Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

We will never go back to planning a trip without Kim Kim. Kim Kim exceeded our expectations and got us connected with a local travel agent to help us plan our dream vacation. Trang (the local travel agent) listened to our asks and made recommendations based on what we were looking to experience. No matter how many questions or changes we requested Trang provided answers and was never bother by our request. Trang went out of her way numerous times to provide us with multiple options based on what we wanted to experience, see, or eat. She explained pros and cons of each excursion and location we wanted to visit, and even made recommendations based on the weather during that time of the year. We did not have to worry about transportation, food, or safety as it was all planned by Trang. She was very quick at responding and there was no question off limits. She made this trip run smoothly and so memorable, from day 1 to the last day we left Vietnam.

I also planned a surprise engagement and worked with Trang directly to make sure my partner did not find out. She made sure that our hotel knew it was our birthday during the trip even though we never mentioned it. Again, she did all the little things, went above and beyond our asks, and was so knowledgeable! 1000% recommended working with Trang and Kim Kim. Thank you Trang!

Mother/ Daughter Visit to Vietnam was a success thanks to KimKim and Trang.

Trang was extremely helpful from start to finish. Her prompt responses to questions and planning of our itinerary made the entire experience so seamless and easy. Trang made a few recommendations regarding our itinerary that really made our trip more enjoyable. Along our Journey, Trang checked in on us to see how things were going. We greatly appreciated her just reaching out. It was reassuring to know we had a resource for help if we needed it. We ended up getting a food illness during the very end of our trip. Trang and the Guide were very helpful in rearranging our plans and checking in on us to make sure we were okay,

We visited 3 areas in Vietnam and were greeted by 3 separate Guides in each location. All 3 Guides were professional, knowledgeable and flexible to our needs.

Highlights of our trip were the walking tour of Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoi A Visit to the Carpentry Village and the Ancient Town along with the Motorbike Tour in Ho Chi Minh with XO Tours.

Everyone of the drivers and guilds were amazing.

We just came back from a wonderful trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. We had already booked some of the "must-dos" in Vietnam (like Hanoi, Hạ Long bay, etc.), but had a few extra days so I contacted Kimkim to solicit suggestions. Hien from Realistic Asia replied immediately and suggested to spend some time in Pu Luang and Ninh Binh which is less touristic then Sapa. She organized a fantastic trip including transportation, hotel, and tour guide.
Our time in the Pu Luong are has simply been wonderful! The hotel was great and we really enjoyed all activities. Ni is a fantastic guide. He is obviously very familiar with the area, is passionate about the nature and the people, and he is very easy to get along with. The 15km hike through the forest and indigenous villages was the highlight of our trip. We learned so much about the people and culture, all while enjoying breathtaking landscapes.
We are so grateful to Hien for recommending this tour to us😊
In addition, Hien checked in every day with us to make sure everything was ok. We could not have been in better hands, and I would recommend this wonderful agency to anyone.

What an incredible trip Dat organized for 4 retired friends venturing to Vietnam for the first time! We spent 15 days exploring off the beaten track places with the help of knowledgeable and fun guides who spoke excellent English.: Dongho, Son and Hieu .
I would highly recommend KimKim for the high quality organization and design ( Dat), guides, drivers and location suggestions. It took all the stressors out of travel!

Hien, was attentive and responded promptly throughout our experience with Realistic Asia from planning the itinerary to daily enquiry for feedback and on the last but one night we requested support to change hotel room, she was promptly right there on the phone and facilitated a change of room for us! Not
The accommodations chosen by Hien were a mix (on request) of 3 star to 4.5, the beds were incredibly comfortable in all places!
All of the staff were of this amazing high quality.
The travel guides were all so helpful, informative and fun-MsHa who picked us up from the airport, Ms Ngoc who showed us so much- Ba Bi Eco Tour, Ninh Binh- Tho Ha Village, Hanoi-Temple of Literature and Museum of Ethmology and Ms Zee our guide in Sapa on a trek, Ta Van Village homestay. We were so impressed by how attentive the guides were to our needs and were also able to accommodate changes when I developed a reaction to a covid booster before the trip and couldn’t trek or bike ride and both of our guides organised me to go by motorbike- amazing! The drivers, although spoke little English, managed to communicate effectively and were prompt, drove so expertly so that we felt comfortable and safe at all times.
We thoroughly enjoyed everything about our trip. We were continually surprised how attentive and supportive the whole experience from Realistic Asia was!

Hotel Reviews

Dragon Legend Cruise

Hon Gai

This overnight excursion was incredibly well organised. No time was lost on fitting in the maximum amount of activities in this short amount of time. The staff were incredibly enthusiastic and attentive and it felt like this was their maiden voyage! The boat has a wonderful authenticity and is tastefully decorated and there’s consistency between cabins from what I could tell. I loved this trip to Bai Tu Long Bay, but do have concerns for the environment there and was happy to hear the staff voice that this is starting to be addressed.

Le Clos Du Fil Hotel

Ninh Binh

I loved everything about this hotel. It was simply stunning down to every last detail. The room was very spacious. There were many extras in the decor to add to a feeling of comfort. I loved the little teapot set on a coffee table for the ubiquitous tea ceremony. The pool was fresh and clean, the gardens much more developed than the website photos and so lovely to spend our rest day enjoying the environment. The staff were respectful and attentive. I would love to stay here again.

Lacasa Sapa Hotel

This hotel appears to have been one of the original grand hotels in Sapa but is quite tired now and in need of renovations. This has been attempted with murals on the walls up the stairs but although I’m fond of murals, it added to the feeling of shabbiness. The beds were comfortable though and this is my number one priority. The dining room was vast and the breakfast good and varied.

Local homestay

Sapa

This homestay is a main hostel type arrangement with bar and balcony dining area and cabins situated around a pretty pond. We were lucky to stay in a cabin, other trekkers we were with stayed in the hostel accomodation. Our cabin was very rustic, it had comfortable beds, and an ensuite. The bathroom has open brick sized vents to outside. We enjoyed the night time cold fresh air and snuggled under the covers but the room would be pretty cold in any temperature below 6-7 degrees at night and there’s no heating. The hosts were good at getting the party spirit going during dinner with the ‘happy water’, the meals were good, the trusty cooking lesson before dinner, and the atmosphere was convivial on the deck. We really enjoyed our stay here. Our fellow walkers complained about mattresses as thin as strips of cardboard and too few bedclothes and no sleep as a result. This may have been because their tour company changed their itinerary but they insisted on keeping the same one and thought they were bing punished. We thanked our lucky stars for having Realistic Asia for our tour company!

New Livitrans Train

The bed mattresses are fairly thin and narrow. We used silk sleeping bag inners for extra warmth. We slept well on the train. The toilet was grubby and we didn’t see the sink until we we’re getting off the train because it was at the other end of the corridor. The complimentary water bottles, clean wipes and snacks were appreciated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleaner toilet.

Splendid Star Grand Hotel

The beds are so comfortable in this hotel. I consider this the most important thing in accommodations in order to get a good sleep. The hotel has sister locations that you may be accommodated in if you are travelling back and forth to Hanoi from trips outside Hanoi. The rooms are all different, we had family rooms and they were all spacious, one out of the three different rooms was tired in its bedroom decor but the bathroom was pleasant enough. One of the rooms was so lovely looking out towards St Joseph’s Cathedral and below is a karaoke bar; we thought the people performing were professionals, it sounded so good! This hotel- Splendid Starlight doesn’t have an elevator if that’s an issue for you though. The staff are fun, friendly and helpful. We did need to engage the support of our travel company to change one of the rooms though because it was around the corner, at a different hotel again, in what we considered, an inferior depressing room, but the staff did change us back to Splendid Star and we were happy with our room.

Authenticity & Character

All the rooms were different. All were spacious.

Location

Walking distance to Ho Kiem lake and in a shabby chic district with interesting shops and good eateries.

Staff

There were many different staff, happy to help and cheerful. The dining room staff were very attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean. The decorating just needed a touch up.

Activity Reviews

Visit Bac Ha Market ( Only on Sunday)

Sapa

Bac Ha Market wasn’t what I was expecting. It was super busy, a sensory over. It felt authentic but I understand for our guide that since the Chinese boarder has closed with Vietnam, there is no longer large livestock traded. I expected it to be open air in a field and not based in the streets of a town. I quite enjoyed the haggling for the beautiful crafts but didn’t enjoy my attention grabbed at every corner as soon as I showed an interest in something! The guide was incredibly helpful throughout the day, so attentive and energetic but although enjoyable, it was an exhausting experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Tho Ha - Galaxy Grotto

Vietnam

We loved this day with the hosts at Tho Ha. We didn’t realise what a special experience we were having until exploring Tam Coc that evening and seeing the mass tourism of the boats to be taken to the caves. Our experience was very individual. We had a bike ride and again our tour guide was able to arrange to take me on the back of a motorbike, a late change to arrangements; a cooking lesson, the wonderful trip to the Galaxy Grotto caves and a lesson on planting rice, and catching fish and crabs traditionally, all in the rice paddies on the farm. We did a lot but it didn’t feel too much or tiring. The host had a wonderful understated dry humour! I loved this activity day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Half Day City Tour & Water Puppet Show

Hanoi

Our tour guide for this trip was as usual incredibly knowledgeable about The Temple of Literature and The Museum of Ethnology. We so enjoyed her company and felt like a friend to her. The tour guide graciously changed the itinerary at the last minute on my request due to health issues so that the walking wasn’t too much. As usual the tour was very well organised and we very much enjoyed our lesson on the vast culture of this country.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa - Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Overnight at homestay (B/L/D) GROUP TOUR

Sapa

This tour was very well organised, challenging enough in the trek but not too much. Good footwear is a must. The tour guide was so informative about the local culture. There was plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the company of fellow travellers, the food was great and plentiful, there were numerous opportunities to haggle with the locals over some beautifully crafted goods. It was a most enjoyable trip.

Quality of Experience

K

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family trip to Ba Vi Eco Tour

Hanoi

The hosts were well organised, so friendly and attentive. The cooking class was fun to experience with other travellers and the group well managed. The food was amazing! The bike ride was enjoyable in the local countryside and the host and a tour guide had a lovely playful rapport they shared with us. We loved the tea plantation experience and meeting the couple, Mr Duc I think his name is was an American War veteran. We won’t forget his beautiful sharing of his experiences translated by the tour guide. It was fascinating tasting the different types of tea and I have a new found appreciation of my morning cuppa now!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My girl friend and I celebrated turning 70 and 75 with a vacation to South Viet Nam. We happened upon the website for Kimkim and liked the itenarary. It included a variety of locations and activities in each. The variety of siteseeing, walking and hiking, bike riding, and time on boats gave us a real feel for the country. Out guides and drivers provided on-time pick-ups and interesting information. Our guides participated in our activities, too. This gave us a chance to constantly interact with a local. I highly recommend Kimkim for first-time travelers to Viet Nam.

Hotel Reviews

Phu Quoc Eco Beach

Lovely cottage overlooking the ocean. Nice massages, too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walk to town, nice scenery.

Cleanliness & Comfort

West Can Tho hotel

Can Tho

Very nice accommodations. Nice massages there, too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to ocean, walk to town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunrise Central Hotel

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to activities, comfortable room.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vinh Long homestay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

National Park Guest room

All of our accommodations were fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vinh Long - Can Tho (Cycling)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

See

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Cat Tien National Park

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Lol

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Can Tho - Cai Rang Floating Market - Speed boat to Phu Quoc

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Vinh Long - Cycling

Ho Chi Minh City

We cut our bicycle trip short as the terrain was difficult to ride on. But we enjoyed the time we rode.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cat Tien National Park - transfer back to Ho Chi Minh city

Vietnam

Our hike was long as we got just over half way and had to turn around due to deep mud on the path. We saw gibbons and tracks of several animals.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

HCM City - Cu Chi tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City

This was probably the most memorable historical part of the trip. I was in college during the Viet Nam war so seeing this site was moving for me.

Quality of Experience

Food

My being a vegetarian was accommodated everywhere we went! Thank you!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Vietnam was out of this world! The trip planning was super easy with Camellia, and she accommodated all our ideas on the trip plan. We had absolutely no issues on the trip! The smoothest trip I have had in my life! All our guides and drivers were amazing and super nice. Shoutout to Daniel in Hanoi and Thanh in HCM City. We visited Hanoi, Pu Luong, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and HCM City. We had tours every day; our favorites were the Mekong Delta Tour, where we stopped by a local shop and enjoyed some tea and local fruits and bought handmade coconut candy; we also loved our Ha Long Bay Cruise; our guide, Cong was AMAZING and it was super fun, one of the highlights of the trip was kayaking to a beach and swimming in Ha Long Bay. Ninh Binh was also out of this world; I recommend it 100%! We did a two-hour hike with Daniel in Pu Luong, despite it not being harvest time, the rice paddies looked stunning, filled with water. The sunset reflecting on them prompted us to appreciate the beauty of nature, and witnessing the dedicated work of the locals in the area only deepened our admiration. Our hotels were all super good! The locations were super central, allowing us to walk around in our free time. We also had the Footprint Travel team check on us every few days, which was super valuable. We also enjoyed the gastronomy, history, and culture of Vietnam! It's such a BEAUTIFUL country with the sweetest people. It's definitely on my list to go back and explore other areas. Thank you, Camellia, for this amazing trip that my mom and I will forever remember!

Hotel Reviews

Sanouva Saigon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renea Cruises Halong

Hon Gai, Ha Long

The cruise is AMAZING! It has super nice staff and super fun as all the activities are for all the people on the cruise. As it is a small cruise, it allows you to meet other travelers and we had the best guide ever! The food was also really good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Boutique garden

Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Valley Home

Thanh Hoa

You will wake up to the most beautiful sunrise ever! Expect some insects around the area as it is in the middle of nature, however, the room was really big and they have a super nice common area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MK Premier Boutique

It has a central location and has super nice staff! Also has a super nice rooftop for drinks.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A day trip to the fertile Mekong delta, Ben Tre

Ho Chi Minh City

One of our favorite tours! The people in the Mekong were the nicest! The highlight was visiting a coconut candy workshop where we bought local products!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

HCM City - Cu Chi tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City

The Cu Chi tunnels were really fun and interesting! It is a long drive from the city but totally worth it! We enjoyed an amazing lunch with our guide (not included in the tour), who took us to a great restaurant he knew. Our HCM City tour was also really good!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Big shoutout to our guide, Thanh!

Transport

More cruising on the bay - back to Hanoi then transfer to Noi Bai airport for flight to HCM City

Vietnam

It was really special the cave visit we did as we ended up in a beach with amazing views! We also had a super fun cooking class back on the cruise.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ninh Binh - Bai Tu Long bay welcome on board

Ha Long Bay

One of the highlights of our trip was our Bai Tu Long Bay Cruise. The boat was super comfortable and cosy as we where not many people. The crew was super nice, and our guide was amazing! Kayaking to the beach and swimming in the bay was a memory we will always remember

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Don Village to Ninh Binh & Tràng An

Ninh Binh

The boat ride in Ninh Binh was beautiful, it lasted for two hours, and we went through four different natural caves, which was one of the highlights!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Mai Chau, Hiking in Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Mai Chau was a complete surprise for us! We stopped there for a short hike around the rice paddy fields and had lunch there. It is a super beautiful village and a great first contact with nature. It was good that we only went there for lunch as apparently it gets quite busy with tourists and locals, and we also went on a Monday, which really helped! The food and the views were amazing. Then we drove to Pu Luong, which was astonishing. The hike was beautiful, and it was great that our guide gave us the option on how long we wanted the hike to last, we decided on 2 hours, and it was the best option, as the route we took gave us the most amazing views.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi City Tour of Capital of Vietnam

Hanoi

This tour was really complete; we started with the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where you can not take any photos but it is pretty impressive. Our guide was super informative and told us everything about Vietnam's recent history and Ho Chi Minh's role. Then we visited the Temple of Literature, which was super pretty and interesting. We enjoyed local lunch and then we could choose between a museum or a prison. We chose the prison, which was also super interesting! We ended the day with a water puppet show and a cyclo ride around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter. It was a really complete tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi and walking street food tour

Hanoi

I loved that our guide took us to places we probably would not have found ourselves. Our favorites were the Green Papaya Salad and the cooked rice cakes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First time we have used a travel agency and guides for the entire trip and it was great way to fit a lot in 2 weeks. Really enjoyed the locations and the guides & drivers who supported our holiday. The guides were from different backgrounds and ages which really was great to see the different perspectives on the country of Vietnam. as we moved from North to South.
We really enjoyed SaPa and the landscape which was incredible. The mix of organised and free time was very good so we could chill out or hire a scooter to see more sites if we wanted.
Communication was excellent and always willing to share insights and other aspects once the guides got to know our interests.

Trang did an excellent job of organizing my first trip to North Vietnam. She listened to all of my requests and ensures all of the details were complete. She made herself available during my entire stay and took care of any requests or questions. I was very impressed with the level of service I was provided.

We really enjoyed the experience with Kimkim, and had everything planned before your trip, we just had time to enjoy the beautiful country. Everything was perfect, since the planning with Hue, our local guide in Hanoi, Mr Cau, and after in Hoi An, Ly. That’s perfect!!!

Hotel Review

Hanoi Pearl

Hanoi

Very well located, but it’s not exactly a 4 stars hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hoa Lu - Trang An - Mua cave

Vietnam

It was really amazing this day. All the places we went is pretty beautiful nature.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

There are lots of areas that need improvement like the quality of guide service . There fluency in English and knowledge about the country etc . Also certain actions taken by them like putting me on a motor bike even though I was reluctant as I was dizzy . This would impact safety concerns( Sapa) . Also the quality of the hotel in Hoi An. Also removing the visit to the tunnels in Saigon from the itinerary. Thanks

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Majestic Saigon

Ho Chi Minh

Perfect location in district one . Friendly staff , clean rooms .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Aira Boutique Hoi An Hotel & Villa

Hoi An

This place was a let down . We had a room up in the attic . The front lobby , passages smelts of food and oil . Not impressed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Halong Capella Cruise

Halong

We had a comfortable cruise ! Good staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Topas Ecolodge

sapa

The Topas lodge was literally heaven on earth ! Great staff , food service and cleanliness..

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bespoke Trendy Hotel Hanoi

The service at the breakfast buffet was amazing ! The staff was very kind and accommodating. The staff at the front desk was sloppy and never welcomed us with a welcome drink .

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Highlights

Ho Chi Minh City

Major improvement needed ! Guide needs to be fluent in English and also have depth of knowledge of history . Also we were under the impression the tunnels were increased in the tour . However we never got to see them !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Market - Basket Boat - Fishing & Cooking Experience (N)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dark & Bright Cave - Lan Ha Bay - Tuan Chau (Capella)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Halong - Lan Ha Bay - Frog Lagoon Area (Capella)

Ha Long Bay

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek to Lech Dzao & Thanh Kim Villages

Sapa

The guide decide to put us on motorbikes without helmets . It was a safety concern

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Fullday City Tour with Train Track Coffee Enjoy

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Good street food tour .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trang's itinerary exceeded our expectation! It was our first time in Vietnam and Trang provided us an unforgettable trip, filled with memories that will last a life time. My favorite experience was the overnight cruise tour of Ha Long Bay. The limestone rocks were breathtaking and it was so romantic to the the sunset and the light of the moon on the rocks at night. We also enjoyed taking a Sampa through the caves, swimming in the bay and they even taught us how to make fresh spring rolls! We had two city tour guides on the trip (one for Hoi An and Ha Noi) and both were very friendly, talkative, willing to take our picture and explore things that caught our eye. Our favorite hotel was Palm Garden Resort where we had excellent service, food, a private beach and one of the best massages at the spa. Overall, we really enjoyed learning about the culture, history food and we can't wait to come back.

My holiday in Vietnam was organized perfectly.
I visited Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An. Hanoi & Halong Bay ( Erina Cruise).
Every hotel excellent, all trip , privet transport on time .
I am very happy that I chose Kimkim.
Ashley is the best agent, She organize my trip perfect and communication.
She is lovely and very helpful.
I recommend 100%

Hien planned a fantastic trip to Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, and Hanoi. Her prompt communication, insightful questions, and seamless coordination made the experience exceptional. All her travel partners were punctual, and she excelled in ensuring everything went smoothly throughout the trip. Every penny was well-spent, and I highly endorse her services.

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

A fantastic night walking tour exploring old Hanoi, with stops at local eateries favored by locals. The delicious food makes it an experience worth savoring.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cooking Class and Market Tour in Hanoi

Hanoi

Enjoyed a delightful experience going to the local market for food shopping and cooking afterward. Our guide and instructor, Apple, infused the session with positive energy, wit, and valuable insights on maximizing the potential of ingredients. Definitely considering trying this at home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cap La - Ha Long International Port (Renea cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Highlighting the positives, the trip featured breathtaking sceneries, delightful cuisine, and an incredibly friendly crew providing excellent service. On the downside, the cruise was limited to two areas, with extended periods at anchor. The tightly scheduled activities felt somewhat obligatory. Additionally, there was no fishing village, only an abandoned area where locals sold pearls and souvenirs.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

FIVE STARS!

My travel companion, Suzanne Michael, and I cannot say enough good things about our experience working with Hien at Realistic Asia. First, Hien and her staff were always immediately responsive (even on weekends despite the 10-12 hours time difference) and helpful as we planned the 20-day trip from Seattle, WA to Vietnam and Laos.

Suzanne worked on most of the planning with Hien. Suzanne had received several suggestions from friends who had travelled in Vietnam and Laos. Hien and her team carefully created an itinerary that included Suzanne's suggested sites and areas to visit. Hien also provided very useful suggestions for visiting other areas, taking into account seasonal weather, the physical requirements (e.g., walking up trails in Sapa), and the logistics of visiting a myriad of places. The trip required knowledgeable trip planners who were familiar with the type of transportation required between sites, length of travel days, and realistically, given our ages (70's), how to visit as many of the sites as possible within our 20-days trip schedule.

Hien arranged all the hotel accommodations, guides, and drivers; and made complex, important logistical suggestions involving domestic/international airlines and long-distance drivers. During our travels – all the logistical arrangements she made worked seamlessly.

The accommodations Hien and her team booked for us in Hanoi, Hue, and Luang Prabang were wonderful. The staff in each hotel were warm, welcoming, and very helpful. Hotels were very well-maintained and perfectly located for the site visits we planned. The guides were excellent - extremely knowledgeable of the historical and geographical sites we visited, and very proud of their culture and history. They shared so much with us, we loved their enthusiasm and learned much from them.

When Suzanne became ill with severe gastroenteritis, dehydration, and nausea, Hien immediately found us alternate accommodations (to supplement our reserved stays at original hotels in Luang Prabang, and Hanoi), and assisted with the flight from Laos to Vietnam. She also arranged a guide and driver to assist us in Hanoi upon arrival from Laos.

Hien was always in touch with us as we endured our difficult illness situation - she made sure that we were accommodated as comfortably as possible. She also ensured that we had a guide and driver to the Hanoi airport on our home journey. The guide was very efficient. Because Suzanne was very weak, the guide made sure that we got through the Hanoi airport check-in as efficiently as possible and arranged for a wheelchair to get her to the boarding gate and to have a wheelchair at subsequent airports in Hanoi, Taipei and Seattle airports.

Since returning to the USA, Hien has maintained contact to check on Suzanne's health, and to work closely with us to provide the myriad documentation required by our travel insurance companies to get reimbursement.

Suzanne and I are deeply grateful to Hien and her team for their knowledge and skill in creating our itinerary, and for their support and follow-up during this very difficult period of illness. We highly recommend her, Realistic Asia and Kim Kim to others interested in traveling to SE Asia, and give Hien, Realistic and Kim Kim five stars.

Best regards, Barb Crook

Suzanne · Nov 17
Barb says it all - Hien was just terrific in planning our trip and in helping us when I fell ill. She and her staff are outstanding travel agents, and extremely thoughtful in working with her clients. I enthusiastically recommend her services and her agency. Hien, many many thanks for all you have done for us. I will always be deeply grateful. Warm wishes, Suzanne

Dat was very helpful and responsive, we had a great journey with really no issues.

We had a superb trip. Lacey was excellent and whenever there was an issue she addressed it quickly and calmly. The guides provided were excellent and knowledgeable. The whole trip ran smoothly. I cannot recommend highly enough Lacey and her team

Hotel Reviews

Mai House Saigon

HCMC

Lovely hotel wish we could have stayed longer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Ve

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Green Bay Resort Phu Quoc

Amazing hotel, our room, a beach front villa was spectacular. Be aware this is a quiet hotel, the nearest village/town is a good 20 minute walk, but for us it was brilliant. The staff were helpful, but sadly their English wasn’t that good, which lead to a few mistakes, that were quickly corrected once pointed out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Indochine Cruise (Lan Ha Bay)

Hai Phong

Very comfortable boat. I am fraud my expectations were for a cruse round Ha Long bay, that wasn’t to be the case we spent more time on the tender boat going to the boat, visiting caves and returning from the boat. Not what I was expectinh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aliana Boutique Sapa Hotel & Spa (Ex: Aira Boutique Sapa Hotel)

Sapa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Amazing views from the hotel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Allure Hotel

Wonderful hotel in the middle of the old quarter of Hanoi, but wonderfully quiet

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrival in Hanoi - Transfer to Halong Bay by private car

Vietnam

Very smooth driver waiting at the right time for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Sapa - night train to Hanoi (private 2 berth cabin)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi exploration

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My traveling companion, Suzanne Michael, and I cannot say enough good things about our experience working with Hien at Realistic Asia. First, Hien and her staff were always immediately responsive and helpful as we planned the 20 day trip from Seattle, WA to Vietnam and Laos. Suzanne worked on most of the planning with Hien; she had gotten several suggestions from friends who had travelled in Vietnam and Laos. Hien and her team carefully created an itinerary that included Suzanne's suggested sites and areas to visit, arranged all the hotel accommodations, guides, and drivers, and made complex, important logistical suggestions involving domestic/international airlines and long- distance drivers.

Hien provided very useful suggestions for visiting the areas, carefully considering seasonal weather issues, the physical requirements (eg: walking up trails in Sapa), and the logistics of visiting a myriad of places. The trip required knowledgeable trip planners who were familiar with the type of transportation required between sites, length of travel days, and realistically, given our ages (70's) how to visit as many of the sites as possible within our 20 day trip schedule.

The accommodations Hien and her team arranged in Hanoi, Hue, and Luang Prabang were wonderful. The staff in each hotel were warm, welcoming and very helpful. Hotels were very well-maintained and perfectly located for the site visits we planned. The guides were excellent - extremely knowledgeable of the historical and geographical sites we visited, very proud of their culture and history. They shared so much with us; we loved their enthusiasm and learned from them.

When my travel companion became ill with severe gastroenteritis, dehydration, and nausea, Hien immediately found us alternate accommodations (to supplement our reserved stays at original hotels in Luang Prabang and Hanoi), and assisted with the flight from Laos to Vietnam (arranged guide and driver to assist us in Hanoi upon arrival). Hien was always in touch with us as we endured our difficult illness situation - she made sure that we were accommodated as comfortably as possible. She also ensured that we had a guide and driver to the Hanoi airport on our home journey. The guide was very efficient. Because Suzanne was very weak, the guide made sure that we got through the airport check-in as efficiently as possible and arranged for a wheelchair to get her to the boarding gate (my companion used a wheelchair in Hanoi, Taipei and Seattle airports).

Since returning to the USA, Hien has maintained contact and worked closely with us to provide the myriad documentation required by our travel insurance companies to get reimbursement. Finally, Suzanne Michael and I are deeply grateful to Hien and her team for their knowledge and skill in creating our itinerary, and for their support and follow-up during this very difficult period of illness. We will highly recommend her, Realistic Asia and Kim Kim to others interested in traveling to SE Asia. Best regards, Barb Crook

The trip went off okay. The pluses were the transfers , as they were all on time and the accommodations all were amazing! There was a few small issues with Quan our guide in Hanoi. First it was hard to understand him at times and we know he didn't understand us a lot of the times we asked questions. We understand English was his second language however when you are assigning a guide to an English speaking group you should make sure they have and understand enough English to carry out their tour successfully. In addition to the language barrier we felt Quan wasn't as truthful as he could/should have been. We felt, at times, that he was making up answers just to provide one when he should have just said he didn't know the answer or understand the questions. In addition to these issues our guide feel asleep numerous times when we were in route to different places. We understand that he didn't need to provide constant commentary the entire time however he should have been available for us if and when we wanted to ask something about the sights...instead we resisted because we didn't want to wake him.

In regard to the tour itself, we had issues with the bike portion of the tour. We thought, according to the description, that the village tour was going to be in a quiet remote/rural area however the first portion of the ride was through a very busy village and we had to keep dodging motorbikes/cycles, cars and trucks which wasn't just dangerous but NO FUN! The second portion of the bike ride, through the flower village, was a little less trafficed however because of the season we didn't see the flowers in bloom so you should either offer this tour when the flowers are in season or disclose to the tourists/customers that seeing flowers will be dependent upon the season.

Another issue we had was the fact that most of the restaurants that we visited were also visited by many other tour buses therefore the restaurants were busy, causing our meals to come out at different times even to the point that sometime one person would be finished with his/her meal before others even get theirs. In regard to the restaurants choices should be given to the travelers and they shouldn't have to go to the same restaurants that all other tour buses go too.

Now that I have expressed my disappointment in the tour I will say that there were some really great highlights to the tour. One was the Halong Bay cruise. Not only was it an amazingly beautiful but our guy Thai was amazing as well, we really enjoyed him. But by far we truly LOVED Micky our guide in Cambodia. He was funny, truthful, provided picture images to go along with his verbal explanations and was all around a very good guide.