Kimkim Trip Reviews for Thailand

From the beginning Lacey pulled two vacation options for us. We settled on one and had a few revisions along the way. We were traveling with our 11 year old daughter and long time family friend visiting from the U.S. since we live in Singapore. I explained to Lacey the importance of 5-star accommodations and experiences. She did not disappoint. The suites and two villas were incredible!! She made sure we had first class private transportation and guides. The pre-arranged meals were out of this world and authentic with personal touches. Our first guide - Toto - was so much fun and full of personality. He was a true delight. Our second guide in Krabi - Aos - was very knowledgeable about all of the local trees, plants and was amazing through our jungle and hot springs hikes. When we decided not to do the 3rd adventure in the afternoon (as we wanted to enjoy our villa and private pool) it was no problem at all. Our last days in Phuket, Lacey made a last minute change in our request of private boat and island hopping/cave adventures. It was unbelievable. The staff and guides were just warm and fun personalities, completely customizing our day into the sunset. Our transport on the last day escorted us all the way through the airport, ensuring our easy access to the airline. We cannot wait to use KimKim again for our next vacation!

Lacy helped us plan our trip and she was extremely professional, timely, and flexible. Even while we were on the trip, she would let us know about changes in our air transport.

We began our trip in Bangkok with our friendly and informative guide, Pom. He was amenable to adjusting to our energy levels, especially when it got very hot. Pom was a food expert and helped us find many delightful places.

We loved our evening dinner cruise. It was the right atmosphere for us, Quiet, and great food.

Mona in Chiangmai was a superb guide. She was the right balance of entertaining, encouraging, and good humored. Chiangmai was my absolute favorite.

The jungle elephant sanctuary was a once in a lifetime experience and highly ethical in their treatment of the elephants. Be prepared for a windy hot ride to get there, but the experience is amazing.

I’m not sure how many wonderful sunsets you can see in Phuket, but they were beautiful every day. The speedboat tour of the islands was a very long day, but worth it for all the beauty.

I can’t wait to go back again!

Hotel Reviews

Thai Akara

Chiang Mai

Charming, quietly tucked in Chiangmai. This hotel is a little oasis. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Soaking tub and we’ll appointed

W22 by Burasari

Bangkok

Charming and close to Chinatown with easy access to street food and shopping. The room had everything I needed, but the breakfast was just ok.

Authenticity & Character

Cute rooms

Location

Close to shopping and food

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Breakfast could have more options

Cape Panwa Hotel

Phuket

Absolutely perfect! Easy beach access, great buffet, and the hotel provided shuttles to shopping and street food vendors. The staff was always ready to help and incredibly friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Manohra Dinner cruise

Bangkok

Amazing food, views, very friendly staff. The best mango sticky rice I had on this trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Railway market & floating market

Bangkok

Charming and lovely! The James Bond boat was comfortable but not easy to get in and out of. The markets were very cute but a bit higher in price than China Town.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

One of my favorite adventures! The variety of food and authenticity was delicious. Our guide, Pom, knew many local distinct dishes. Some of the best chicken satay! Ending at the small roof top bar was lovely 🥰

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Charming Night And Street Food Taste

Chiang Mai

By far my favorite street food experience! Less busy than Bangkok and more delicious! Best pad Thai on the trip and Mona, our guide, was an excellent care taker. This also included a charming small wat that truly revealed local culture as a favorite spot for family photos.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (Afternoon session)

Chiang Mai

I can’t even articulate how amazing this adventure was! The taxi ride wasn’t my favorite after being in air conditioned vans, but…the elephants 😍

Quality of Experience

Food

It was OK. Not fine cuisine.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides at the park were lovely.

Transport

The ride was hot and uncomfortable

We would highly recommend Lacey from Kimkim, she really listened to what we did and didn't want to do and built our itinerary around us. She was very responsive through out our trip and answered our queries very quickly. The hotels that she chose for us worked well. All of our tour guides were excellent and Lacey's recommended tours were brilliant, we saw and did activities that we would never have done had we done our own itinerary.

Activity Reviews

Love Chiang Mai cooking experience (Morning session)

Chiang Mai

When we were picked up from our hotel we were given a menu to choose the food we wanted to cook, then we were taken to the market to buy the food. The venue was excellent and the guide and his support team made our day. Even if you don't cook or like cooking you would find it difficult not to enjoy this experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phi Phi island by joining speedboat

Krabi

We saw some beautiful islands, beaches and coves.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

John Gray's sea canoe - Hong by Starlight joining tour

Phuket

A really fun and different day out

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hua Hin - Kanchanaburi sightseeing

Thailand

It is weird to say that going to the war cemetery, the death museum and learning more about how the bridge over the river Kwai was built would be an enjoyable experience. It was and we would recommend

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic time all-around and appreciate Lacey's services putting together an excellent itinerary.

All of the activities booked were great, we wished we had a little more time in Bangkok to experience more (maybe next time). Our guide A in Bangkok was awesome - she thought of everything but wasn't overbearing, we will miss her dearly. All of the transportation (cars/flights) booked were great, everyone was punctual and was easy to find. Our favorite hotel was Naka Phuket - we would absolutely stay here again, it was serene and the views were amazing and it wasn't too far from Bangla Night Market. We enjoyed SO in Bangkok and Melia in Chang Mia as well - we would stay here again but would also be open to staying at other places. In regard to Novotel, while we can appreciate the proximity and convenience - we would not stay here again. The room had a very bad smell, the mattress was uncomfortable, and mosquitos/bugs were everywhere.

High-level of things that were booked for us: railway market, floating market, street food tour, temple visit, yacht to phi phi islands.

Would 100% utilize KimKim services again - Lacey was very responsive before and during the trip.

Seldom have my wife and I experienced such a well-organized trip as we did on our 18-day journey to Cambodia and Thailand. Our local travel specialist, Lacey Ngo, was tireless in proposing options of things to see and do and places to eat and sleep. She promptly responded to our many questions, regardless of time of the day or day of the week. She professionally accommodated our many requests to add and delete items on the itinerary. We were very impressed by the knowledge and helpfulness of our guides, generally pleased with our hotels and amazed by the variety of experiences Lacey recommended for our enjoyment. We would most definitely recommend her as a local travel specialist to anyone traveling to southeast Asia.

Activity Review

Siem Reap Countryside by Jeep

Siem Reap

This tour was a highlight of our recent trip to Cambodia. We were very pleased with our driver and with our guide, Hong. They showed us a variety of places - a local produce and fish market, a family farm, a rice wine distillery, an oyster mushroom farm, a buddhist temple, a lotus pond. Hong was a very personable, outgoing guide. Her English was excellent. She shared her experiences growing up in a fisherman's family with a mother who spent all day selling the fish at the local market. She thoughtfully answered our many questions. She and the driver made detours and spontaneous stops to help us to better understand this part of Cambodia's countryside. We concluded the tour with a sunset picnic surrounded by rice fields. Magic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok: Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside = great, modern highrise hotel, excellent breakfast buffet.
Guide for Bangkok and River Kwai (4 days) = Chanphen ("Toon") was EXCELLENT.
Favourite Bangkok sites = ride in Bangkok Canal and Night Food tour by TukTuk. The food and flower markets were very interesting. The palaces and temples were beautiful BUT were maybe too much to see in 2 days.
Less favourite things = Asiatique Shopping Complex was disappointing as many shops had not reopened after the pandemic. The weekend market is definitely not something I would recommend. The items were junky and the shops were all repetitive. We WERE lucky to have lunch at Guay New Kua Gai restaurant - Michelin star!

Rom Hub Train Market was interesting to see but the Taka Floating Market was even better!
The long tail boat ride to the River Kwai Jungle Rafts Floating Hotel was very scenic.
River Kwai: The Floating Hotel was rustic, quiet and good for a short stay. Not much to do there. We were there 2 nights. Our visit to the lava cave was a welcome activity away from the resort.
The food was very good.
Returning to Bangkok - The Bridge, museum , and cemetery on the River Kwai were "must see" historical sites.

Chiang Mai: Rimping Village Hotel (3 nights) had wonderful rooms and breakfast buffet.
Our very best excursion was to the elephant sanctuary. We did not want to leave!
The white water rafting that followed was a fun adventure. It was not a physical challenge yet had some thrilling moments.
Our guide for our remaining time in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai was Jeda. She was also EXCELLENT.
Doi Inthanon National Park was not a "must see". It was not a hike but a stroll and rather unremarkable.
The pagodas and gardens were lovely but it was a long way to go for just that.

The Thai cooking class at Bann Hong Nual was a highlight. Even the two males in our group had fun. Umporn, our instructor, was very lovely and engaging. We would do this again.

Chiang Rai: Imperial River House (2 nights) = very nice rooms and great buffet breakfast.
We stopped at more temples and pagodas on our drive to Chiang Rai. Our interest was waining by then...until we visited Was Wrong Khun (aka The White Temple) was absolutely stunning. It was a "must see".
The visit to the tea plantation was interesting. The visit to Doi Mae Salong , Chiang Saen, and The Golden Triangle were unremarkable.

Krabi: Peace Laguna Resort (4 nights) = a rather run-down hotel. The rooms were not clean and the linens were stained and old. The most disappointing accommodation in all. Fortunately, the breakfast buffet was good.
Phi Phi Island Excursion was not good. Hoards of people in the water and on the island "walk". We would not recommend this.
The Rain Forest Discovery Tour did not meet our expectation. The rainforest, pools and waterfalls were not much to see. The Tiger Cave Temple on our way back to the hotel was ok but not a highlight.
Krabi was a busy beach resort city which is great if you simply want to sit by a pool or go to the beach. Many good restaurants.
We had a great mix of activities and thoroughly enjoyed Thailand.

Our trip to Thailand was excellent! We did everything we wanted... started off at Bangkok with our guide Jack, ver attentive and nice, gave us all the must do's in the city and during our visit to the grand palace, floating and train markets he gave us all the history of each place and took a lot of pictures for us. In Cambodia we were with Vannak, who was also excellent, smiling all the time, we learned a lot about Cambodia during our time with him, very caring. Ankor thom and ankor wat are a must.
Sutheeporn in Phuket, we did day trip tour to Khao Sok national park, experience was very good as well. We are very great full for choosing KimKim to plan our trip.

Activity Reviews

Full day Khao Sok safari (private trasfer and private activity) with lunch from Phuket

Phuket

Our visit to Khao Sok was a bit different than what we thought it would be. Early morning they took us to the Tsunami memorial which was nice, then they had told us that we would do a 1h hike along with elephants and the took us to Wassana Elephant park... there was no hike, it was a place with 2 elephants tied up with chains to palm trees, they were skinny and dehydrated, a guy with a pointy spear made him do tricks like playing the harmonica, dancing and kicking coconuts. I had read al over the internet that if you were going to see elephants you should go to a sanctuary . I would've thought Kim Kim would know something like this. I strongly recommend to stop taking your customers to Wassana. Otherwise the monkey cave and bamboo rafting were really nice and fun. All pictures of khao sok on the internet show off the Damn, I thought we would see it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were a little lost, the had to stop to ask for directions for almost every spot we went

Transport

Full Day Tour to Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

We really enjoyed our trip to Angkor. Mr Vannak gave us a great tour. I would recommend every one who visits Cambodia to make this stop in siem reap.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

Our visit to the train market and floating markets were great and very fun. They did a stop at a sugar factory in between markets and we learned about the process of how they make sugar off coconuts. We ate at the floating markets and it was very tasty! Most shops had the same tourist market typical stuff.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used Kimkim to help us with a guide for our few days in Bangkok. Our guide "Jack" was most informative. We covered all the Bangkok highlights, Jim Thompson house, Flower Market, Grand Palace, Long tail boat ride, Wat Arun; Evening Tuk tuk food tour, Maeklong Railway and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
I thought Jack did a great job. He and the driver even took us to the airport and Jack made sure we got checked in and showed us where to go.
My ONLY suggestion would be, I would have preferred a different service provider for the Food Tour. Otherwise, I thought it was all great.

What a great trip! After three years of COVID lockdown, this was our first vacation. We spent 18 days in Thailand and Cambodia. It was an outstanding experience. We couldn't believe how smoothly things ran. Pickups were on time, the accommodations were great and the guides knowledgeable and funny. Being the independent travel sort in the past, we have planned most trips ourselves but figured after three years we would be rusty and we had never been to this part of the world before. Emilie Khautisen, our KimKim trip planner did an outstanding job of arranging transfers, hotels and guides. It's easy to forget how important this is. For example, in many popular areas, there was no parking available. Our driver would drop us and the guide off and pickup us up later - no hassles. In Thailand, our guide, Tui stayed with us until we got on the overnight train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai. It was late - 10PM and the train only stops at the station about 5 minutes. The train car numbers were in Thai. We would never have figured it out fast enough to avoid missing our ride. As it was, we had to run to the end of the train. Tui grabbed a bag and ran with us. This kind of help is invaluable. Local knowledge is priceless. We also had the flexibility to change the itinerary on the fly since it was just us, our guide and a driver most of the time.
We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone who wants a great travel adventure with minimum hassle!

Hotel Reviews

The FloatHouse River Kwai

Chang Wat Kanchanaburi

What an incredible place! We wish we had more time there. you get to the hotel by boat and are greeted with a cool drink upon arrival. The floathouses are tethered to the bank and to each other in the fast flowing river. They go up and down a bit when a boat passes by and there is just slight movement that gently rocks you to sleep. The restaurant was also excellent. What a nice place for a tropical vacation!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aonang Princeville Villa Resort and Spa

Krabi

The hotel location is outstanding, right across the street from the beach and all scheduling for tourist attractions. It's very busy here, being a tourist town. The lobby, pool and restaurant are clean and inviting. The was even a complimentary afternoon Thai pancake bar available. That said, the hotel has seen better days. Our room on the third floor (no elevator) was comfortable and had a nice view of the pool but the housekeeping service left a lot to be desired. The shower was dirty, the shower drain was clogged, the toilet seat didn't fit the toilet and in the morning, if you like to take showers then, it's a challenge as the water turns off and on in spurts. The water pressure gets better in the afternoon. The most frustrating part though was getting the hotel to replace towels. We started out with two bath towels and two hand towels. We were there for four nights and each day, we had one less towel even though we went to the front desk about this several times. By the last day, we had one bath towel between us. Only on our last night did we get back to 4 towels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping

Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom, an IHG Hotel

Bangkok

Comfortable room and great breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff stored our luggage for two days while we were in Cambodia.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Treeline Urban Resort

Siem Reap

This is truly a five-star hotel. Outstanding comfort and a great cooked to order breakfast each morning. Beautiful swimming pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rimping Village Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Very clean and comfortable and the staff was extremely helpful. The location is just across the river from the night market and there is another market nearby. Lots of street food available. There are even bicycles to check out if you wish.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chanalai Romantica Resort

Phuket

This place has a gorgeous, big crystal clear pool. The water was nice and cool. Important, given that Phuket can be very hot. It provides a nice respite from the bustle of the Pata Beach area which is very crowded. Our room was spacious and very comfortable. We were greeted with a welcome drink and ice cream and the staff arranged a city tour for us. This would make a great honeymoon place! This place was the best thing about Phuket for us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa

Chieng Rai

This is very large. Clean and quiet and the breakfast is great with an overview of the garden and river. There are even chairs to sit on by the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya Historical City / Overnight train to Chiang Mai

Thailand

There is a lot to see in Kanchanaburi and thanks to Tui, our guide, we got to see a good portion of it. Loved Erawan NP. The falls are gorgeous and the water felt great! The fish like to nibble at your toes. We visited the JEATH Museum and walked over the Bridge on the River Kwai and stood back as a train went by. We then drove to Hellfire Pass and visited the museum and the took the trail to the rock cut where the prisoners worked in horrific conditions. After that we stayed the night at the Floathouse Hotel which you get to by longtail boat. We also visited the jewelry and food markets. In the morning we got to visit a cave with a Buddhist shrine before setting out for Ayutthaya. In Ayutthaya, Tui explained the history of many of the temples and took us to a great street market. Later we shared a beer with her and our driver at a nice restaurant before heading off to the train station for our overnight train to Chiang Mai. She stay with us the whole time. Good thing she did as the train was an hour late (apparently this is common) and only stops for 5 minutes at the station. Our tickets listed the car numbers but unfortunately for us, they were written in Thai on the cars. Tui got us on the right car before the train left (it took some running with her grabbing one of our bags). We couldn't have done it without her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an excellent 6 day trip to Bangkok. I was able to chose my budget, choose from 1/2 day & day tours, have transportation to & from the hotel & the assurance that Emilie would be able to answer any questions.
I enjoyed my stay at the Grand Sathorn, nice big room with bathtub, lovely staff, lots of choices at breakfast and wonderful rooftop pool.
I liked that I had a free day to orientate myself on arrival. I then enjoyed 3 tours. My tour guides Ping & Nana were kind, knowledgeable & took my wishes into consideration- I like to take lots of photos & they were very accommodating.
I would recommend Kimkim to anyone wanting to do a semi independent tour.

Hotel Review

The Grand Sathorn

Bangkok

I liked this hotel- I had a big room with a fridge & bathtub-bottled water was supplied daily. The breakfast buffet was diverse & the staff were very accommodating. The neighbourhood is relatively safe with local shops, laundry, massage places & a 7-11. The rooftop pool & patio were great. My only complaint was the smoking- one day there were people at the 4 corners of the pool on chaise loungers all smoking. I think there should be no smoking at poolside & maybe a dedicated area i a far corner of the patio.

Authenticity & Character

Big rooms

Location

Safe neighbourhood & near the river & the metro

Staff

Very cheerful & accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping was efficient

Activity Reviews

Mahachai and Mae Klong Markets Trainspotting & Amphawa Floating Markt

Bangkok

Fabulous trip-8 modes of transportation!! My tour guide Ping was excellent & knowledgeable & a delight to be with- the Amphawa market with the lifting of the awnings to let the train go by was the highlight! Lunch at the floating market was really good!

Quality of Experience

Knowledgeable guide

Food

Pad Thai & papaya salad! Very good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As above

Transport

Diverse-8 different transportation vehicles!

Canals of Bangkok & Temple Delight

Bangkok

Loved this tour on the river & into the canals. Liked the temple we visited & the artists colony. Lunch was good & the the tour went to the reclining Buddha & the Grand palace-both are amazing!

Quality of Experience

Loved it- learned a lot!

Food

Good lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nana was excellent- knowledgeable, kind & accommodating

Transport

Long tail boat was great!

Flavors of Chinatown by Night

Bangkok

Loved this tour- was not sure what to expect. As it was so close to Chinese New Year there was lots of celebrations in the street. Food tasting was good- lived the soup!

Quality of Experience

Variety of sights seen

Quality of Experience

Variety of sights seen

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ping was excellent & knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ping was excellent & knowledgeable

Transport

Tuk tuk to Chinatown

Transport

Til tuk to Chinatown

amazing trip! 10/10
Our guides Lee and Tar were fantastic! They were both very knowledgeable. When our flights were changed Ashley are travel agent made the necessary changes quickly. Ashley checked on regularly via whatsapp to make sure our trip was smooth. Our guides would remind us of what was appropriate clothing to wear the next day, and when possible gave is your options. This trip was tailored to is perfectly, I only wish we could have stayed longer.

Hotel Reviews

De Charme Hotel

Amphoe Muang, Si Phum, Chiang Mai

This was a great hotel. Very close to attractions and very walkable. The staff was very helpful and made fantastic dinner recommendations. The breakfast was good every morning, the pool really was spectacular and I enjoyed sitting in the library just to unwind.

Authenticity & Character

Felt very Colonial with the pool and library

Location

walkability to Watts and Gates

Staff

great restaurant recommendations, arranged cab rides

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great room, always clean and a turn down cookie on New Years Eve

True Siam Rangnam Hotel

Phayathai, Rajthevee, Province

Great little botique hotel in the heart of bangkok. Good breakfast, excellent staff but does require cash deposit for incidentals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had a minor mechanical issue with our room, staff handled it quickly and professionally

Activity Reviews

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Half Day Tour

Bangkok

We were able to add in the train market (based on timing) which was fantastic, Loved the floating market, we did some shopping via boat and land. Our guide (Tar) made suggestions as to what was a good price for goods.

Quality of Experience

Food

everywhere we went the food was amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

everyone was very helpful and worked with our mobility issues

Transport

clean well kept vans everyday

Join half day cooking class at Sompong

Bangkok

This was a great class. We made 4 dishes that were excellent. They also made sure there were no issues with the shellfish allergy our party has. Ashley had communicated it to the in advance and there we no problems. Loved the tiny recipe book to take home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thailand was absolutely the highlight of our multi-country honeymoon experience. Every single day was unforgettable. The elephant sanctuary in Krabi is something I relive every day and need to go back to someday!! Railay Beach is absolutely breathtaking. It was such a cool experience riding up on the longtail boat! The Phi Phi Islands live up their expectation. And Patong was so much fun. Bangkok was a great way to end it! Seriously, best trip ever!!!

Hotel Reviews

Twin Lotus Resort and Spa

Ko Lanta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Century Park Hotel

Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bhu Nga Thani Resort

Krabi

This hotel was everything. At first, after you ride up on the long tail boat, you don't know what to expect. But once you spend time on Railay, it exceeds expectations. It was a highlight of my trip. The surrounding areas and beaches are just incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Phuket Resort

Patong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bangkok bike tour 5 hours - Joint in tour

Bangkok

Great way to see parts of the city you would have never otherwise explored! And the boat rides were an added bonus!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Speedboat Day Trip to the Phi Phi Islands

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phuket - Phang Nga Bay round trip with Jame Bond Island

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day 4 Islands Tour by speed boat - Join in tour

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ao Nang Elephant Sanctuary Half-Day Tour

Thailand

I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. The elephants are so warm and friendly. I just wanted to play with them all day. The mud bath is so fun! I cannot believe we got to bathe them. Best day ever!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Temple City, Grand Palace & Klong Tour

Bangkok

Our guide, Tanny, was the best!!!! We loved her. She is so knowledgeable, fun, and the best person. She made the tour!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The planning of the trip with Ashley was superb and very easy. Ashley was responsive to all of our questions. Our local guides (Lee in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai area) and Tar (in and around Bangkok) were excellent. The guides were very knowledgeable of Thai history and very solicitous to our needs. They reacted well to slight changes we made in our itineraries (less shopping and more museum/sites). The boat ride on the Mekong River at the Golden Triangle, Thai Cooking Class in Bangkok, and the Floating Market (near Bangkok) were the highlights of the trip for me.

KimKim worked with me to build the perfect family vacation to Thailand. We refined based on our interests and needs, and ultimately, KimKim built a trip with amazing cultural experiences. Our specialist checked on us throughout the trip and was able to help schedule a new flight as needed. If you’re traveling somewhere you are unfamiliar with or you just want to hit the “easy” button, don’t hesitate to use KimKim.

Activity Review

Chiang Mai – Half day Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (L)

Chiang Mai

A must add to any northern Thailand vacation

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can't say enough about the KimKim process and their team. Our first trip with them was a family trip to Italy in July 2022, and everything that they either arranged or suggested was perfect for us and our expectations. Immediately following our family time in Italy, our kids (19 and 21 years old) traveled by themselves for a week under a KimKim arranged itinerary, and most recently, our kids just came back from a trip to Thailand, also coordinated through KimKim. They have proved themselves to be responsive, flexible, and reliable for each of our trips, and we have since recommended them to others.

The activities and planning provided by Martin were fantastic - we couldn't have asked for a better combination of places within the 11 days we were honeymooning in Thailand.

Having KimKim book all of these locally and provide transportation to and from was much easier than us managing it ourselves.

That being said, there were some hiccups that I think Kim Kim can improve on. It should be clear what level of service the local specialist is obligated to provide while on the trip -- as certain activities got delayed because of transportation issues. One clear example is when we landed in Surat Thani to go on a night safari in Khao Sok, we were severely delayed (1+ hour) because our driver incorrectly took another passenger! When we faced this issue, we tried communicating with Martin to fix things, but ultimately had to call multiple different kimkim lines to get the driver -- and they ultimately called a taxi to get us there. It would probably make it way easier if they just directly connected us with each local transportation driver.

I also think the digital organization of the trip on kimkim.com could benefit from having a mobile app or some place to clearly attach all of the invoices within a singular trip itinerary. Mobile App makes sense given that you are traveling but always have your phone on you. I had to get around that by uploading this all to my iCloud and managing through folders. It could also make it easier to communicate with local service providers (like drivers).

Hotel Reviews

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Amazing hotel - we had a lot of fun here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

So central to everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bodhi Serene Hotel

Chiang Mai

Good location, needs some renovation in the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our Jungle Camp - Eco Resort

Tambon Klongsok, Ampur Panom, Suratthani

Staff were amazing and very helpful. Food was great, and I wish we got to stay longer!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Spend a Day with Elephants in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient & Hidden Ayutthaya by Bike

Bangkok

Great for people wanting to learn about Thai history!

Canals of Bangkok & Temple Delight

Bangkok

Loved this to kick off our trip!

Take a Thai Cooking Class

Chiang Mai

Amazing to see that we could make thai dishes ourselves!

This is our first time using kimkim for our travel. We were a little hesitant to go with travel agencies but wanted try it out on this trip since we could not find any local specialists for our Thailand visit. Kimkim and our local specialist Dat came through and made this trip a memorable one. We enjoyed the trip and Dat was just a WhatsApp call away through our entire trip. We were able to reach him any time of the day and he was ready to help us right away. Thanks Dat for that. It made us feel safe and secure while traveling without having to worry about where to go, who to meet and what our next destination would be.
We were in Bangkok for 2 days, Chiang Mai for 2 days and Koh Yao Yai for 3 days. The itinerary was just right. Not too full and not too empty. We all enjoyed the visit to the Doi Inthanon National park and the elephant sanctuary the most. The local guides in Bangkok and Chiang Mai were very knowledgeable and were able to guide us to all places and explain the history and provide context. If only we were able to secure our overnight train tickets to Chaing Mai from Bangkok, it would have been a perfect visit for us.
After Bangkok and Chiang Mai, our expectations were raised for the relaxing visit to Koh Yao Yai but was a little underwhelmed. We shared our thoughts on this to Dat and he immediately contacted the resort and did his best to make our stay as comfortable as possible. Thanks again for your prompt action on this Dat. Much appreciated.
Overall we enjoyed this trip to Thailand and we will be recommending Kimkim and Dat to our friends and families.
Some recommendations for future travelers to Thailand:
1. It would be good to have some input before the travel on what type of dress to pack. Especially if we are visiting temples, we need to get long pants for women.
2. Bangkok traffic is notorious. We felt that we spent a lot of time in traffic going to various places.
3. Flying between destinations takes away nearly half day in each airport visit. Overnight trains preferable where possible.

Hotel Reviews

Century Park Hotel

Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

White Boutique Hotel and Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Baan Taranya Resort, Koh Yao Yai

Authenticity & Character

Location

There were boats moored at the beaches. The beaches had low tide every single day of our visit making playing the beach for kids next to impossible.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Tour (join-in) - Doi Suthep Hill (N)

Chiang Mai

It's a family experience not to be missed. The elephants were super friendly and the staff were very knowledgeable and accommodative.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Ayutthaya (N)

Bangkok

The guide was very knowledgeable and patiently explained the history behind the palace, ruins and temple in Ayutthaya. The trip back to and from Bangkok was very long. We felt that we spent more time on the road than actually visiting places in Ayutthaya.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damnern Saduak Floating Market - City tour (N)

Bangkok

The long tail boat ride to this market was fun. The market itself was very vibrant and one of a kind.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Doi Inthanon Hill (N)

Chiang Mai

The hike in the national forest was a highlight of this trip. We all enjoyed it the most. The weather was also perfect. Visit to the waterfall and the temple was also very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The collaboration between the Realistic Asia group and kimkim was perfect for our honeymoon in Thailand! We especially enjoyed all the guides we had for our adventures, especially Tanny in Bangkok! All the honeymoon surprises made our trip special and were much appreciated. All the hotels were perfect for our preferences. Pick-ups were timely. I would highly recommend utilizing Realistic Asia for anyone considering a trip to Thailand!

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Phuket Resort

Patong

This is a great hotel with perfect views of Patong!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bhu Nga Thani Resort

Krabi

This stay was one of many highlights for our Thailand trip! Great services, location, and staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ao Nang Elephant Sanctuary Half-Day Tour

Thailand

We loved this visit with the elephants! My wife would like to go back for another trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok bike tour 5 hours - Joint in tour

Bangkok

This is one of many highlights from our trip to Thailand. The bike tour allowed us to see an area of Bangkok we would not have explored.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Temple City, Grand Palace & Klong Tour

Bangkok

Tanny is an amazing guide and one of the best I have ever had on a trip! This itinerary is perfect for a day around Bangkok.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ms. Jina and Ms. Yaya were great guides. The overall experience and everyone we had contact with was professional, helpful, and extremely welcoming.

Hotel Review

Smile Lanna Hotel Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

The interior design and little unique things in the room . Many breakfast options

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Bangkok City Tour With Grand Palace and Long-Tail Boat Ride

Bangkok

I like the personalized/private experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Night Food tour with Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

We’re pescatarians so limited food experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Got to experience a Tuk tuk ride

Drive to Kanchanaburi with Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Thailand

Bright and colorful day. Lots to ser

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kanchanaburi Tour

Kanchanaburi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Chiang Mai Temple Hopping with Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Elephants Day Care at Baan Chang Elephant Park

Chiang Mai

Great experience. Let guest know about the cats before arrival. Make it a shorter day or private transportation option.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

Such a rich, beautiful experience

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phi Phi Island

Phuket

Beautiful island . A lot of the time was spent traveling in the boat

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moo Ban Dek tour

Kanchanaburi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time doing a vacation through a travel agency, and KimKim made it very easy to get in touch with a local agency specializing in Thailand trips, and the agent they connected us with was incredibly responsive! The only issues we had during planning were with the platform -- we encountered some trouble uploading and updating our passport information (my wife's last name was recently changed), which caused some confusion during the booking process and resulted in us needing to buy a new ticket in her new name right before one of our in-country flights. It would've also been nice to have an app version of the portal to make it easier to look at and respond to things on our phones.

Our trip itself was fantastic. Honestly a 9/10 and one of the most memorable experiences we have ever done! Thailand is an amazingly exotic place with incredible food, architecture, and friendly people. Bruce's itinerary made it so at the end of the trip, we felt like we truly got to experience all aspects of the country. The only change I would have made was to add a full free day to our stay in Bangkok and Chang Mai. There is so much to do in both places, it almost felt like we just got a slice of what they had to offer, even though our schedules were full of sight seeing and other activities! Some of the highlights of our activities were the bicycle tour in Chang Mai, walking around Ayutthaya, seeing the many beautiful temples (everywhere), the imperial palace in Bangkok, the two restaurants we went to in Bangkok (rooftop bar with view of the city skyline and river and one local place that had some of the best authentic Thai food we've ever eaten), cooking with a local family in Chang Mai, and snorkeling off Monkey Island in Phuket.

A few experiences did feel a bit "touristy," although we enjoyed them nonetheless. For example, zip-lining wasn't actually in our itinerary, and exists in other places we've been. The 3-hr round trip drive to get to the mountain took up a lot of that day.

Having personal guides and drivers in each location was absolutely crucial. We didn't have to worry at all about transportation and there wasn't much "down time" waiting to be picked up. For some activities farther from the city center (Ayutthaya, elephant care center, zip-lining), I'm really not sure how we would've gotten back to the hotel if we were relying on taxis!

Our guides were very efficient, friendly, and spoke almost fluent English. They were very responsive to questions and changes in schedules, so we always knew when to be were. Mike (our Bangkok guide) was fantastic. Great sense of humor, really knew the history of the city, and took us to some attractions and AMAZING restaurants off the beaten path that were some of the highlights of our entire trip. Ming (our guide in Chang Mai) was super friendly, and we appreciated her taking pictures of us during some of our activities so we could simply enjoy being in the moment and not feel like we were missing out documenting our experience to look back fondly on later.

All of the hotels we stayed at were fantastic. As cost of high-end of hotels in Thailand are relatively affordable for the outside traveler, I encourage everyone to splurge and enjoy the great food, service, and atmosphere that come with them. (Granted, you will pay higher prices for food, drink, and spa services at them!).

In conclusion, even though we might have changed a few things in retrospect, we are overall very happy and satisfied with our trip and would like to thank everyone involved.

Hotel Reviews

Lancaster Bangkok Hotel

Bankok

Fantastic hotel with a great included breakfast and accommodations. Staff was friendly and helpful. The only downside to this hotel is most things are not within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

RatiLanna Riverside Spa Resort

Chiang Mai

Very calm atmosphere - perfect "river spa" feel. Great included breakfast, and fantastic (if pricey) spa experiences. A little far from the city center, but close enough that they are a very cheap taxi ride away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

COMO Point Yamu

One of the most unique hotels I've stayed at in my life. Fantastic character, stunning views. Very much worth splurging on a room with a personal pool. Every morning and night we would just stare out at our surroundings and marvel that we were there. The Thai restaurant inside the hotel is only open a few days per week, but was one of the culinary highlights of our trip. Mouth-watering dishes for a reasonable price. Service could be a little slow at times, but everything else more than made up for it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Night Food tour with Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Bangkok City Tour With Grand Palace and Long-Tail Boat Ride

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Historical Ayutthaya Tour from Bangkok

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Explore Doi Inthanon National Park Tour

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Elephants Day Care at Baan Chang Elephant Park

Chiang Mai

It was amazing to see elephants up close and to touch them! It became clear the elephants were very well cared for, but at first we were a bit nervous because the elephant camp we went to was a different one than was in our itinerary and the facilities were all very VERY new, so it seemed like this camp was recently built (keeping in mind that exploitation of these gentle giants is still alive and well). The English language staff member named Ice was very friendly and supplied us with many interesting elephant facts. Some other staff members felt a bit pushy when it came to engaging with the elephants -- i.e., do this pose for the photos now. Lunch was an interesting affair, as some of the staff didn't seem to know how to cook the dishes properly as they were guiding us through the recipes. Overall a good and memorable experience, but I think this camp needs to polish up some of the rough edges.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Chiang Mai Countryside Exploration by Bicycle (Join-in)

Chiang Mai

Our guide for this tour was one of our favorite locals we met on our trip. Super friendly and genuine, didn't rush us anywhere, and seemed so easygoing. He showed us some amazing local spots that we would've never seen otherwise! Was great to get a feel for the local area and how Thai people live. We regret not getting a photo with him!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phi Phi Island

Phuket

It was magical to see all the incredible islands up close and for the most part, snorkeling and swimming were fantastic. Quite an experience to swim in a cove surrounded by massive jungle rock walls. The boat staff were fun, and we appreciated the big cooler full of free drinks to keep us hydrated! Monkey island was kind of a disappointment, although the snorkeling around it was amazing. Very crowded and we only saw one monkey "in the wild." There were more on the edge of the beach, but they were all in cages, apparently because they were sick? It wasn't clear. The food was okay, as it was a buffet of spaghetti, chicken wings, and watermelon that hundreds of people were eating. I would've preferred to pay extra to go to a local restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport