Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

The trip is well prepared. I like going around Sapa and even though it was really hot on that day. Ha Long bay is the most memorable trip of Vietnam. Thanks Kim Kim and Will for arranging this trip.

We booked 2 trips with Victor. The first was a 3 day trip to Cat Tien and then transport on to Dalat. The driver was great, the car very comfortable. We did choose to upgrade our accommodations at Cat Tien due to the extreme heat and humidity and felt we needed to have air conditioning. He arranged for several events in the park, which went well. Overall, we were pleased with his planning!!

Our other trip was a 10 day tour of North Vietnam beginning in Hanoi, and traveling up along the... read more

We booked 2 trips with Victor. The first was a 3 day trip to Cat Tien and then transport on to Dalat. The driver was great, the car very comfortable. We did choose to upgrade our accommodations at Cat Tien due to the extreme heat and humidity and felt we needed to have air conditioning. He arranged for several events in the park, which went well. Overall, we were pleased with his planning!!

Our other trip was a 10 day tour of North Vietnam beginning in Hanoi, and traveling up along the Chinese border. Both our guide, Doan, and our driver were excellent. Doan’s knowledge was broad, including history, topography and his ability to identify flora, including medicinal uses. Given his experience guiding in the north, he knew lots of people and introduced us to multiple cultures. He also has a great sense of humor and we got to know him and really like him, which made the 10 days very special. We stayed in homestays much of the time, and met very interesting families that opened their homes to us. This trip left us with awe and amazement, at times, given the beauty and vastness of the mountain regions we visited. We can highly recommend this trip, the guide and driver and Victor’s attentiveness to our needs.

The overall experience was excellent. The guides chosen were knowledgable and the trip was organized very well. The accommodations were excellent.

Alex was excellent overall. She communicated well and on time. The only glitch we encountered, was we missed our pick up to Halong Bay. This cost us additional fees. We would have appreciated 10-15 minutes to go over the entire itinerary upon arrival with confirmation of times etc., or daily updates/ reminders by email.

In summary, our... read more

The overall experience was excellent. The guides chosen were knowledgable and the trip was organized very well. The accommodations were excellent.

Alex was excellent overall. She communicated well and on time. The only glitch we encountered, was we missed our pick up to Halong Bay. This cost us additional fees. We would have appreciated 10-15 minutes to go over the entire itinerary upon arrival with confirmation of times etc., or daily updates/ reminders by email.

In summary, our expectations were met and we found the whole experience excellent. I would not hesitate to book with Alex again.

On many of the locations that we visited the detailed information could show that walking in gravel and dirt pathways should be know so as to not ware your best footwear. Asking us if we had out swimwear when in-route to the Delta was not good. That river is very dirty and to swim for someone from the US is not even a question to ask. Also the car travel time to locations should be included so that trips to areas are not booked without reason. Many of the things advertised to tour in the... read more

On many of the locations that we visited the detailed information could show that walking in gravel and dirt pathways should be know so as to not ware your best footwear. Asking us if we had out swimwear when in-route to the Delta was not good. That river is very dirty and to swim for someone from the US is not even a question to ask. Also the car travel time to locations should be included so that trips to areas are not booked without reason. Many of the things advertised to tour in the City were not gone to Post Office were not done. When people come from cold areas to Hot they do not have that much energy to be marched around all day. We paid a lot of money for taxi to and from the airport and some trips to the Market.

Wonderful experience and I felt taken care of . Traveling as a single woman I felt very safe.

Working with Victor was excellent and he was always super responsive. We were very happy with his services. We probably did too much travelling in the course of our 2 weeks, our fault as we wanted to see a lot. We had little time to plan our trip so more guidance on how much we could realistically see would have been useful. Overall we could have concentrated our trip in North Vietnam and the Central zone, leaving out the Mekong delta. To get to the delta we travelled for 1 day, by car... read more

Working with Victor was excellent and he was always super responsive. We were very happy with his services. We probably did too much travelling in the course of our 2 weeks, our fault as we wanted to see a lot. We had little time to plan our trip so more guidance on how much we could realistically see would have been useful. Overall we could have concentrated our trip in North Vietnam and the Central zone, leaving out the Mekong delta. To get to the delta we travelled for 1 day, by car and plane to basically do a 2.5 hour morning visit the next day to the floating market and leave immediately for HCMC (a 5 hour drive). The market was lovely to see, but I felt guilty travelling by plane for such a short visit. Our time would have been better spent with a few more days at the beach near HoiAn, with day trips to some cultural sights in the mornings. Looking at our trip plan day 12 and 13 were not really done. There was a pick up from the airport, lunch and onto hotel. No time given to visit Can Tho. Next day, boat trip, a visit to a small fruit farm and on the road to HCMC. Our guide seemed more keen to get us back to the the city than show us anything more in the delta. A bike ride on an island as described in your other tours would have been nice.
Our stay in the Eco Lodge near Sapa was wonderful and the highlight of the trip. A really beautiful location and a great place to stay. Halong bay was also a beautiful place.
The KimKim service makes it easy to plan a trip. This is the first time we have ever used a service like this. I would use the service again, but want a more flexible option. Travelling independently gives you a lot of flexibility to change your plans and I missed that on the trip. We did end up cutting a couple of guided trips short as we preferred to do things ourselves and just sometimes had done too much travelling to want to be out a whole day on a sight seeing tour.
All our travel arrangements, pick ups at airports, hotels, etc. were perfect and there was always someone there to greet us. Execution was well done.

Thank you for crafting a once-in-a-lifetime experience for my son and stepson. We had an amazing time in Vietnam under the care of Sens.
I’ve traveled to many places around the world, and I think Vietnam may very well be my favorite place. The food is wonderful, the scenery is gorgeous, and above all, the people are so kind and optimistic.

Regarding the tour. Mr. Khoa was an outstanding guide. He was pleasant, patient, and knowledgeable. He went out of his way to make sure we stopped at... read more

Thank you for crafting a once-in-a-lifetime experience for my son and stepson. We had an amazing time in Vietnam under the care of Sens.
I’ve traveled to many places around the world, and I think Vietnam may very well be my favorite place. The food is wonderful, the scenery is gorgeous, and above all, the people are so kind and optimistic.

Regarding the tour. Mr. Khoa was an outstanding guide. He was pleasant, patient, and knowledgeable. He went out of his way to make sure we stopped at interesting places and beautiful views.

Our accommodations were great. The hotel in Hanoi was very well located, and the staff was attentive. The rooms were very spacious and clean. Our visit to Mai Chau was outstanding. Our lunch was tasty, and the “homestay” was a fun and delicious experience. We very much enjoyed biking through the villages. I hadn’t been on a bike for 20 years, but it’s true that you don’t forget how, and it was so much fun! Again, Khoa made sure to stop at interesting places and explain what was going on. Our driver was excellent. I always felt that we were in safe hands as he navigated the crazy streets of Hanoi, and the winding roads in the country.

Our visit to the school in Mai Chau was wonderful. We’d bought some soccer balls and badminton sets in Hanoi under Khoa’s recommendation, and they went over very well with the staff and students. We were warmly greeted by all of the staff/teachers, and were treated to oranges and conversation before we got a tour of the school. There was one young student in particular who was a wonderful conversationalist in English. He is a particularly fond memory.

I’m glad that you convinced us to go to Bai Tu Long Bay. It was stunning. The host on the Swan Cruise, Marcus (Minh) was very engaging and fun. I liked the size of the group on the cruise—being somewhat small.

I have only two disappointments I would like to convey. The first was the lunch at Mother’s Kitchen in Hanoi. The food was very good, but I would much rather have gone to a true local spot for some Pho or Cha Ca. Similarly, the lunch in Ninh Binh was another tourist spot I would like to have avoided. I recall the food being just “okay.”

While on the Swan Cruise we met a Vietnamese woman from Hanoi who was traveling alone for the first time, and rounded out our table of three to a table of four at mealtimes. In such a short time, we became friends, and continue to communicate!

None of this could have happened without the fantastic work that Linh and Ha did to pull this all together for us. Gam un!

I hope to visit Vietnam again one day, and look forward to you helping plan a trip to visit the South! In the meantime, I wish you all the very best.

Dear Victor,

the trip was amazing and we were well looked after throughout! Especially the Tu Lan cave-trip was absolutely stunning and amongst the best I have ever experienced. The kids were completely in awe and we will all never forget the trip, the many friends we made and the many experiences we made. It is impossible to list all the other experiences but clearly, each component had its own value and exceeded our expectations.

Our guide for the food tour was very good, friendly,... read more

Dear Victor,

the trip was amazing and we were well looked after throughout! Especially the Tu Lan cave-trip was absolutely stunning and amongst the best I have ever experienced. The kids were completely in awe and we will all never forget the trip, the many friends we made and the many experiences we made. It is impossible to list all the other experiences but clearly, each component had its own value and exceeded our expectations.

Our guide for the food tour was very good, friendly, knowledgable and explained a lot.

Hung, our guide from Oxalis was amazing. He adapted the tour for us, added an additional cave (which required a lot more climbing), and was full of energy and fun.

Ni was an excellent guide with lots of energy making sure we always get the best out of it. She adapted the programme perfectly around the weather (rain, rain, rain) and our interests.

I have a few areas were changes could be possible (not to be regarded as criticism, just for future planning):
1.) Swimming in Ha Long is not allowed. Should be taken out of the description
2.) The hotel in Phong Nha (I think we were in a different than in the programme) was not the greatest. I would suggest two possible improvements: a) IF staying in this hotel it should be highlighted that they can wash the clothes from the treck but the laundry should be handed in before 6pm to avoid express charges - this could then be in the programme and used to plan packing and getting things clean and dry again after the treck. b) It would also be good to allow for a late breakfast. After the trek we were super-tired and a sleep-in, then breakfast, then cartrip would have been appreciated. b) Alternatively, rather than staying overnight in the Phong Nha area the car trip to Hue could be done immediately afterwards. This would allow us to sleep in the car but gain a whole day.
3.) The hotel in Hue was quite loud with lots of party across the road.
4.) In Hoi An the first fisherman experience was superb. Friendly, happy and "off the beaten path". The second fisherman village was then very touristy and a bit of a shock. The basket boat row could well have been done with the first fishermen (or skipped). Maybe alternatively, one could learn about local ways to grow crop and harvest and process it.
5.) The Mekong trip was interesting, but somehow less exciting than the previous parts of the trip. I had expected more nature and was a bit disappointed. In total we spent too much time driving relative to the experiences made. While it is important to understand that various religious groups live together in harmony (and I think it reached the kids that this is by no means the standard), the visit to the Cham village was rather disappointing. It also feels wrong to walk along a street and look at people. The floating market was nice but the number of tourists outnumbers the locals. Tra Su made up for it (but only lasted for about 1 hour).... We had fun in the evenings though, eating locally, strolling around and enjoying the locals (who enjoyed us...). If a "Mekong Experience" could be organised from HCM - maybe in combination with the tunnels it would save two days and a lot of driving. I would then rather spend another day or two in the Tu Lan area. Alternatively one could try to save a day and use the time to see Angkor What. It would also be nice if the car had internet for the long drives (the car from Pho Nah to Hue to Hoi An to Danang had internet which was very welcomed).

As said, these comments are not a criticism, we thoroughly enjoyed our journey, were exhausted from all the input (and still are), and thank you again for the great organisation and putting such a dense and exciting programme together.

Best wishes,

Eike.

I would, and have recommended Kimkim to help plan any trip. We used them for the first time to help plan our trip to Croatia and had such a good experience we used them again for Vietnam. Victor made planning so easy, from helping with the itinerary, booking hotels and internal flights, private tours with great guides, transfers and getting our visa letters. He was always available if we had any questions while in Vietnam.
Khai was a great guide in Ho Chi Minh City and thanks to him we made... read more

I would, and have recommended Kimkim to help plan any trip. We used them for the first time to help plan our trip to Croatia and had such a good experience we used them again for Vietnam. Victor made planning so easy, from helping with the itinerary, booking hotels and internal flights, private tours with great guides, transfers and getting our visa letters. He was always available if we had any questions while in Vietnam.
Khai was a great guide in Ho Chi Minh City and thanks to him we made our flights to Danang when there was a small problem at the airport with our names. The Vespa tour we went on one evening with Linda and her team was one our favorite things.
In Hoi An, we were well taken care of by our guide Than. Our hotel there, Golden Holiday, was the best and Hoi An was amazing.
Last but not least, our guide Anh in Hanoi was fantastic. She is energetic and loved telling us all sorts things about Vietnam life.
Needless to say thanks to Victor and his team we had one of the best trips we have ever taken and loved every minute of Vietnam.

Linh and Ha were great trip advisors. They put together a great travel plan and stayed in touch our entire trip to ensure all was going well. They even booked a last minute trip during a very busy season that turned out to be a highlight
I highly recommend them

Had a great holidays in Hanoi and Sapa. Fortunate to be blessed with good weather in both locations, although the cloud was a bit too low when we were in Sapa. Hence, missed the beutiful view of the valley from the Heavens Gate. On the whole, it was a good programme planned by Alex. The local guides were good and helpful.

We had an amazing experience . Alex was very helpful and helped me set up everything from a-z .

If you want a tailored trip that will go beyond your expectations Kim Kim is the way to go

My trip to Vietnam was packed with highlights. Here are the tops:

1) My first few days in Hanoi were great. I really enjoyed Kien and his historical perspective that he was able to provide about Hanoi and Vietnam. It was clear that he studied history at the university, and had many interesting stories and perspectives to share. I walked away with a very rich view of Hanoi and Vietnam, both historically and present day. Kien also let me take my time and come back to him with questions which... read more

My trip to Vietnam was packed with highlights. Here are the tops:

1) My first few days in Hanoi were great. I really enjoyed Kien and his historical perspective that he was able to provide about Hanoi and Vietnam. It was clear that he studied history at the university, and had many interesting stories and perspectives to share. I walked away with a very rich view of Hanoi and Vietnam, both historically and present day. Kien also let me take my time and come back to him with questions which I really appreciated.

2) The third guide Ngoc was equally excellent. He provided a great perspective of Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc, the many religions of Vietnam, and daily life in Vietnam. He provided a great cultural perspective that gave me a real picture of what it was like to be Vietnamese. He also shared great personal anecdotes. Our boat ride on Tam Coc was a beautiful highlight!!

3) All hotel accommodations were excellent. The staff were professional and welcoming, the rooms were very clean and well- appointed, and the breakfasts delicious. Each hotel was comfortable and relaxing, including the cruise on Halong Bay. Each night I was able to sleep very peacefully.

4) Transportation was also excellent. All drivers were on time, courteous, and drove safely. This was a great feature for sightseeing!

My only feedback is on the second guide Sang in Sapa. Compared to Kien and Ngoc, she was not as engaged. She didn't share any stories or anecdotes about the region. I would ask her questions, and her answers were very limited. I eventually gave up and starting asking other tribal women we encountered hiking. I bought something from another tribal woman and gave her a big tip since she was more informative and interesting; I talked with this woman more than I talked with Sang.

Sang also made me feel very stressed out about the train back to Hanoi on November 20. She wasn't sure how to get my ticket for the train, and kept asking me for details. Eventually, she figured it out but I'm not sure why she panicked. This was the first and only time that I was concerned about logistics and my itinerary.

Despite my interaction with Sang, the trip was still unbelievable. Vietnam is a special and beautiful place that I hope to visit again.

We spent 18 days in Vietnam and Cambodia. Lovely places to visit.
I could not fault Kimkim tours. It was so well organized. They really want you to have a great experience. Alex is a huge asset to the company. English was perfect. Alex looked after us from start to finish. She responded to our text right away, whenever we needed her.
We had a problem with our visa (completely our fault) Alex helped us all the way.
If there was one thing I would like to see improved, would be some of the... read more

We spent 18 days in Vietnam and Cambodia. Lovely places to visit.
I could not fault Kimkim tours. It was so well organized. They really want you to have a great experience. Alex is a huge asset to the company. English was perfect. Alex looked after us from start to finish. She responded to our text right away, whenever we needed her.
We had a problem with our visa (completely our fault) Alex helped us all the way.
If there was one thing I would like to see improved, would be some of the guides English wasn’t great, so it was sometimes tough to understand. But They were all very enthusiastic.
Very well done.

Our trip was fantastic. we were in Vietnam for 2 weeks total but 8 days were with the Grasshopper tour and they were definitely the best days of the trip. I especially loved being in the villages and meeting the people and seeing the details of community life. We passed by many towns and stopped to meet the villagers that were working in their homes, making baskets, cleaning rice, creating machetes, etc. the villagers were warm and welcoming.
The food on the trip was fantastic; the... read more

Our trip was fantastic. we were in Vietnam for 2 weeks total but 8 days were with the Grasshopper tour and they were definitely the best days of the trip. I especially loved being in the villages and meeting the people and seeing the details of community life. We passed by many towns and stopped to meet the villagers that were working in their homes, making baskets, cleaning rice, creating machetes, etc. the villagers were warm and welcoming.
The food on the trip was fantastic; the accommodations were excellent everywhere we went.
Our guides were excellent in both countries, An in VietNam and Hiang in Cambodia.
Hiang in particular really shared from his heart and included us in his personal world in a very special way. He was very knowledgeable about his country and spoke honestly and lovingly about all aspects of Cambodian life and history. I fell in love with the country.
Our final hotel nights in Siem Reap at the Jaya House were incredible. In my wildest dreams I did not expect a finish like that!
Regarding planning and communication in preparation for the trip I was not heavily involved, but from what I know our chief organizer Howard Schubiner found working with Adam very easy and helpful.

It was simply amazing! From the early planning to the quick response to our pre visit questions, Adam and Ging we’re wonderful. We couldn’t have asked for more.
Both our Vietnam crew and Cambodian crew were fabulous. We fell in love with both countries because of them and had an truly authentic experience. I could write for hours about how great each guide, mechanic and driver were. They were kind, funny, unbelievably helpful and knowledgeable!
We can’t wait to recommend them to others!
Thank you so much to all of them!

We were a bit worried with two families of four going to Vietnam for the first time but I have to say, after the experience, I’m already looking for our next destination with kimkim! We have traveled extensively on our own but sometimes you want to de-stress and let someone do the figuring for you. That’s why this was perfect! Alex had us set up with everything we wanted to do from start to finish and LaLa (our guide) took us to places we never would have gone to on our own - hidden eateries... read more

We were a bit worried with two families of four going to Vietnam for the first time but I have to say, after the experience, I’m already looking for our next destination with kimkim! We have traveled extensively on our own but sometimes you want to de-stress and let someone do the figuring for you. That’s why this was perfect! Alex had us set up with everything we wanted to do from start to finish and LaLa (our guide) took us to places we never would have gone to on our own - hidden eateries tucked away down almost invisible streets, only known by locals and served the most amazing food and local fare. Monuments and pagodas along with the stories behind them, made it educational as well. In the end, I will say, if you have any reservations about traveling, alone or with a group, kimkim is the way to go:)

Overall, the trip was great. I would appreciate more details prior to the trip. Mike was great but he wasn’t needed the entire time. I didn’t know we would have a full time tour guide. We didn’t really need that. We would have preferred 2 hotel rooms and might have paid extra at a few sites to have that. Again, we didn’t know in advance what we had. In Hanoi and Hoi An, the room was way too small for 3 people, especially Hoi An since it was 3 nights. I might have settled for a lower... read more

Overall, the trip was great. I would appreciate more details prior to the trip. Mike was great but he wasn’t needed the entire time. I didn’t know we would have a full time tour guide. We didn’t really need that. We would have preferred 2 hotel rooms and might have paid extra at a few sites to have that. Again, we didn’t know in advance what we had. In Hanoi and Hoi An, the room was way too small for 3 people, especially Hoi An since it was 3 nights. I might have settled for a lower rated hotel and had 2 rooms. So my primary feedback is to provide more detail of what we were getting so we could have more choices. The cooking class had a half day and full day choice. I would have preferred half day.

Tang & Driver Thang were fabulous. Their planning and execution was perfect. The route interesting with plenty of variation. The bikes perfect. The weather - we’ll sadly torrential rain and some flooding on 3 of the 5 days. But we still thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thanks for a great cycling holiday.

I am extremely thankful to Alex, who was exceptionally experienced and created an intenarary which was perfect. She helped and advised all along. I will definitely be recommending Kim Kim to my family and friends .
I will also be contacting alex to arrange a trip for me to Cambodia
Once again thanks for making my journey memorable

If given the opportunity to use this this site again - I wouldn't hesitate! The experience from first conversation with Andy to the last adventure on the Vespa tour of Saigon and each incredible adventure in between was perfection! Our guides and driver in each city (Hanoi, Hoi Ann, Mae Chau, Saigon) were professionals, full of knowledge and fun. We fell in love with Hoi Ann and wish we could have spent more time there!

Hey guys.

Victor was a great operator. From beginning to end, he was responsive and explained things very well. I had bit of a negative review on our onsite local tour guide at Hanoi and I've given that input to Victor. He was very professional and made sure my feedback was heard. In my business, the question I always ask my customers is: Would you recommend our services to your friends, family and associates? I would definitely recommend KimKim to my friends and look forward to using you... read more

Hey guys.

Victor was a great operator. From beginning to end, he was responsive and explained things very well. I had bit of a negative review on our onsite local tour guide at Hanoi and I've given that input to Victor. He was very professional and made sure my feedback was heard. In my business, the question I always ask my customers is: Would you recommend our services to your friends, family and associates? I would definitely recommend KimKim to my friends and look forward to using you guys again.

On the note of the Hanoi tour guide, I've given my feedback to Victor and would follow up with him. (the tour was actually great, but the person giving the tour was mediocre at best)

Thank you.

Paul Oh

We had a great time touring Vietnam and Cambodia for three weeks. We wanted a trip that covered the main tourist areas, as well as getting out to some of the national parks to see the birds and wildlife. Kimkim put together a package that encompassed everything we wanted to do, and suggested more items too. Everything worked according to plan. We had six different guides in various parts of the countries, and all did an excellent job. All spoke English to a reasonable or better standard,... read more

We had a great time touring Vietnam and Cambodia for three weeks. We wanted a trip that covered the main tourist areas, as well as getting out to some of the national parks to see the birds and wildlife. Kimkim put together a package that encompassed everything we wanted to do, and suggested more items too. Everything worked according to plan. We had six different guides in various parts of the countries, and all did an excellent job. All spoke English to a reasonable or better standard, and were a great help in navigating our way through the trip. It was great having such personal attention. The guides were flexible in the itinerary as well. We changed our minds a couple of times about what we wanted to see, and were easily and happily accommodated. Highlights for the trip would have been seeing the ruins at My Son in Vietnam, and Angkor in Cambodia, as well as some amazing birdwatching tours through Cat Tien N.P. in the south of Vietnam. Other memorable moments included kayaking in Ba Be National Park and Halong Bay Bay, and even an impromptu game of volleyball with some locals in a small village north of Hanoi, and all the amazing food that was served to us, especially in small local places.

We worked with Adam, then Ging from Garasshopper Adventures. Other than some issues with the weather, the entire trip was nearly flawless. Our guides were top notch. Knowledgeable, helpful and personable. We especially liked Thang and Nguyen. I would highly recommend Kimkim and Grasshopper.

The guides and in country contacts from Exotic Voyages were great. There was one change made to the itinerary after our deposit that was unacceptable. It involved an eighteen hour trip on a non express train. The in country contact (Giang) was wonderful in dealing with the problem, and more than made us happy. Saigon, the Mekong Delta, Hue, and Bach Ma National Parks were great places for visit. Hoi An was also beautiful, but the people being brought in by buses from the cruise ships... read more

The guides and in country contacts from Exotic Voyages were great. There was one change made to the itinerary after our deposit that was unacceptable. It involved an eighteen hour trip on a non express train. The in country contact (Giang) was wonderful in dealing with the problem, and more than made us happy. Saigon, the Mekong Delta, Hue, and Bach Ma National Parks were great places for visit. Hoi An was also beautiful, but the people being brought in by buses from the cruise ships are destroying what should be a great vacation spot. Siem Reap, Cambodia was everything we expected. The trip out to the large lake was also nice in that it showed the life in Cambodia away from the temple sites.

The hotels were outstanding. The guides did a good job in Hanoi and Saigon. They tried very hard to make us happy. The Cycle team was OUTSTANDING....the Bikes were new and the electric assist is a must! I would recommend this to anyone thinking of doing a Vietnam bike trip. Food selections gave us a real mix of Vietnam food, WE loved the trip!!!!!

My wife and I just returned from an incredible month in Vietnam and Cambodia. What an incredible blend of culture, history and cuisine. We are recently retired and have always been fiercely independent travelers. I pride myself on my research and trip planning, but being Vietnam, we decided to get some local help.

After reading the positive reviews, we selected Kim Kim as our travel platform. They put us in touch with Andy Carroll, the Vietnam expert and the process was flawless. Andy... read more

My wife and I just returned from an incredible month in Vietnam and Cambodia. What an incredible blend of culture, history and cuisine. We are recently retired and have always been fiercely independent travelers. I pride myself on my research and trip planning, but being Vietnam, we decided to get some local help.

After reading the positive reviews, we selected Kim Kim as our travel platform. They put us in touch with Andy Carroll, the Vietnam expert and the process was flawless. Andy was very responsive and answered all my emails promptly. He put together a proposed itinerary and we worked together on selecting hotels, side trips, museums, cooking classes, etc.

Bottom line- 30 days, five internal air flights, one overnight train, one overnight boat, two countries, 10 cities and it was flawless! Every guide and driver showed up on time, the accommodations were truly 4 and 5 star, every mode of transportation was on schedule-- I don't think that would happen in the USA!

We are culture and history tourists and the guides Andy lined up were all superior. Incredible knowledge, fairly good but certainly passable English and true ambassadors to their country and their employer. Since we were a tour group of "two", they all went out of their way to ensure we had a fantastic and flexible holiday. The guides and drivers really made the trip!!

Using an internet travel company was a big leap of faith for me (would the guides show up, would the hotel have our reservation?) but I can report unequivocally, that KimKim is worth your trust.
And I am not a guy who lavishes praise easily!!

We booked with kimkim for our week in Vietnam, mainly for travel (car transport, mid-week airfare, lodging, etc.), as well as one full-day tour of the Mekong Delta. After a small hiccup in the communication during the trip planning, I have to say that everything went smoothly. Transport was on time, the lodging was excellent and had great locale, and our Mekong Delra tour guide, Lucy, was very good. It became clear that we were actually experiencing a local travel agency (that we gave a... read more

We booked with kimkim for our week in Vietnam, mainly for travel (car transport, mid-week airfare, lodging, etc.), as well as one full-day tour of the Mekong Delta. After a small hiccup in the communication during the trip planning, I have to say that everything went smoothly. Transport was on time, the lodging was excellent and had great locale, and our Mekong Delra tour guide, Lucy, was very good. It became clear that we were actually experiencing a local travel agency (that we gave a review for, too), and that kimkim is actually more of a middle-man service, but that's no bother. I would book with kimkim again for their choice of agency and talented guides.

Thank you, thank you and thank you again Andy for putting together such an exhilaratingly wonderful itinerary for me in Vietnam !! I loved the way you listened to what I was interested in when we chatted and texted several times beforehand because you really knocked it out of the park for me with everywhere I went !! Each place and all accommodations from the tropical feel of my hotel in the colorful and ancient city of Hoi An, to the gorgeous hotel in the significantly historical city of... read more

Thank you, thank you and thank you again Andy for putting together such an exhilaratingly wonderful itinerary for me in Vietnam !! I loved the way you listened to what I was interested in when we chatted and texted several times beforehand because you really knocked it out of the park for me with everywhere I went !! Each place and all accommodations from the tropical feel of my hotel in the colorful and ancient city of Hoi An, to the gorgeous hotel in the significantly historical city of Hue, then up to Hanoi and my adorable boutique hotel, with an outstanding 2 day side trip out onto HaLong Bay staying overnight on a lovely classy boat, then all the way down to Phu Quoc island only to stay in the magnificent eco friendly resort of Mango Bay and then wrapping it all up in Saigon ... well it was simply just superb !! I loved all of my guides and especially have such fond memories of Mr. Troung and his driver who schooled me with emotional sights and many unknown historical facts of the war.
One of my most fun days was deciding to ditch a couple museums and hop on the back of the scooter of my guide in Hanoi and ride with the masses of those who miraculously and artfully flow through the city streets of organized chaos. It was tremendously exhilarating !!
I do not typically return to places I've already traveled to for the sole reason that our world is so big and I want to see it all, but I most definitely would return to Vietnam, travel throughout more of the country and hope for more beautiful encounters with it's warm and loving people ... but only if Andy was in charge of making it happen for me !!!

Everything from KimKim was great. I had a large group with a lot of moving parts. Andy was calm, cool, and collected each step of the way. I had some people in the group who extended their stays for private tours - Andy helped them each individually and gave them exactly what they wanted. I couldn't have asked for more. The chat setup made communication easy, payment was a simple link, and when one member of my group had an emergency visa problem, KimKim stepped in and got it done in... read more

Everything from KimKim was great. I had a large group with a lot of moving parts. Andy was calm, cool, and collected each step of the way. I had some people in the group who extended their stays for private tours - Andy helped them each individually and gave them exactly what they wanted. I couldn't have asked for more. The chat setup made communication easy, payment was a simple link, and when one member of my group had an emergency visa problem, KimKim stepped in and got it done in less than 12 hours with concierges service. The entire staff is great at KimKim and they work beautifully together as a team to make everything perfect and more. I will be using KimKim again for groups in the future! Thank you, Andy!!

Had a fantastic trip. Well worth it. I would recommend Kimkim to anyone that would like their trip organised for them. Andy was really easy to communicate with and our guide Dat was very knowledgeable and accommodating.

Hi
Had a good trip . Good driver and guide . V interesting tours.
Food was also V good.
Only disappoint was the second nights accommodation, described as a homestay, l have stayed in many homestays across vietnam while they are all different this one could not be described as a homestay as there was nobody living there!
Because of this although I enjoyed the tour l would not use you again or recommend you as the homestay sold was not genuine. I appreciate the original homestay was not available but the one provide was not acceptable.
Thanks jon

The trip was simply amazing. We loved all our hotels as well as our guides. The only area we were disappointed with was communication with Andy. He never checked in with us once during our 17 days in Vietnam and Cambodia. When we emailed him from the states he was slow to respond and sometimes failed to address our questions. When we emailed him from Vietnam he was slow to respond, sometimes inaccurate in his responses and one time failed to respond at all, regarding a timely issue.

The trip planning was great. Trying to get 7 people organized was like trying to herd cats, but all our requests were handled well.

Andy went through all the details prior to our visit, so when we arrived, the trip was tailored to exactly what we had asked. The organization, once we were in Vietnam, was excellent. Someone was always waiting to meet us, and the guides were all friendly and informative.

No effort was spared to make little tweaks and changes. Correspondence was friendly and made us feel very comfortable about trusting Andy with our trip.

Really impressive timely response and really appreciated the flexibility to make changes to accommodate different dates. Having now visited Vietnam our only comment would be that it would perhaps have been good to get more and wider suggestions to choose from to tailor the trip e.g. a cooking experience or an interesting stop on the car journey from Sapa to Hanoi. it did feel a bit as if we were on the 'standard' tourist circuit that could have been booked fairly easily locally - although the... read more

Really impressive timely response and really appreciated the flexibility to make changes to accommodate different dates. Having now visited Vietnam our only comment would be that it would perhaps have been good to get more and wider suggestions to choose from to tailor the trip e.g. a cooking experience or an interesting stop on the car journey from Sapa to Hanoi. it did feel a bit as if we were on the 'standard' tourist circuit that could have been booked fairly easily locally - although the service level we got from having booked with you ( guide, driver) was excellent

The guide Ngoc was really excellent. very knowledgeable, helpful, punctual and happy to move things around ( e.g lunch booking when we opted to leave Sapa early because of the rain) . A great guy we'd be happy to recommend to friends.