Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

Well worth the trip. I would highly recommend.

The best hotel in Saigon! Excellent service! Located adjacent to the mall.

Wow! Excellent service, rooms, and food! Private beach access too!

Excellent service from all staff!

Great food! Friendly staff! Well organized activities.

Very friendly service! Excellent breakfast buffet!

Drop off and pick up was on time and guides were helpful with check in process.

Quick overnight cruise that was full of well organized activities.

Fun and informative tour with Dang and Donald. Learned a lot about the history of Hanoi and tried some street food!

The smell in the hallways was awful. For several nights it smelled like a sewage pipe had broken. The walls are super thin. You could hear everything at night and during the day. The cleaning staff was obnoxiously loud -screaming and shouting at each other as they cleaned the rooms: Slamming doors at all hours of the day and night. You really get what you pay for - but in this case even less.

Great, good breakfast, a bit loud at night, right in front of night club.

Very nice ship, beautiful cabins and nice pool deck. Food was average. Activities were ok - somewhat limited but I think that's pretty standard for the 2 day/1 night cruise.

Quick and efficient.

Very interesting home and host in a beautiful garden. Great conversation. Food was good but not particularly memorable with the exception of the shrimp dish.

Very useful. The passport and security lines at the airport were incredibly long - very glad we paid for this service.

Favorite activity on the trip. It is an authentic local family business run at a small scale and focused on providing a great experience for their customers. The market tour was a lot of fun and very informative. The cooking lesson was very well organized and the food recommendations were great. The seasoning and the dishes were really well chosen.

Super friendly staff. The location was ok, where most hotels are. Very near the beach.

Loved staying here. It was a good location, very nice spa.

Beautiful hotel, confortable and clean.

This hotel is ok, a bit old and outdated, but clean and well located.

My favourite hotel of this trip. Loved it here.

This was my least favorite place to stay. I only stayed for one night, and while I was getting ready to check out I was looking through the room to make sure I wasn't leaving anything behind only to find trash under the bed... not only was it dusty there was a plastic bottle, a tissue and a Qtip. I felt very disgusted knowing the room I slept in hadn't been clean before. The walls were also dirty and the soap dispensers empty. I left this feedback while checking out and the staff approached me, apologised and didn't charge me for one drink I had. They took notes and photos and assured me they would work on improving, which I do appreciate.

Super friendly staff. I really liked this location.

Cool tour. Got to see the city, learn about it, make a ring. My guide was very sweet and super knowledgeable.

Nice views

Useful

Beautiful experience. So important to know it's an ethical park and everything is done with the elephants' wellbeing in mind.

Lots of fun. The guide knew a lot of locals so that made the experience better.

Very fun day! Got to see a market, had great food, biked, learned about the culture. I really liked this day.

It was ok, but too crowded and too far for me. You spend a lot of time getting there, so if you don't love it, it doesn't feel like it's worth it. The snorkeling spot wasn't that good... there wasn't too much to see.

Favourite night! Everything was incredible, our jeep, the tour, the food, the guide. Loved this experience.

Sadly, one of my least favourite experiences. I say sadly, because my guide was great, he was friendly and engaging. He tried to make this a great day. However, the island had some things I disliked: horse pulling carriages, crocodiles being bred for leather, snakes for photo ops. It didn't feel right. The river canoes were very nice and visiting the temple was good too.

One of the funnest experiences on this trip. My guide was great, took me to some very local spots.

Really beautiful views, the Cruise itself wasn't great.

Lots of fun, made some delicious food!

Really stunning place.

This hotel was our home away from home. The staff was friendly and helpful, our rooms were comfortable and clean, and the buffet breakfast was great.

Incredible!

Our countryside visit was extremely intimate and memorable. Both hosts were so kind and gracious. Our guide Dung was fantastic.

Great place, Garden of Eden for sure!

One of our favorite hotels, beautifully curated and great location, plus staff were so helpful and personable.

One of the most beautiful pools!

This is a great boutique hotel with a personal touch and amazing views. It was out of the rush of the huge hotels but easy to walk to the town square. Great food and coffee!

We loved his hotel in Hanoi! At breakfast there were ambassadors that would walk around that were extremely helpful, the battery in our safe was low and she had the battery changed before we finished breakfast. In addition, all the staff were super friendly and attentive. The rooms were roomy in such a tight neighborhood and we loved the contemporary style. Location was great nice to be off on a semi quiet street. We stayed two times at Bespoke Trendy and wished we would have stayed there a third time instead of the Tirant hotel for our final stay in Hanoi.

Staying at the Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia was a moving experience. It was enlightening to see their efforts in protecting the jungle and wildlife. Kayaking directly from the lodge was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. It was refreshing to see the dedication to conservation. Definitely a must-visit, especially for nature enthusiasts.

The Vespa tour in Hanoi was an absolute blast! Zooming around the city on the back of a Vespa was an amazing way to discover hidden culinary gems. The food was some of the best we've had, and we kept going back to the restaurants we visited on the tour. Truly a highlight for food lovers!

The ship is only a year old. It is well appointed. Beautiful rooms, bathrooms, small decks. The beds are comfortable. Everything was very clean. Chris was our cruise director. Harry and Annie put on the cooking demonstration. Daniel served us at meal times. Staff is excellent. A really wonderful experience.

This hotel is centrally located. Has a wonderful staff, clean rooms with good sheets, pillows and towels. Annie was our contact at the front desk and she is excellent. My next visit I would request a room at the end of the hall to reduce noise from other guests. The included breakfast is delicious.

The entire experience was extraordinary from start to finish. We had the wine pairings and they were delicious. The food was truly outstanding.

I wish every foreign country offered this service! We were greeted as we exited the plane, walked straight to an immigration agent, and expedited through to pick up our luggage.

One of the best hotels we have stayed at. Authentic, super clean and comfortable, deep tub, caring and welcoming staff. We felt safe as soon as we walked through the hotel doors. The breakfast buffet was abundant! The staff was outstanding - especially Rose. Each day when we returned from an outing they would welcome us back like we were family. They were accommodating and caring as to what we had planned for the day and if we needed anything. They cared about the logistics for our travel back to the airport and confirmed details on our behalf. They ensured we have proper sun coverage during our outings to the beach, even loaning me a hand painted hat.

Outstanding. Everyone should visit here. Can't say enough good words.

Could have been cleaner. The hotel bathroom floor was dirty especially the space between the glass showe wall and hotel hallway. Really could have used a strong vacuum and carpet shampoo. The hotel pool was lovely though as well as the staff.

Our favorite!

We were not impressed with this hotel especially since we paid more for it and thought it was going to be the best hotel of our stays in Vietnam. Our room was sparsely decorated, looked like a college dormitory room. The bed was comfortable but our bathroom often smelled like urine. This may have been a drain issue. Housekeeping did refresh our room daily. The hotel grounds were lovely with some very nice restaurants. The Breakfast Buffet was excellent. The pool and beach were nice. Lounging by the pool in the breezy afternoon did feel like we were on vacation. Going back to our room dampened this feeling. The gym was nice, though small. All of the equipment I used: elliptical, bike, and rowing machine worked well. I got my best mini workout here. The spa with the croaking frogs was nice to visit in the evening - spa was closed but you could sit and listen to the frogs. My husband got a massage, during open hours, which he enjoyed.

I was very pleased with Little Oasis in Hoi An though it is a 20 to 25 minute walk to the Old Town area. The location was convenient for the tours we took. There are restaurants near by. The hotel has a lovely restaurant too. The 5th floor pool was large enough for a bit of exercise and towels were abundant. You can easily get filtered water for your room. They also welcomed us with some delicious and lovely food gifts upon arrival. Our room was very comfortable with a serene view of the garden and water buffaloes. The Breakfast Buffet offered many varieties of food for different breakfast tastes. There were bikes to use and a shuttle service into Old Town. I really missed this hotel when we moved on to Da Nang. It became a lovely temporary home. The gym was a let down. It looks impressive but most of the aerobic equipment did not work and the weight machines all worked the same muscle groups. The gym needs an elliptical machine, one that works.

Decent hotel. The Breakfast Buffet was very good. The gym is tiny but did have an elliptical machine which made me happy. It's in a very walkable area of Ho Chi Minh City. The staff was outstanding.

It was nice to take a rest from early morning starts but our last stay at Naman Retreat in Da Nang was a bit underwhelming. The room was disappointing as mentioned earlier (I kind of ragged on it). I've got to give the grounds, hotel restaurants, pool, gym, beach, and staff high praise. These parts of our stay were nice but the room was a downer. It was a real mismatch with the Retreat grounds and amenities. Our Local Specialist could not get us into two of the hotels he was arranging so we ended up paying more for Naman Retreat. Our son who by chance was in Da Nang staying at Koi Resort said his room was a lot nicer and he did not pay much due to his budget. I considered moving to a new hotel but doubted we could get our money back. We spent time at Han Market and Lotte Market. I was disappointed with Han Market after being at the Hoi An market. It was difficult to walk around due to crowds though I understand it is the market locals use. Lotte Super Market was more modern and you could buy some groceries there.

I really liked Marble Mountain - challenging climb and beautiful scenery. The cave with the open ceiling was a photo op. We got a later start than planned due to a stop at a marble carving store (which was really fun) so the heat of the day was forceful. Our Guide Vinh Bui was as wonderful as ever. He has so much knowledge to share regarding these mountains. We really enjoyed the two stops or so to catch an amazing breeze in the shade. We did not see any monkeys on Monkey Mountain but we saw Lady Buddha, impressive. It was a quicker trip but still nice.

We had issues with this tour. It was extremely chaotic and crowded. Our guide was young and inexperienced. We did not do some of the stuff mentioned in the tour description that we received from our Local Specialist. The snorkeling was short and the beach wait to go home was long. The lunch on the beach was tasty. The morning glory was delicious and I loved the sweet potato soup. We felt let down with the tour. There were so many snorkelers and scuba divers in a small area that it felt congested. The coral was nice and if we had been there with less people, it would have been more enjoyable. The coral looked healthy.

We really enjoyed the Teh Dar Show to our surprise. I thought it might be like Circus Soleil but it was so much better. It had a touch of the Lion King on Broadway along with indigenous people and drums. The acrobatics were impressive. It was done so well and lasted about an hour. I'd go see it again. The REU Restaurant was not my favorite restaurant but the food was good. They made sure to include non-meat foods for me.

I truly enjoyed this Organic Farm Tour! I attended alone since my husband was having knee problems after riding the small Vietnamese bikes the day before. He is 6 feet tall with long legs. Meeting the local farmer, having tea and sweet potato at the start, and continuing on with some conversation through my Guide, Mr. Linh, was a pleasure. I was able to garden: plow, fertilize with dried water buffalo dung, plant, and water the beautiful green plants. I think it was lettuce. I also got to sample many types of basil, mint and other herbs. It was peaceful, tranquil and educational. I would love to volunteer there if I lived in Hoi An. The bike ride to the restaurant was nice though my brakes were a bit wonky. The restaurant where I cooked my own rice pancake with mushroom was Excellent. The chef and his helpers prepared a lovely and delicious meal for me which I shared with Mr. Linh since my husband did not attend. It was one of my favorite meals in Vietnam. The basket boat ride was an adventure. The older woman who captained the boat was friendly and a very hard worker. Fun, fun, fun!!!

This was very touristy but fun. The lantern release is pretty but it was crowded. I did fall in love with Hoi An. We had an exceptional Guide who spoke very, very good English. I cringe at these words since I do not speak any 2nd language and have the nerve to compliment a foreigner's English. I'm grateful he could communicate so well. We got a lot more out of the tours with his extensive knowledge and kind, caring, thoughtful manner. Many, many Thanks to Vinh Bui. I would highly recommend him as a Guide for a stay in the Hoi An and Da Nang areas. He is from Ho Chi Minh/Saigon so he may be equipped to provide tours in other areas of Vietnam.

MeKong Delta was fun and educational. The boat ride with the coconut water (best coconut I've ever drank) and our custom bamboo straws were so enjoyable. The stop at the coconut candy making factory on the water was really fun. We got to see a glimpse of the entire candy making process. We bought some candy and had a sip of snake wine. The owners served us tea and fruit with a custom seasoned dipping salt that gave the fruit so much flavor. We sat in a lovely shaded area, just us two and our guide. It was a Great Tour! We took bikes to the restaurant which was a bit precarious due to not having good bike brakes on my bike. The bikes were a bit small for my tall husband so he could not ride for long. The restaurant food was delicious - loved the Elephant Ear Fish! We also received custom bamboo chop sticks - a nice touch! We briefly stopped at a mat making place as we waited for our bicycles. We saw a bit of how it is done but there was no way we could pack one of those mats for travel back to the USA. We also had stopped at the bamboo shirt, towel, etc factory on the way to the boat ride. We got a demonstration of how bamboo was superior to cotton and saw many of their products. At the end we had to snake through the aisles of products to exit. We sensed they wanted us to buy something but we found the push for that unappealing, plus there really wasn't much I would have wanted, especially with our limited packing space.

The food tour was okay. I'm not an adventurous eater so I knew going into it that I probably was not going to enjoy it much but my husband eats almost anything so he enjoyed it. The adventure was in traveling around the busy streets with food vendors. I do not eat meat but do eat seafood but I could not eat seafood when I saw the live creatures in the aquariums of the food vendors. I ate vegetarian that night at a noodle place where I believe our guide ate. He was vegetarian. It was tasty with a wonderful vegetarian broth and yummy tofu. I was very pleased. Our guide took us to a special Coffee Cafe where I had my first Egg Coffee, hot - amazing! It was like a decadent mocha dessert with layers of flavor. My first Egg Coffee but not my last.

We enjoyed seeing the war museum and other official buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. The visit to the lacquered art studio was educational and fun. We almost bought a piece but shipping to the USA could not be easily done. We were unable to carry the piece due to all the other luggage we had with us. Andy, our guide was informative, friendly, and fun. We had an excellent driver with a kindness in his heart. He navigated the streets with ease.

This was an excellent experience - so discrete and quick. The man helping us was extremely professional and moved us along the process at lightening speed with no snags.

Great location! Roof top bar was awesome! We were in 9th floor 1st night and it got warm inspite of AC full blast ... 2nd night we were in the 5th floor and it was not very sound proof we could hear bar noise all night... Staff were friwndly and excellent! Breakfast was ok nithing extraordinary.

Very nice hotel with stunning views. Room was very nice with balcony overlooking mountains. Breakfast was very good. Staff was also.

Lovely small hotel. We stayed here before and after our trip to Sapa. Great location and front desk staff was wonderful. Rooms were very nice overall. Breakfast was wonderful. Nice small rooftop bar with good view.

The area is beautiful but the hotel is rather run down at this point. When we were brought to our first room it was so tiny we had no where to open our suitcases other than in the bathroom. There was no storage and the room was run down. We asked to move but had to get our travel agent involved. After that we did move that night to a better room where we could at least move around in our room. We moved again the next night to what they consider their deluxe rooms because the prior room was reserved. While the room was a good size and charming in its on way, we had a large hole in the floor in the gap between the bathroom door and the room where you could look right outside! We stuffed a towel in the hole to keep bugs and critters out. We did enjoy the free bikes and kayaks.

Very nice hotel. We had a lovely room. Breakfast buffet was good. The gym room needs significant improvement. Staff was good but not as friendly or helpful as other hotels we stayed at. We arrived early but we could not check in for hours. There was also a mix up on what room we were in at check in after we went to the wrong room.

We loved this hotel. We enjoyed the location, pool area, food and staff. Our room was fine too.

We wish we could have stayed here more than one night. The room was beautiful, the pool area was lovely and the restaurant was very good. It is a nice place to rest for a day or two.

The hotel was in a great location and the lobby and common areas were very nice. The staff was amazing. The morning breakfast was also wonderful. The pool area is tiny but a very pretty and a really nice spot to relax for a bit after a hot day. Our only negative was that the room was very basic, a bit tight, and the furniture was worn. Otherwise it was a very nice stay.

Very interesting and educational experience.

Pretty but very touristy

This day trip did not make a lot of sense for us. We had just left the Phong Nga cave area and arrived in Hanoi the day before after a long drive. This was a 2 hour drive back towards the area we just left. We had already done other boat rides and seen amazing caves. The visit to the UNESCO site is significant from an historical point of view but it is just ruins.

Our local guide understood that we did not want to spend our time here in a car or bus. So he arranged for us to do a beautiful hike through the villages after he gauged our fitness levels. We hiked 11 miles and managed to see quieter and more authentic areas than the very touristy town of Sapa. It was one of our favorite days.

We loved this experience and it was the perfect way to end our trip. The boat was beautiful. We loved the woodwork, common areas, food, and the staff. We were surprised when we were upgraded to the presidential suite which was gorgeous. Yes Halong bay is way too crowded but when the boat manages to move through quieter parts of the bay it is stunning.