Kimkim Trip Reviews for Thailand

Our family trip to Thailand was incredible. Memories to last a lifetime! Hoa planned the perfect trip for us and we couldn’t be more grateful. Thanks for everything!!

We had such a fantastic trip to Thailand! We were initially hesitant to book through KimKim because the price was so much lower than through the other travel companies we considered, but we took a chance and are so glad we did! KimKim reps met us at each airport on our trip and transported us to our hotels, taking away so much travel stress. The hotels they booked in each of our destinations (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, & Koh Samui) were all great and in fantastic locations. We knew we weren’t booking luxury hotels and we didn’t expect luxury amenities, but we were very pleasantly surprised with how luxurious our accommodations were. Each hotel was very clean, very safe, and very comfortable — and had gorgeous swimming pools, very nice and spacious rooms, and delicious breakfasts included — far more than you get with included breakfasts in the U.S.
Leo, our guide in Bangkok, was a delight—striking the perfect note between taking us to all the sites and experiences we were excited about while also giving us plenty of time to rest and enjoy our vacation. We particularly enjoyed visiting the palaces and temples and trying out the foods in the markets and night markets. Leo even helped us order! We arrived in Bangkok early and had 2 days on our own. We spent those visiting Benchakitti and Lumphini Parks - which I highly recommend — and the Snake Experience, where we saw how anti venom is made by extracting venom from live cobras — this turned out to be a favorite experience of the teens in our group! We also visited the Jim Thompson House and the indoor floating market at the IconSiam shopping mall. If you have more time, I recommend all of these experiences. And, on the recommendation of a friend, we went to the Akara Sky Hanuman high rise rooftop dining & show experience— we had a blast and the views were spectacular!
The highlight of our Chiang Mai visit — and possibly of our entire trip— was the elephant sanctuary! Getting to interact so closely with the elephants was unreal. Do not skip that experience!!! The rest of Chiang Mai was less exciting — the drive to the mountain top and to see the waterfall and gardens was beautiful and easy for everyone in our group. We were worried my 75 year old mother might struggle — but easily did it all, and did it in flip flops! And the cooler temps at the top of the mountain were a welcomed respite from the heat. We also walked the city in our own to see the temples and the old wall. Protip: I asked ChatGPT to create a 3 hour walking tour that started at our hotel and took us to the major temples, then I imported that tour into Googlemaps. Worked great! Personally, I would have enjoyed having a guided tour and learning more about each temple, but the self guided walking tour was all the rest of my group was interested in after spending so much time in more impressive temples in Bangkok.
We purposely ended our trip in Koh Samui so we could have some relaxing beach time. My only criticism there is that the Pig Island excursion was awful and not something I would recommend. Instead of a charming encounter with pigs like we expected, we were told on the boat ride over that the pigs are very dangerous and bite off tourists’ fingertips EVERY DAY. They’re also quite aggressive. One sow rammed me when I was just sitting at a table because she wanted to lie where my feet were. It hurt and cut my leg and left a bruise. I would not take young children on this excursion at all because I don’t think they would appreciate how dangerous and aggressive the pigs are, and there are so many adorable piglets, I don’t think a young child would be able to resist touching them or trying to hold one.
While we were there, a pack of wild dogs attacked a piglet and began eating it live right in front of us — truly horrifying! — ans the piglet screamed for help. A group of tourists intervened to stop it and scare off the dogs, but I doubt the piglet survived. My 13 year old was crying at this point and went to go sit on the boat. And then, again and again, two or three boars chased down and raped sows in front of us, clearly against their will. At one point they did this right under a table of tourists, using the tourists to corner the sow so she couldn’t escape while 3 boars attacked her. Eventually we all sat on top of the tables for safety until it was time to leave.
The snorkeling portion of the Pig Island trip was also lackluster. Very poor visibility and a location that could be described as mid — at best.
But Pig Island was the only part of our entire trip I wouldn’t recommend, and it was so indescribably bad that we’ll be laughing about it for many years to come.
We ended our time in Koh Samui at a restaurant that was recommended by a local — Lanlandaw Viewpoint Restaurant. I highly recommend this! The front desk staff at the hotel (who were wonderful!) helped us arrange it all. A driver from the restaurant came to pick us up and then drove us about 20 minutes over rutted dirt roads up a mountain to the restaurant, which featured a spectacular overlook and view and great food. Be advised, it’s cash only —no credit cards!
All in all, a spectacular, almost seamless, vacation that was everything we hoped for and even better than we expected. We will certainly use KimKim again and we’re already talking about where we should go for our next trip!

I chose Kimkim randomly when I decided to travel to Thailand and could not be more pleased.

Bella helped me plan a trip based on my interests which included pickup from my arrival through ten days of robust activities and to my departure.

My driver Chin was fabulous from the first pickup. My guide Leena met me at the hotel where we embarked on a public transportation tour of Bangkok. It was a wonder way to get the local pulse. Two sky trains an express boat all added to my wonder. Her knowledge of the history and culture was impressive. I experienced Wat Arun and learned about its design and how broken teacups from China were used in the design. We visited the Emerald Buddha, The Reclining Buddha, and the Main Palace. All with rich detail from Leena. Explored Chinatown had a meal and took the subway back to my hotel.
The next day She and Chin took me to the Railroad and Floating Market pointing out the sea salt fields along the way. She even helped me resolve an exchange problem.
Chin brought be to the airport to Chaing Mai where I met Lilly my guide and Text the driver. Lily showed me the city and temples much different than Bangkok and stayed with me throughout my engrossing Elephant experience and lunch. Lilly also traveled with me to the airport to be sure all went well

The next elements of my trip were equally well coordinated. From Chiang Mai I was met by a driver in Samui who took me my boat to Koh Tao and helped me check in. I was met in Koh Tao by a driver who brought me to an extraordinary Beach resort hotel My beautiful room was 75 feet from the shore.
There I was picked up for an outstanding snorkeling trip with a side mountain hike. Tons of fish and giant sea turtles

At my next trip was well coordinated with drivers taking me to boat and airport where I was met in Phuket by my guide Ben with driver She gave a wonderful tour of Phuket. Viewing from high above the area and exploring Chinatown and old Portuguese building. My trip culminated with a visually stunning and exhilarating speed boat tour of the iconic James Bond islands and boat ride into a cave and a canoeing adventure under and through huge monolithic rocks rising from the sea.
Once again picked at airport and Chin in Bangkok who brought me to my departure flight.

This the adventure of a lifetime artistically organized and executed by Bella who I hold in great esteem.

If you thinking of travel to Thailand or elsewhere in Asia , save your money and call Bella at Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Layalina Hotel

Phuket

A hidden gem Set off the Main Street the hotel opened into a wonderland. Small hotel. Huge room with everything zi could ask for

Authenticity & Character

Charming delightful comfortable

Location

Right on the beach with breakfast served on room terrace

Staff

Could not be more attentive and personable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Attention to detail wonderful facility and room a gem

Koh Tao Beach Club Resort

Surat Thani

I was blown away by my room close to the beach and well appointed

Authenticity & Character

Charming l

Location

75 feet from the shore Close to the port I watched the sunset from my bed.

Staff

The massage therapist was outstanding.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect

De Charme Hotel

Amphoe Muang, Si Phum, Chiang Mai

Great staff beautiful hotel

Authenticity & Character

It felt right

Location

Close to walking street market and temples

Staff

Helpful Friendly Efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

Well maintained

Activity Reviews

Phang Nga bay or James Bond island by speed boat

Thailand

The lead guy Bobbi made the amazing sights more remarkable. Always ready with a helpful funny answer.

Quality of Experience

Great island tour cave exploring canoeing and buffet on the Muslim Island

Food

Hardy full Thai buffets

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Organized intelligent entertaining and safety conscious

Transport

Smooth ride comfortable van

Phuket Half-Day City Tour

Phuket

My guide Ben gave me a personalized tour of the city based on information she drew from me. Tiger Kingdom was perfect

Quality of Experience

Tiger kingdom. Ben’s caring detailed manner

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling Trip!

Koh Tao

Multiple sights amazing fish and turtles a side trip up a mountain safe friendly wonderful

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent buffet

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The crew was remarkable

Transport

Short ride to hotel

Eco-Elephant Care Full Day

Chiang Mai

More than I had hoped for. The facility guide was amazing I learned much about elephants and interacting with them. Beyond expectations

Quality of Experience

Learning about and feeding the elephants with various food type. Feeding them helped to connect when interacting in the wild and water

Food

The lunch buffet rivaled restaurants amazing Tom Yum soup

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lilly made sure I had everything I needed. I enjoyed her company and attentiveness

Transport

Always there great drive

Welcome to Chiang Mai!

Chiang Mai

My guide Lilly gave me a personalized tour of the city and temples and provided great insight into how to spend my free time. Adapted tour to meet my interests

Quality of Experience

Ancient temples

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfortable timely efficient

Bangkok city tour with a food tasting at Chinatown!

Bangkok

Couldn’t ask for more. My guide made the experience more wonderful than the sites themselves. She made me feel special. The choice to travel either mass transit brought me close to the culture

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chin was fantastic

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

Bangkok

The markets were a feature. My guide Leena made it even more special

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge attentiveness and personal toucj

Transport

Hien stayed connected to us while we traveled and helped us when a few things went differently than expected. We stayed at nice places and had great guides and drivers the whole way. We loved Thailand and I feel like we saw the best of what there was at the places we chose to visit. Great experience!

Hotel Reviews

Amaranth Suvarnabhumi Hotel

Bangkok

Clean and basic. Close to the airport.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bo Phut Resort and Spa

Glorious hotel with amazingly responsive staff and good food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reverie Siam Resort

Beautiful hotel. Wish it was closer to town. Food is mediocre.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Na Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort

Gorgeous, amazing place and staff. Excellent location. Just great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lampang River Lodge

Lampang

Lampang is not a place to stop that is worth stopping. Neither is this lodge a place that is worth staying. It was dingy and musty and not a place I would recommend to anyone. But it's probably the best that Lampang has to offer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Legendha Sukhothai Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Prime Rang Nam, Your Tailor Made Hotel

This was the only hotel I didn't like on our trip. The lobby was nice but the rooms need renovating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Koh Phangan Tour Full Day

Ko Samui

This was a very long day on a boat to see some mediocre places. There was no snorkeling as the water was not clear due to the rainy season, which we were not told in advance. And they kept us out fishing even as a storm came in, so the ride back in was terrible. And the staff smoked the entire trip, which made finding anywhere to lounge really challenging. I did not enjoy this day on the boat so we canceled our boat tour the next day because none of us could face being stuck back on the water all day again.

Cooking Lesson in Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School (afternoon visit)

Chiang Mai

We loved this activity. We were all tired from a long drive and really didn't want to go, and we all still LOVED it. The food was amazing and getting the recipes was an extra bonus.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Leisure Day in Hot Springs

Pai

This was sweet time as a family to soak and hang out. There is nothing particularly fabulous about this place but it was nice downtime that was much needed by this point in our trip.

Pai – Pai Canyon – Bamboo Rafting Into Tham Lodge Cave

Pai

We were unable to go on the rafts due to it being rainy season. The caves reek of bat poop and you have to walk through dying birds on the rickety walkways to get inside the caves. I would have never gone if I had known what it really would be like. Don't trust the photos.

Chiang Mai - Mok Fah Waterfall - Chinese Village - Pai

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Join in) – Doi Suthep Hill (B/L)

Chiang Mai

Beautiful experience at an actual sanctuary that cares for the elephants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lampang Visiting - Travel to Chiang Mai

Lampang

There is absolutely no reason to visit Lampang.

Sukhothai sightseeing – Lampang

Sukhothai

Sukhothai is gorgeous. We only saw a tiny fraction of what is there. It was fun to be on bikes but it was also very HOT.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day combined Grand Palace Temples city tour

Bangkok

This would have been completely amazing if we hadn't felt rushed. We were only there for 1 1/2 hours and it's a HUGE and BEAUTIFUL place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok evening street food tour

Bangkok

This provided us with a bunch of food, but we were so exhausted from our international flight that it was hard to enjoy. We had also just had lunch and our guide suggested that we do this tour in the afternoon instead of the evening. I'm not sure why we said yes when none of us were hungry.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak floating market - Half-day

Bangkok

This was fun to see. It's a long drive, which I didn't expect.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mostly they got us there, told us a few things, and left us to explore on our own.

Transport

The van was comfortable.

My family trip to Thailand was executed to perfection. We traveled throughout the country and all of our guides and drivers were friendly, on time, and adaptable to my family's needs. Communicated with our local specialist was easy as we traveled, and I was impressed that they took the time to confirm our daily activities with the hotel front desk staff, so we always knew where to meet and when to depart for the next day. Our activities included visiting markets, guided tours to temples, sea kayaking, a Thai cooking class, and a visit to an elephant sanctuary, and each excursion was top-notch. I'll definitely use Kim Kim for my next big vacation.

Our tour guide for Chang Mai was amazing! (Natalie). She has such a bubbly personality and spoke clear English.

Bella was fantastic! She was very responsive and easy to work with. We also appreciated that she noticed things like a 5-hour gap between our hotel checkout time and when we needed to be at the airport, and she booked a car and driver to fill that time with a tour.

Hotel Review

Na Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort

We loved this hotel! Beautiful property and rooms, incredibly kind staff, and great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scuba Diving at Spectacular diving spot in Ao Nang

Thailand

Excellent guides, incredible setting, and beautiful dives (with tons of fish)!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Thailand (Bangkok city tour with a food tasting at Chinatown!)

Bangkok

Loved the guide, China Town, and the Michelin star food stall!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We visited Chiang Mai, Krabi and Bangkok. Overall, Kim Kim did an outstanding job booking our itinerary. Hoa Tran was our trip designer. Hoa and the rest of the team did an outstanding job.

We researched different agencies comparing different cities, hotels and excursions to fit into our budget and our goals for the trip. Kim Kim / Exotic Voyages was not the lowest cost option, but they presented the best hotel options and offerings. Hoa was very patient with us throughout the process. We went through at least 8 iterations of our itinerary before settling on the final plan and decision. Hoa was helpful and responsive throughout the process.

We started our trip at Chiang Mai. We were greeted at the airport by our local guide, Ms. Kanyavee (Mona), and the driver. The team promptly took us to our hotel and made sure that we were settled in. Mona was clear in guiding us through our the plan for the Doi Ithanon excursion. At Doi Ithanon, we saw a few waterfalls, saw how local villagers lived, and had a chance to enjoy a very nice lunch during the trip. At the end of our trip to Chiang Mai, Ms. Mona made sure that we got through our check-in for our next flight. She was super helpful with making sure that our luggage passed the inspection process.

After Chiang Mai, we spent three days in Krabi. On one of the days, we went to Hong Island on a speedboat. The speedboat ride was amazing. In terms of snorkling, the water was nice and warm. However, we only saw small fish, sea urchins and sea anemones. Our hotel had amazing food. On our last day, we asked to see if the driver can come a little later so that we could grab breakfast before we left for Bangkok. Hoa was accommodating and helped us make the change.

Our last visit was to Bangkok. We arrived around 1 PM. Despite that, our local guide, Ms Ae, got us checked in early. While our excursion into Chinatown wasn't supposed to start until 5 PM, Ms Ae took us to visit the local mall. We got in a quick bite, haircut, and shopping before our excursion. Make sure that you add Terminal 21 to your list of places to visit. The food court had a broad offering of food for ridiculously low prices. We ate for a party of 4 for about 500 bahts. Ms. Ae then took us to visit Chinatown. Our visit included two stops at Michelin starred restaurants. The noodle at the restaurant was one of our favorite dishes.

We visited the floating market and train market the next day, along with a visit to the Wat Pro temple in the afternoon. The markets were a treat. Wat Pro was also great. On our third day in Bangkok, we visit the temples at Ayutthaya. It was a nice excursion, but it was a 90 minutes ride from Bangkok. If we had known that you can visit an elephant sanctuary and ride elements, we would have added that to the itinerary. Note that the elephant sanctuary at Chiang Mai is about a 5 hours excursion. You can do a much less intensive event at Ayutthaya for less time.

On our final day, we were on our own. We wanted to keep one day for shopping in Bangkok before our departure. We also squeezed in dim sum at Sui San restaurant. Our tour guide then picked us up at the hotel to take us to the airport. Ms Ae made sure that we got through the check-in process, helped us with our VAT registration and directed us to the right gates before she left. Note that Ms Ae called the hotel manager on our behalf to allow us an extra 2 hours before check-out to give us time to shop in the morning.

Our local tour guides were phenomenal. If we could give them a 6 rating, we would. They not only provided us with incredible insights into the culture and history, but went out of their way to make sure that our stay was comfortable. They intervened with local businesses when we needed help communicating with them. Our trip would not have been as fun without them.

Finally, Hoa checked in with us constantly throughout our trip. She made herself available to us to help with anything we needed.

The Kim Kim team was incredible. We would highly recommend them. We will use them for future trips.

Both our tour guides for Thailand were wonderful. We really appreciated AE who took us around Bangkok. She really went the extra mile to show us how to get around and gave us helpful info when we were on our own.

Hotel Reviews

Solitaire Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

The ventilation was not good at this hotel. Rooms smelled musty and felt damp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were able to get around easily from this hotel but traffic was horrendous at all times of the day.

Staff

Staff did not seem very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms felt old and the TV did not offer connection to Netflix.

Varana Krabi Hotel

Although it rained during our time in Krabi, the Gym and Olympic size pool were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not as many restaurants near this hotel.

Staff

The staff was very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very clean and well maintained. There were a lot of mosquitoes since we were on the 1st floor.

De Chai The Colonial Hotel & Spa

Chiang Mai

This hotel was centrally located where we could walk to many restaurants. The room was clean but did have some quirks like the TV was to the right of the bed and in front of the bed. It was also difficult to keep the room temperature to where we were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to many restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Back to The Glorious Days of Ayutthaya Kingdom

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

The head of a Buddha that was inserted into the tree.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

The reclining Buddha is a must see. It is difficult to imagine how big it is until you see it in person.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

We enjoyed seeing the train pass by but the people there were incredibly friendly which made the experience even better.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

We loved all the food that was recommended to us. The pork satay and crispy roast pork in a noodle soup were so delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

All the food was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First time riding in a tuk tuk. It was a bit scary at times as we weaved in and out of traffic at high speeds.

Hong island by joining speedboat (S)

Krabi

We visited multiple islands but it felt rushed. There was not much to see when snorkeling.

Quality of Experience

It would have been better if we didn’t go during rainy season.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doi Inthanon National Park - A Nature Walk and Culture

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guides were excellent. Very knowledgeable of the history and traditions. The food choices were great

Hotel Reviews

Cape Panwa Hotel

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa De Pranakorn

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orchid Trendy Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Siesta Classic Hang Thung

Authenticity & Character

Location

Jo

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Xieng Thong

Luang Prabang

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Water puppet show

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong Bay - Disembarking Cruise (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Continuing Lan Ha Bay (Orchid Cruise 3D2N)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onboarding - Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unfold The Secret of Hanoi Street Food

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi History & Old Quarter

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave)

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An Insight into The UNESCO Heritage Site of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Morning Discovery

Luang Prabang

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buffalo Dairy Farm

Luang Prabang

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Hike to Kuang Sy Waterfalls

Luang Prabang

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Live Like A Local

Luang Prabang

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Pak Ou Caves, The Religious Symbol of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to The Glorious Days of Ayutthaya Kingdom

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary Morning Visit (Joining Activity)

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Hi

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first time using Kimkim, and based on this experience, I would certainly use them in the future. I traveled alone and visited two cities in Thailand: Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Kimkim organized everything for me, including airport pickups, hotels, and local activities. In each city, the hotels were conveniently located and within walking distance of dining and shopping. The primary local guides, Gifsty in Bangkok and Taew in Chiang Mai, were friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. The local tours used the time available efficiently and covered all the basics. Except for some minor miscommunication upon my first arrival, everything worked out perfectly.

Working with Kim Kim was the best experience ever. I completed their simple form and heard back from a local travel agent from Thailand within 24 hours. My experience after that was nothing less than perfect. Mint, my agent was spectacular. For a few weeks after my initial submission, Mint worked with me to customize the perfect itinerary for me and my family in Thailand. She would respond within 24 hours to my emails, she answered all my questions, calmed any concerns I would think of and supported us before, during and after the trip. My first night in Thailand, I reached out to Mint looking for kid friendly areas quite late in the night (Jet lag) to get food, Mint responded quickly and guided us to a safe area and helped us arrange transportation so we wouldn’t get ripped off. I reached out to Mint almost everyday of our trip and she always responded with helpful tips and went way above and beyond to ensure our trip was perfect. She would reach out to us to confirm we had our vouchers and confirmations. She reached out to the hotels and arranged for us to receive lunchboxes on the days we were departing before breakfast. For one of our excursions, we were unable to load the photos from our tour guide, Mint got in touch with them, got the photos and sent them to us. This was my first time working with Kim Kim and it was exceptional. I would highly recommend them if you are planning a trip to Thailand.

We just returned from an unforgettable trip to Thailand, and we loved every minute of it! From start to finish, everything was seamless and perfectly organized.

Our travel agent, Dat, was incredible. He was patient and thorough during the planning process—going through multiple versions of the itinerary with us until we had our dream trip mapped out. His attention to detail and dedication made all the difference.

During our travels, Dat remained easily accessible and responsive, which gave us so much peace of mind. Every tour and guide he arranged was on time, professional, and extremely knowledgeable. We never had to worry about a single thing—Dat and the team had every detail covered.

My son and I had the trip of a lifetime, and it was all thanks to the thoughtful planning and exceptional service provided by Dat and the company. We will absolutely be booking with them again and highly recommend their services to anyone planning a trip to Thailand!

Hotel Reviews

De Prime Rang Nam, Your Tailor Made Hotel

Our stay at De Prime Rang Nam was pleasant and worked well for our short time in Bangkok. The location was convenient, and the breakfast buffet was a highlight—plenty of options and great quality to start the day. The room was fairly clean and comfortable, though there’s a bit of room for improvement in overall cleanliness and humidity control in the common areas. That said, the hotel had everything we needed for a quick and easy stay in the city. While it wasn’t my favorite hotel of our Thailand trip, it was a solid choice for a short visit and offered good value for the time we were there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Chai The Colonial Hotel & Spa

Chiang Mai

I had a wonderful stay at De Chai The Colonial Hotel & Spa! The on-site spa and restaurant were such a great bonus and made the stay even more relaxing and convenient. The morning breakfast was tasty with a good variety, and the location of the hotel was super convenient—perfect for exploring the area. My room was spacious, clean, and very comfortable, which made it easy to unwind after a day out. Overall, a great experience and I’d definitely stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oceanfront Beach Resort

Phuket

We absolutely loved our stay at Oceanfront Beach Resort in Phuket! The hotel was super clean, modern, and luxurious with a great vibe throughout. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, which made our experience even more enjoyable. The location was perfect—everything we needed was close by, making it easy to explore. We also really appreciated the on-site gym and the delicious breakfast each morning. The atmosphere, service, and overall experience were fantastic. Truly loved everything about our stay and would happily return!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Thai Cooking Class

Phuket

This was by far the most exciting and memorable activity we did in Phuket! We absolutely enjoyed every minute of the Thai cooking class. My 11-year-old son had a blast—he said it was one of his favorite activities of the entire trip. The owner was so fun, engaging, and explained everything clearly, making it easy and enjoyable to follow along. We were genuinely amazed at how beautiful (and delicious!) our dishes turned out. Don’t second guess this—just book it. You won’t regret it. It’s an experience we’ll never forget!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip was absolutely AMAZING! Lacey, the Kim Kim team, and all our tour guides in each location were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Lacey was on top of things from day one of planning the trip; she always responded quickly and clarified all our questions. Ron, our guide in Bangkok, was the best. He made the most of our time together each day, adding in extra stops to eat freshly picked lychee from local vendors, getting us on the train to take to the Maeklong train market, and showing us the best food spots.

Everything went as planned, other than a last-minute cancellation of our yacht trip to Phi Phi Island, due to unexpected boat issues. Lacey was great at presenting alt activities, and when we ultimately decided to hang out at our resort, she quickly processed the refund for that activity.

The only thing I wish we'd discussed a bit more during planning was the proximity of our hotels to certain areas/activities (mainly in Phuket). Our hotel was great (we loved our private pool villa), but it may have been nice to be closer to Old Town Phuket (it was an hour away) to experience more of the island.

Overall, I would highly recommend using Kim Kim for planning you Thai adventure!

Activity Reviews

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

This was one of our favorite activities of the whole trip. We roamed the flower market with Chang and Leos in hand, trying things Ron (our guide) said he would seek out. He also took us China Town which was fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Railway Market & Floating Market

Bangkok

The railway market was awesome! Our guide Ron, also timed the start of our day so that we could pick up the train and actually take it into the market. So we got to experience walking the market and taking the train through it. The floating market was ok, but after the first stall or two, it felt repetitive. It had a lot of good food options.

Quality of Experience

Food

The green curry, Tom Yum, fried bananas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ron was a great guide, very personable and took tons of pics for us!

Transport

They always had cold water and air conditioning blasting for us.

This trip was amazing. Our family had such a great time, we loved the people, the food, the culture. Both Paul (Bangkok) and Jackie (Chiang Mai) were incredible hosts/guides. They took us to places were we could learn about the local culture, food, and history. All the restaurants we went to with them were out of this world, and we could not get enough of the Mango sticky rice!!!
The elephant experience is hard to describe. Is beyond amazing, such beautiful beings. Our 8 year old says is the best thing she's ever done!
This trip will be forever in our hearts and we will make sure to visit Thailand again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Smile Lanna Hotel Chiang Mai

The place is in a vary good area, you can see a lot of things to do around. There's easy and safe transportation. The rooms were very comfortable and clean. The food (breakfast buffet) was extremely good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maitria Hotel Sukhumvit 18

The place is located strategically. There's easy and safe transportation, and plenty of places to get food. The hotel itself was very comfortable and service was good. The food (breakfast) was pretty good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

Excellent experience. The fact that you get to enjoy so many things in one trip makes the journey pretty quick and easy. The markets were something that is a must see. The food.....the food is so so good.....

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Bangkok City Tour with Canal tour

Bangkok

Great experience, got to see many sights and discover a lot of the culture

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mint put together a great itinerary. Leena was punctual and very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the whole trip. The cooking class might have been the highlight of the visit. The only suggestion would be during the tasting event in Chinatown that Leena would have provided tastes of several dishes. Instead she would ask if we wanted to try this booth or that booth. Once we had a dish it represented the whole meal and we had very little room for other foods.

Activity Review

Authentic Thai Cooking Class in a Traditional House!

Bangkok

This was probably the highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prompt and safe.

The planning process was painless. Some back and forth with the consultant Long, based in Hanoi. We had to cancel the original trip in 2023 due to our other tour in SE Asia being cancelled. Kimkim held our deposit to be applied to future travel, with no time restrictions. We reactivated the itinerary for 2025 with the expected price increases.

We were provided details for pickup at BKK airport which was seamless. Our guide Eddie met us at the airport and transferred us to our hotel in Rangnam district. The next three days included a floating market, the River Kwai bridge and railroad, Erawan waterfall trek and the temples at Auytthaya. The final day in Bangkok was self guided. We used it to relax after 23 days in Vietnam and Cambodia, and tour the Rangnam district. We were assigned a room at the hotel that we felt was not up to the expectations based on the hotel website. Long made arrangement and we changed rooms. The hotel and staff were perfect for our stay.

Day 6 was a flight to Chiang Rai. Airport transfers were seamless, as well as the flight arrangements. The next day we met our guide Mai and driver. The day included the “Black House”, Long Neck Village, royal gardens at Doitung. We then Mae Sai market at the border with Myanmar. A stop at Sop Ruak “golden triangle” included a long boat cruise of the Mekong River which splits Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The day ended at the Blue Temple. Next day was a stop at the White Temple and a scenic drive the Chiang Mai. The hotel in Chiang Rai was not in the city centre, but there were several options for local Thai Food. The hotel was clean and comfortable.

Day 9 was an early start with a visit to the Kanta Elephant Sanctuary. We met our guide Nan and driver at 06:30. It was great to see how rescued domestic elephants are treated and not used for entertainment. We interacted with the animals in feeding and bathing. The next stop was an orchid display. Orchids are everywhere in SE Asia, wish we could grow them like that in Canada. After lunch visited “workshops of craftsmen”. This was a disappointment as it was nothing but high pressure sales, very little about the production of the products.

Day 10 was an almost 2 hour trip to Doi Inthanon National Park which is the highest point in Thailand at over 2,500 metres. We were supposed to do a trek on the Ban Mae Klang Luang nature trail. It would have been after a late lunch and was approximately 2 hours. This should have been first in the itinerary in order to do it while the temperature was still lower, and not on a full stomach. The hotel was in “old town” Chiang Mai, inside the moat. Lots of food options available.

Day 11 the transfer back to Bangkok was seamless, including the flight. The hotel was the same as at the start of the trip. Rangnam is walkable, with lots of food options. Next day was a seamless transfer to BKK for our trip home.

Communication with our consultant Long during the trip was via WhatsApp. He checked with us on each change of location, and quite often after business hours. Over all a seamless worry-free experience. I had some reluctance at the start of planning for this trip on using Thai ULCC airlines. Long reassured me that there should be no problems, including no baggage charges. I will now recommend Thai AirAisa to friends and family. The drivers were professional, and the vehicles were clean and comfortable.

Hotel Reviews

Khamthana the Colonial Hotel Chiangrai

Chiang Rai

Khamthana the Colonial Hotel Chiangrai was wonderful. It was located in the old city inside the moat, which made it easily accessible to various activities and good restaurants. We really enjoyed the convenience this hotel offered during our stay.

True Siam Rangnam Hotel

Phayathai, Rajthevee, Province

The True Siam Rangnam Hotel in Bangkok was generally good but had its hiccups. Initially, the room we got was in their secondary building and didn't match the pictures. However, after reaching out to Long, we got moved to the main building, and it matched our expectations. The internet was even better there. The location is a bit away from the city center, so dining options were somewhat limited, but overall, it was a decent stay.

Activity Review

Kanta Elephant Sanctuary & Handicraft villages

Chiang Mai

Visiting the Kanta Elephant Sanctuary was a highlight of our trip. We were moved by how well the elephants are treated. They've have been rescued and are now living comfortably. It was a heartwarming experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting.

Awesome time thanks to Mint and Kimkim, the guides and tours were all amazing. Will definitely look forward to booking again!

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Centara Grand Beach Resort

Krabi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Solitaire Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Phi Phi island, Bamboo Island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speedboat

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

5 Islands Sunset Cruise with Kayaking and Swimming in Bio-luminescence!

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner Cruise on Chao Phraya River

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hong Island trip by Speed Boat!

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Ancient Ayutthaya

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok by local transfers and temple visit

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our tour guide in Bangkok was not best suited to our specific needs - she was not adept with young children and instead of having us aligned with a food tour specialist, she was also our guide for a night food tour which was not well designed (we do food tours all over the world and have had enough experience to know great). Additionally, the earthquake the hit Southeast Asia impacted our trip and we personally intervened to add some protections to our travel arrangement. Our service provider did reach out to us but we had to more quickly divert our travels.

Hotel Reviews

Six Senses Yao Noi

Ko Yao Noi

For the most part, this hotel is fabulous with one significant exception- the mosquito population is managed in an environmentally sensitive way but it doesn’t bode well for the guest. Non of the exterior spaces are screened in, making time in one’s villa limited to the indoor air conditioning if you wanted to avoid being bitten. Not all of the supplies are fullly refreshed everyday. The personal butler was very helpful and added to the ease of a family vacation. The kids enjoyed the limited programming and we adults really appreciated the spa and yoga program.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful property.

Location

Stunning location. Easy to travel to other islands. Beach itself was OK although wished it was easier to do open water swimming from the shoreline.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

500Rai Floating Resort

Surat Thani

We really appreciated the location of this hotel. Its newer sister hotel, 360, appears to be draining 500Rai of some capital improvements that would further enhance the experience- they need updated paddle boards as well as kayaks. It’s hard to keep nature at bay in these environments, but more attention to servicing rusting apparatus would be helpful. Tours were good. Food was wonderful. Staff was fabulous. Not sure why our Family Suite was not connected directly to the working path to the main area which required us to have a special boat take us back and forth to our room, unlike the majority of the other cabins. We did select the Family Suite since it had air conditioning 24/7 vs. only in the evening for the other cabins.

Authenticity & Character

It’s the on the water character. I would say that there animal population is much lower than anticipated given that much of the land was lost when they created the dam that defined the lake itself.

Location

Beautiful surroundings.

Staff

Caring, engaged and thoughtful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were OK. Towels so so. Mold in bathrooms. Poor lighting for bathrooms.

Activity Reviews

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

We are foodies and always do market/food tours. Our guide was not as familiar with who the specialists sites or history of the food we might have eaten. Granted, we were difficult with food allergies, but there was no preplanning by the guide to address this. Enjoyed the TukTuk but felt this was a missed opportunity.. In contrast, did a chef led tour (self identified) in Phuket that was hands down the perfect

Quality of Experience

Food

Stops that have top of class food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide that is fully attuned to food experience.

Transport

TukTuk was fun and easy to manage in the traffic.

Half Day 3-Hour Private Carving Class at Siam Carving Academy

Bangkok

We had found this company for KimKim. The quality of the experience was just what we had hoped.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

We had young children with us. Tour was focused on adults and not kids. Hot. Should have included an activity to stimulate kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A guide who gets kids.

Transport

Lovely driver.

Shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market

Bangkok

Really enjoyed the site. Guide was very helpful with negotiations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lovely driver.

We had a very creative, supportive and intelligent dialog with Mint Pham, who was responsible for our vacation schedule. Mint was responsive, intelligent, and supported us with extra effort at every turn, and handled every problem that we presented, some of which were completely outside the normal scope. Her selection of hotels was especially important, and she picked great hotels with great services and locations. This was key to the entire trip, which turned out to be so successful because of the location, sophistication and high-end characteristics of each hotel. The excursions were for the most part great. This was total support and exceptional advice and planning. I would give Mint a 5.0 rating on a scale of 5, and recommend her services to anyone traveling in Southeast Asia.
Mint organized our trip which included Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ko Samui. We really enjoyed ourselves, saw a lot and were sorry to go. The Thai people were so friendly and supportive.

Hotel Reviews

Baan Samui Resort

Surat Thani

Baan Samui Resort in Ko Samui was ideal, being right on a lovely part of the beach. The staff were very nice, the breakfast was great, and the location was close to a main street filled with bars, restaurants, and a nice shopping center. It provided a complete beachside experience, with drinks and food service. I wish we could have taken even more advantage of its beachfront location.

De Charme Hotel

Amphoe Muang, Si Phum, Chiang Mai

The De Charme Hotel in Chiang Mai was in a fabulous location, right in the middle of town. It was a lovely place with very accommodating staff, and offered a good breakfast. The hotel's central location made exploring the city convenient.

The Quarter Hua Lamphong by UHG

Bangkok

The Quarter Hua Lamphong by UHG in Bangkok was a fantastic hotel. The location was great, the staff were very nice and accommodating, and the building itself was incredibly well-constructed, which we found out when an earthquake occurred during our stay.

Activity Reviews

Angtong National Marine Park

Thailand

The Angtong National Marine Park excursion, which included snorkeling, was somewhat underwhelming. The snorkeling site was decent but overcrowded with too many boats and people. Being an experienced snorkeler, I felt the site itself wasn’t exceptional, and the long travel time to get there didn’t seem worth it. The tour had potential but could benefit from a less crowded experience.

A Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park!

Chiang Mai

The day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park was interesting and worthwhile. The area was stunning, with the tallest mountain in Thailand and beautifully built pagodas. The air quality was not great due to field burning, impacting the views. Nevertheless, the excursion was good, and the guided tour through boardwalks in the forest was a nice touch.

Half-Day Eco Elephant Care!

Chiang Mai

Half-Day Eco Elephant Care in Chiang Mai was a great experience. The elephants are treated with much respect and care, regarded as family members by the people who take care of them. Participating in feeding them and observing their behaviors was both entertaining and affecting. Despite feeling like a bit like a set-up for tourists, it was definitely a wonderful experience, seeing elephants happy and well-cared for.