise again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Cititel

Hanoi

No complaints. We were welcomed at check-in. Friendly staff. Room was clean and comfortable. Location was great. Breakfast was great. Would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Happy Life Grand

No complaints. We were welcomed at check-in. Friendly staff. Room was clean and comfortable. Location was great. Breakfast was great. Would stay there again. Some rooms have walk-in showers, some have tall bathtubs with shower head; contact staff in advance if you have a preference.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Charm Resort Phuket

No complaints. We were welcomed at check-in. Friendly staff. Room was clean and comfortable. Large bathroom. Location was great. Breakfast was great. Would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

No complaints. We were welcomed at check-in. Friendly staff. Room was clean and comfortable. Location was great. Breakfast was great. Beautiful gardens & nice lounge areas. Would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Quart Ruamrudee

Bangkok

No complaints. We were welcomed at check-in. Friendly staff. Room was clean and comfortable. Location was great. Breakfast was great. Would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hidden temples in the Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

One day at Angkor Wat is not enough. We visited new sites on our 2nd day. There was time available to see another site that I requested. Guide was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Famous Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

It was just as magical as I remember from my first visit 23 years before. Must-do activity. So much to see and learn. Having a private guide is worth it. Can't imagine being part of a 20-50 person tour group on headsets.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight Cruise at Halong Bay!

Thailand

Very enjoyable. It felt like a luxury cruise. The cruise director is beyond amazing. Everything was well-organized, from check-in to meals to activities to island visits to check-out. Highly recommended. Meals were great. Nice cabins.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi City Tour!

Thailand

It was a very nice day of touring Hanoi. We saw a lot but it was relaxing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trying Vietnamese Local Foods & Enjoy Puppet Show

Hanoi

Great walking tour of Hanoi. We visited places that were not touristy at all. We ate at places that were 95% locals. We tried new things (fried fermented pork rolls were a favorite; avocado ice cream was interesting). The water puppet show was fun. The views along the river across from the puppet theater are pretty.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Worthwhile tour. Much to learn and see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

A must-do activity! I had taken a boat cruise to the same area 8 years ago. This tour involves kayaking from the boat into caves which reveal lagoons that look like Avatar or Jurassic Park. Truly incredible adventure that would never know if you took a regular boat ride. We enjoyed every minute. They had great food for us and a special activity (decorated float). Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Eco Elephant Care!

Chiang Mai

It was a fun, relaxing visit to DooDoi Elephant Home. Staff there are great. Had a lunch there before visiting the elephants. The guides are friendly and have everything well-organized and prepared in advance. It is worth doing the elephant washing. We had smiles the entire time. Beautiful scenery. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Temple and Hill tribes in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

We enjoyed the drive up to Doi Suthep. Beautiful forest mountain. The temple was great (my 2nd time there). We skipped the hill tribe visit, which allowed us more time at the temple and the little shops at the base of the temple compound, plus a quick visit to a jade showroom.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome and Temple Treasures of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Very enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Sights, sounds, smells of busy Chinatown in Bangkok. It is one very-long street with a few side streets. Food carts every 20 feet. Many options.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Bangkok by local transfers and walking tour

Bangkok

We enjoyed the Temple of Dawn and the Reclining Buddha. The Royal Palace was temporarily closed. We went to Jim Thompson House Museum instead. The Chatuchak Weekend Market was fun to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Bangkok!

Bangkok

Great guide & driver. We really enjoyed the canal boat ride, the marketplace, and the Golden Mount. Khaosan Road was not enjoyable, however.

Quality of Experience

5-star for the overall trip. 1-star for Khaosan Road portion.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Thailand trip was absolutely amazing! We visited Bangkok, Krabi, Phi Phi Island, and Phuket, and every stop was unforgettable.

In Bangkok, our guide Annie (Wat Arun) was incredible. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience so special.

In Krabi, we also had Jo Pur as a guide and she was amazing. The Koh Klan cultural tour was a highlight — engaging, authentic, and so much fun.

In Phi Phi Island, we did the Sunrise Tour with Simba Sea Trips, and our guides Joseph, Ann, and Film were phenomenal. Their energy, hospitality, and attention to detail made the day perfect.

Thailand itself is breathtaking — beautiful places, amazing food, and some of the most polite and accommodating people we’ve ever met.

A special thank you to Sunny from Kim Kim, who curated our entire trip. Sunny checked in with us throughout our stay to make sure everything was going smoothly. Sunny did an excellent job!

Hotel Reviews

My Beach Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Varana Krabi Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mode Sathorn Hotel Bangkok

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sunrise Phi Phi Island Joining Tour

Phuket

Food

Everything was great. Had accommodated my allergies in the meals. Very thoughtful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joseph, Film and Ann from Simba Sea Trips were amazing guides

Transport

Discover Local Island Life: Koh Klang Culture

Krabi

My friends and I had an amazing trip to Southeast Asia. AE was our guide in Bangkok. She was so kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. With AE we visited beautiful temples, lively markets, and ate some delicious street food. In Chiang Mai, our guide Pong took us to a monk blessing ceremony and an elephant sanctuary. She was wonderful. Again we ate delicious food and visited museums and temples. Cambodia and Vietnam were equally fun, beautiful, and fascinating. Our guide in Siem Reap was Set. He did a great job of explaining the history of Angkor Wat and the surrounding Temples. The hotels we stayed at were all comfortable and gorgeous with excellent food options. Thanks to Hoa who arranged this trip for us. It truly was a trip of a life time.

We feel so fortunate to have had Hoa as our agent/specialist for our Thailand trip! First of all, Hoa contacted us several times before our trip to determine the activities we would be interested in and our overall preferences for accommodations and locations. She also tried to understand the levels of activity we would prefer to make sure the plans met our expectations. Because of her interest in getting it right for us, we went through several iterations of our planned trip and we also made some unusual requests that were not typical. The end result: we were blown away by the final trip that she put together for us. In addition, during our trip, we were very impressed with all of the local guides that were assigned to us in the four cities/areas that we visited. Each guide was so dedicated to making sure that we learned about Thai culture and the overall history of each area - they went out of their way to ensure we were happy and got the experience that we hoped for. They also were very patient and thorough in answering all of our questions about each area (and we had a lot of questions), and spent as much time as necessary depending on our interests. A guide has a difficult job as they have to deal with all kinds of people with varying interests, and all of our guides were so professional yet so personal and friendly. We also felt very safe with all of the drivers and tour boat operators that we had - they were all very polite and engaging. Hoa also booked us at hotels and resorts that were 1st class. We are not party people, so we were very happy to stay at quiet, yet very comfortable and classy locations. The workers and staff at each of these locations were so friendly and accommodating that we felt so comfortable and taken care of. The food served at each of these locations was fantastic and also went beyond our expectations. There were so many personalized details provided, such as making sure our meals accommodated our dietary needs (we are vegetarian), ensuring that our plane seats were near the front of the plane when available to get on and off easily, having our guides assist us through the airports (we had three in-country flights and they even helped us through check-in), having our guides walk us through the local markets and show us the lay of the land so that we felt comfortable buying food and gifts when we had free time, etc. Hoa also kept in contact with us during the trip to remind us of pickup and meeting times as well as to ensure that were were happy throughout.

We were so happy during our trip and we would not hesitate to recommend Kim Kim to anyone considering a trip to Thailand or southeast Asia.

Hotel Reviews

Hyatt Regency Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Samut Prakan

After a long trip in Thailand, we flew from Phuket to Bangkok the night before leaving Thailand. Our international flight home was set for 7 am, and we were so tired from a great vacation, that we were a bit down on energy. However, upon walking into the hotel, our spirits picked up immediately! This hotel is absolutely gorgeous! It is modern, beautiful, clean and so comfortable. After staying in several locations throughout the country for a long time, we were not looking forward to checking in to one more hotel. However, our attitude changed right away, as the check in process was a breeze and very fast, and the accommodations are so very nice. The hotel is very large, but is it also very peaceful and comforting. The breakfast buffet starts at 3 am for travelers who have early flights out, so we were able to have an absolutely wonderful breakfast buffet before catching an early flight. In addition, after a long vacation, we were able to use the hotel gym to stretch out and recoup from a physically demanding vacation, not to mention to reset the body before getting on a very long international flight. The gym and locker room are so very nice and spacious, with fantastic gym equipment and amenities. Oh yeah, the hotel is essentially right across the street from the airport, but you wouldn't know it as it is so quiet and comfortable. Likewise, it is so convenient - it was so nice knowing we were so close to the airport that it took stress away from worrying about packing up and getting to the airport on time. The hotel shuttle immediately brought us to the hotel from the airport the night before with zero wait time, and in the morning, the hotel shuttle immediately brought us to the airport with zero wait time, and the shuttle ride is only about 5 minutes total - so convenient! This was a wonderful hotel and experience.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is big and beautiful and modern and nice, but it is also so comfortable and quiet.

Location

The hotel is so close to the airport, but you wouldn't know it as it is so quiet and peaceful. Bangkok is so big and loud and busy, so having a beautiful and comfortable hotel so close to the airport just takes stress away from traveling in and out of the airport. The shuttle immediately took us to the hotel from the airport the night before our flight, and in the morning it immediately took us to the airport to catch our flight. There was no stress as you are only a 5 minute drive away.

Staff

The hotel desk staff are used to dealing with tired travelers, and they were so efficient and nice that checking in and out was a breeze. The shuttle drivers and baggage handlers were so friendly and nice and efficient, and we had zero wait time. They take all the stress of getting to and from an airport away.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is very clean, modern and comfortable. The room was very nice and quiet. The gym and locker rooms were clean, spacious, and quiet. It is a great hotel so close to the airport, yet quiet and comfortable.

Dewa Phuket Resort & Villas

Phuket

The hotel is located close to the airport and is so convenient to traveling in and out of Phuket. In addition, it is located across the street from a most lovely beach, and it is essentially located inside the national park, so it is a very quiet and beautiful location. Despite it being located in a quiet area, there are plenty of restaurants and shops within easy walking distance, and it must be repeated that a most beautiful and quiet beach is just across the street! The breakfast buffet is absolutely wonderful and first class, but the restaurant also serves 1st class food that is so fresh and delicious. The hotel staff are so friendly and accommodating and make sure that you are taken are of. The hotel provides nice touches like flip flops, beach towels, a carry bag for the beach or shopping, and umbrellas to use. So nice! We found all of the staff to be so friendly, from the maintenance workers to cleaning staff as well as the restaurant and pool/bar workers. The hotel offers a complimentary yoga class several days of the week, and our instructor was so sweet and nice. And of course the desk staff (Vicky and Jib especially) and bell people were really, very nice and attentive, that they all really made our stay such a nice experience.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is located in a very quiet part of the island, yet it is close to the airport which makes traveling in and out so easy. The hotel is quite nice, and our room was very quiet, yet spacious and comfortable. The hotel is located ((essentially) inside a national park and Nai Yang beach is right across the street. The beach is so lovely - beautiful sand beach with calm water and beautiful views. You can watch the planes coming in for landing in the distance - this just adds to the setting.

Location

It is located very close to the airport, but it is so quiet and relaxed (you can hear planes in the distance periodically, but they add to the atmosphere as you can observe them coming in over the water in the distance). The hotel is essentially located within the national park, and it is right across the street from Nai Yang beach, which is very quiet and has such lovely sand. Phuket can be so loud and chaotic with tourism, but this hotel is located in a beautiful and quit=et area of the island.

Staff

All of the staff, and we mean all of them, were so very kind and attentive. Even the maintenance workers were very friendly and would stop to say hello. The desk staff, especially Vicky and Jib were so so nice and friendly, yet professional and competent. We cannot say enough about the staff of the hotel -obviously they made a point to ensure that we and all the guests were comfortable and happy, and it worked!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our hotel room was always clean and comfortable. The pool area looked so nice (we did not use it because the beautiful beach was across the street, but if we were pool people we would be very happy). The hotel is beautiful and in an idyllic setting, that you don't want to leave the area. In addition, the breakfast buffet and restaurant offers food that is so delicious it is easy to want to eat there every day and night. This was the last stop on our trip to Thailand, and it just capped off our great experience.

De Chai The Colonial

The hotel is a boutique hotel with a lovely atmosphere. Our room was very clean and quiet, but also large and comfortable. The location is perfect - it is on a quiet street but a very close walking distance to many restaurants and bars inside the old town. The breakfast buffet is very nice and we looked forward to eating at the restaurant every day. The hotel staff were so friendly and accommodating. During one of our activities in Chiang Mai, we got bitten by ants and other insects and had such itchy skin that there was no way we would be able to sleep. We asked the staff for directions to a pharmacy, but did not need to visit the pharmacy as the desk staff had extra ointment that they offered us to try. It worked, and it saved us time trying to find the pharmacy, etc., and we were able to sleep that night. Such nice people and so accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

It is a beautiful boutique hotel with a lot of character. We loved the Koi pond in front of the hotel, and it is very quiet and comfortable.

Location

The hotel is located inside the old town gates, but it is on a very quiet street. However, you are only a block away in most directions to busier areas with a variety of restaurants, shops, etc. And it is close to temples (one right down the street) and other tourist attractions.

Staff

The desk staff was so nice - they provided free of charge some ointment to soothe our itchy skin from bug bites. Also, the breakfast staff was so very nice and attentive - they were all such lovely people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is very clean and has many staff working at all times. Our room was always clean and comfortable.

The Xcape River Kwai

Kanchanaburi

Our room was spectacular, but it seems that every room is also. The hotel is very modern yet charming and clean. The pool is beautiful and clean, and the views are simply amazing. We watched a distant thunderstorm over the mountains off our balcony one night, and it was lovely. We also kayaked on the river using the complimentary kayaks. Also, the restaurant is very nice with a fantastic menu and the food was delicious. All of the staff were very friendly and accommodating, and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

It is a very modern design, yet also functional and comfortable. And beautiful!

Location

It is located in a quiet and rural setting not too far from town but right on the river - the views are amazing.

Staff

All of the staff were so friendly and accommodating - so welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The pool is beautiful and pristine. Each room is modern and the views are amazing.

Solitaire Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

We got in very late on our first night in country after a long international flight, so we were tired and not very alert. However, the hotel staff made check in easy for us and made sure that we were comfortable right away. The breakfast buffet was a highlight of the stay - the food was outstanding and fresh and delicious, but the accommodations were also comfortable and quiet. After a long flight, it was nice to have access to a gym so as to stretch out and get a workout in to feel more normal. This is such nice hotel and all of the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

The breakfast buffet was so fresh and there was a variety of foods to try and to satisfy any diet.

Location

Bangkok is such a big city, but we were very close to the subway stations and elevated train lines, so getting around the city was convenient. Also, we had so many options for food and activities just outside the door.

Staff

All of the staff were very friendly and courteous.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was very quiet and comfortable and clean. The gym and locker room were also very clean and nice.

Activity Reviews

18-Hole Golf Course at Laguna Phuket Golf Club

Phuket

This is a very nice golf course and club. All of the staff were friendly, and we just had a great golf day. Our caddies were fun and competent and professional, and also did a great job figuring out which clubs to hit and how to approach the hole so as to reduce potential danger. The clubs we rented were new and in great condition. The course is very pretty and the greens really protect the course from low scores.

Quality of Experience

The caddies did such a nice ob of guiding us through the course and making sure we had fun...even when you miss a -foot putt!

John Gray's sea canoe - Hong by Starlight - Joining excursion

Phuket

This scenery and activities on this trip are wonderful, but the company staff and philosophy made it that much more special. The staff made sure to explain the agenda and what to expect, and the boat traveled at a very calm speed so that you are immediately immersed in relaxing atmosphere. The company emphasizes a quality experience (as opposed to quantity), and they also emphasize giving back and supporting the local people and culture. They made sure that there is plenty of wonderful food to eat the entire day, and workers and guides ensured a quality and safe experience. The guides ensured that we saw so many cool things that we otherwise would have missed, and each guide was so personable and went out of their way to ensure we had a great time. This trip was so relaxing and fun, but also educational.

Quality of Experience

The company philosophy and workers/staff make this trip. We were so relaxed and just enjoyed the entire day.

Food

We ate such delicious food! The kitchen staff worked hard all day preparing food for us - really an amazing company.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so sweet and pointed out so many things that we would not have noticed. I love that the company hires guides from the local islands and supports the communities.

Transport

Such a relaxing boat trip, and the guides make sure that the kayaking is easy and pleasant.

Phi Phi Islands (Maya Bay & Monkey Beach) & Bamboo Island Discovery by Join-in Catamaran

Phuket

The staff on the boats worked very hard all day long to ensure we had a great time. They were very good at organizing people onto the boats and clearly explaining the agenda for the day. In addition, they made sure that everyone on the boat was safe, and I always felt their safety presence when we were swimming in the sea. The food on the boat was really tasty and we also had a wonderful lunch at or near Monkey Beach. The scenery on this trip was spectacular, and everywhere we turned was a photographic moment. The sea and islands are simply gorgeous.

Quality of Experience

There are a lot of tourists in Thailand, and you will probably see a lot on this trip. BUT, the staff did such a great job of ensuring that we had a nice experience despite this.

Food

Our lunch buffet was so good and had a ton of food to choose from.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff at the marina and on our boat worked very hard all day long. We made many stops along the way and they made sure that everyone was safe and that all of the activities were fun and enjoyable. They also ensured that we had plenty of great food to eat.

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Morning session)

Chiang Mai

This was really a lovely experience for us, as the elephants are definitely the star of the show. The sanctuary really made sure that we interacted with the elephants, and we felt safe the entire time. It was so much fun to simply stand and touch the elephants but even better feeding them and bathing and giving them mud baths. We learned so much about the elephants, and they are truly regal beings. The sanctuary staff were all very friendly and competent. They made sure that our safety was a big concern, as well as the welfare of the elephants. The reality of our modern world means that these sanctuaries are ever more important, and we were impressed with how the elephants were treated and housed.

Quality of Experience

The way the elephant handlers and sanctuary staff treat the elephants ensures a great experience.

Food

We were fed a great meal at the sanctuary.

18-Hole Golf Course at Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai

Chiang Mai

This is a really nice golf course and golf club. Our caddies were very friendly and personable, and quickly learned how far we hit our rental clubs, which made for better golf. The staff at the club were all very friendly and welcoming.

Doi Inthanon National Park - A Nature Walk and Culture

Chiang Mai

This is a big park and absolutely beautiful! We did a short trek through the countryside with our guide Amy and a local Karen guide as well, who showed us many things that we would not have noticed, such as various insects (caterpillars and spiders), wildlife (Gibbons and snakes) and fruits/nuts (Passion fruit and various acorns) from the trees. The waterfalls in this park are absolutely beautiful and amazing. The countryside and jungle here are spectacular.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guides made this trip for us by showing us so many things that we would not have noticed! They also answered so many questions and just made it a better experience.

Chiang Mai from a Different Perspective by Bike

Chiang Mai

This was such a fun trip! We really got a feel for the flow of the city while riding through the town. The humidity felt sticky, but having the breeze from riding made it a pleasure. Our guide Amy was a real treat for us - she was able to gauge what we were interested in along the way and she made sure we spent more time at areas we really enjoyed. For instance, the local market is so vibrant with sights, sounds and smells that we really enjoyed sampling various fruits and foods. Amy is extremely knowledgeable and is a wealth of information, and she really took the time to make sure that we had a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Our guide Amy really made sure that we learned so much about each of the temples we stopped at, and she also walked us through the local markets and helped us sample all kinds of food. We learned so much about Chiang Mai from her.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Amy is a wonderful guide who is willing to spend time at areas that were more interesting to us. She was really tuned into the things that we enjoyed, and it made for a great day.

Transport

The bikes we rode were in good shape and safe and easy to ride. We felt safe following Amy on our route, and she made sure to make our bike tour safe and interesting.

Erawan National Park

Kanchanaburi

The park is very beautiful and the waterfalls are spectacular. It is a moderate hike to get to the viewing area of the upper waterfalls, but all of the waterfalls below are eye-opening as well, so you cannot go wrong wherever you stop. The park was crowded, but the views and scenery of the waterfalls and jungle are so worth the effort.

Visit River Kwai's Bridge and Death Railway Museum

Kanchanaburi

The bridge itself may not appear to be so impressive, but it is the story behind the bridge and the conditions that the POWs and other forced laborers had to endure to complete it that is amazing. The museum visit is an eye-opening experience, and the displays give you an idea of the brutal conditions that existed during the war. The European theater tends to dominate WWII history, so this museum is so important for Westerners when learning about the southeast Asian theater. The cemetery is adjacent to the museum, and it is kept in beautiful condition.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Kirana was a wealth of information and answered so many of our questions. In addition, she put the history of the bridge into perspective from a strategic point of view.

Transport

We took the train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, and that was a nice interactive experience as we rode in the non-air conditioned cars - this helps you get a feel for the humidity and conditions that the POWs and other forced laborers had to endure. There is also a wonderful food market adjacent to the rail station in Bangkok.

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

This was a beautiful tour of the larger and popular temples in Bangkok. Our guide taught us a lot about the history of the temples and the importance to the Thai people.