Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

Great guides in all our destinations.

Hotel Reviews

W22 by Burasari

Bangkok

Dated and not particularly convenient to China Town. Breakfast was limited compared to there hotels we stayed at.

Authenticity & Character

Dark and dated.

Location

Surrounded by old dirty buildings. No shopping or restaurants close by.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were clean.

Hotel M Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Good location near activites and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Crown Hotel & Spa

Convenient location to city center and restauants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hong Ngoc Dynastie Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Nice hotel, a bit dated. Excellent staff. Located fairly close to local focal points.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Indochine Grand Cruise

Quang Ninh

A lot of driving for only one night. SHould have at least two nights.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sanouva Saigon

Well located but again, a little dated. Rooms bare and small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to market and Independence Palace

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong Delta, Explore My Tho - Ho Chi Minh City (VH-CT.III)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siem Reap - Phnom Kulen - Bantey Srei & Pre Rup Temples

Siem Reap

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok City tour - Night tuk-tuk food tour

Bangkok

Awesome guide, very personable and knowledgable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok - Flight to Chiang Mai

Vietnam

Transport

Siem Reap - Flight to Bangkok

Siem Reap

Transport

Hanoi Cooking Class

Hanoi

Very pleasant experience with lovely family.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Long drive.

Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Interesting tour but not worth the drive to get there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siem Reap - Angkor tour - Sunset Bakheng temple

Siem Reap

Great guide and awesome experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Culture & Walking Tour with Water Puppet Show

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Elephant Sanctuary (Join-in Half-day tour)

Chiang Mai

Fun experience suitable for everyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai – City tour & Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

Amazing experience at the temple. Also did the Thai cooking class which was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Long drive each way for only one night

Buffet Dinner with Apsara dance show

Siem Reap

Great experience, beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lan Ha Bay - Ha Noi - Flight to Ho Chi Minh

Vietnam

Transport

Our 12-day trip across Vietnam was hands down one of the best travel experiences we have ever had, and it is entirely thanks to our Kimkim local specialist, Trang.

We packed an incredible amount into 12 days—covering Hanoi, Ninh Bình, Ha Long Bay, Hội An, and Ho Chi Minh City. While that itinerary sounds ambitious on paper, Trang organized every single detail so seamlessly that the entire vacation felt completely relaxed, unhurried, and genuinely luxurious rather than stressful.

Every destination brought something special, but Ninh Bình and Hội An were absolute standouts for us. The highlight of the entire trip was the "I Am a Farmer" tour in Tam Cốc—it was an unforgettable, authentic hands-on experience that we talk about constantly.

From the very beginning, Trang took the time to tailor the itinerary precisely to what we wanted. Her support on the ground during the trip was where she truly shined: whenever we needed to adjust excursion dates or times in real time, she handled everything immediately and effortlessly. We could never have pulled off this itinerary or enjoyed it to this level had we tried to coordinate it on our own.

A huge shoutout as well to Brian, our guide in Hanoi. He was incredible at getting us settled in right away and pointed us toward some of the best local food spots we experienced all trip.

This was our first time booking an organized trip like this, and our only regret is that we didn’t try it sooner. It completely changed the way we travel. Everyone should experience this style of seamless travel at least once—we will definitely be booking through Kimkim again!

We had a great experience working with Alex to make this trip happen. We visited Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand over 18 days - our first trip to SE Asia. Alex booked guides, drivers and activities for us in each location along with hotels and airport transfers and plane tickets to cities along the way. We loved all of it. Our fave country- which surprised us- was Cambodia. The Royal Crown Hotel in Siem Riep was also our favorite hotel. And we had the best guide there, too. We enjoyed touring Ankar Wat but the smaller temples were the best. Loved the Apsara dance show, too, the first night we arrived. We loved seeing Hanoi - the cooking class, city tour, a walk around the lake and the water puppet show. Our favorite part of Ho Chi Minh City was our day spending time on the Mekong River delta. And of course Thailand was awesome, too - loved the city tour and food tour - another exceptional guide -- by tuk-tuk. And of course, the temples and elephants in Chiang Mai. Oh, and another fun cooking class! The trip was well-paced-- we had three nights in each city and even had time for an overnight on a very nice boat on Ha Long Bay. Everything went smoothly and we were met by the kindest, most gracious people everywhere we went. We had enough down time throughout- it was quite hot and humid and sometimes ya just need a couple hours in a cool hotel room at the end of the day! We also took in a couple of spa treatments and went off on our own in Bangkok- found the subway efficientand easy to use. Alex checked in every day to let us know specific details and pickup times and was to able to change a hotel reservation at the end of the trip when we asked. 10/10! Our 4th trip using KimKim.

Hotel Review

Royal Crown Hotel & Spa

We stayed 3 nights and really enjoyed the hotel. We rarely order room service when we travel but arrived late afternoon and just wanted to chill for a bit - had spring rolls which hit the spot! We liked the spa and pool - very clean--also had a drink at the rooftop bar one night. Well-located in town. We had a bigger than average room with powerful air conditioning!! Nice breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Friendly staff. Hotel was upscale without being pretentious.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Cooking Class

Hanoi

It rained that morning but we still rode bikes out to the herb-growing area. Fun, intimate experience - great food!

Quality of Experience

Food

We tried different things in each city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Culture & Walking Tour with Water Puppet Show

Hanoi

Walking tour - take time to visit the Temple of Literature. Water Puppet show aws not to miss.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I highly rate my first Kim Kim experience. I wanted an authentic local tour without the hassle of trying to plan every last detail myself. Minh and the team were incredibly responsive and easy to work with. I loved the online platform where I could comment on itinerary tweaks. I was amazed at how little back and forth was required before we finalised our dream trip with all the inclusions.

This holiday truly felt like a holiday because every last detail was managed by KimKim and I got to have a proper break while immersing the family in incredible scenes, culture and food. From a cooking school with the patriarch of a Vietnamese family (on my son's 14th birthday celebration) to a sunset bike tour through Ninh Binh's villages... we created so many core memories for the kids.

May (Sapa trekking guide) was so knowledgable and great with our teenagers https://www.instagram.com/p/DeJG8R5k81l/?img_index=6

Quang (guide for Hanoi and surrounds) was very flexible with day to day plans

Thuy was a fantastic Operations Manager and with Minh's expert help, swiftly took on board our request for a hotel upgrade in Hanoi. I loved the ease of communicating with the team on Whatsapp and felt very supported throughout the journey.

Hotel Reviews

Solare De Monte Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

The rooftop pool was like a bath in the hot weather. I do not recommend this hotel if it's +35 degrees and you need cooling down. We also didn't appreciate being kicked out of our room in the midday heat when we weren't leaving for Sapa on the overnight train until 10pm. Not sure whose responsibility this was to communicate to us, but it was one of the very few disappointing moments in the trip. Would recommend suggesting that future guests are offered a late checkout for onward comfort.

Local Homestay in Ta Van Village

Sapa

The hosts were wonderful and couldn't do enough to care for us. The location was divine right on the river. Hot tip: there's a gorgeous pool next door that you can pay to use if you need a refresh!

Le Clos Du Fil Hotel

Ninh Binh

Stunning property that exceeded expectations. Ninh Binh was my favourite stop overall. Loved the location, friendliness of the staff, extensive fresh breakfast and stunning pool :) Perfect spot to recharge.

Renea Cruise

Wow wow wow. How cool having expansive cabins that look straight out at the stunning views! https://www.instagram.com/p/DeTbDKkk0eI/?img_index=8

New Livitrans Train

Such a fun experience and while cabin quarters were tight, it was a very comfortable trip. Loved waking up to the coffee and hot chocolate service.

Activity Reviews

Cuc Phuong National Park

Ninh Binh

Wouldn't recommend. Least favourite activity overall. The wildlife tour was drawn out and the museum dated and unecessary. The whole National Park felt like a dated relic :( We were all left wishing that we got to Ninh Binh sooner in the day.

Hanoi - Street food on foot tour - Overnight train to Lao Cai

Vietnam

SO COOL! A real highlight of the trip. Quang was an amazing guide. He opened our eyes up to so much yummy Vietnamese food: https://www.instagram.com/p/DeXEaSEk70C/?img_index=3.

Free in the morning - Limousine bus back to Hanoi

Vietnam

Hùng was an incredible driver throughout our trip and deserves to be commended. We were so grateful to be transported so comfortably and reliably throughout our stay.

Cook & Dine in a 100-year-old Family House

Ninh Binh

This was a really special experience. We shared an unforgettable evening with 63yo Roi who invited us into his family home for a cooking class but gave us so much more. It was also a cultural immersion, a life lesson, as well as a birthday celebration for 14th Noah with a special cake organised by Kim Kim. Many thanks!

My wife & I just returned home from a 23-night trip to Vietnam that was planned with the help of Hien of Realistic Asia & KimKim Travel. Hien was our contact person with KimKim, helping from start to finsih in designing and supporting our trip as it went; she was always easy to reach & communicate with as we traveled. With a little over three weeks in-country we spent the first two weeks in the north, then flew south to see essential highlights in central & southern Vietnam (the Citadel & mausoleum of Hue, the lanterns & river of Hoi An, & then the ChuChi tunnels, along with the enormity of Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City--as we exited from Saigon). Along the way hotels chosen were beautiful; many of them were unique.

Hien's help over the last year as we designed and arrrived at the final version of our itinerary has been fantastic. Realistic Asia's ground logistics and coordination is a combination of art & science. I have travelled in Asia before, and the ability of companies such as Realistic Asia & KimKim to plan & coordinate with such detail along with such precision astounds me. Plus, from when we arrived in Hanoi with fast-track entry to exiting at Ho Chi Minh City, our guides were uniformly excellent. They were invariably prompt, professional, knowledgeable, & well-informed about history and the economies of areas as we traveled through. More, all of them were fun, with a sense of humor, & spoke good English. This made the trip more interesting and entertaining. Invariably, they were attentive to our personal needs & comfort, frequently checking on how we were doing, and making adjustments to plans or scheduling as needed. Our drivers, similarly, would flawlessly manage traffic and coordinate with our guides as we toured.

In the north we had the delight of having Cuong as our personal guide for the entire two weeks we were there. We were floored by the "busyness" of Hanoi, the unceasing flood of motor scooters, & its size. My favorite areas--and there were many--were probably the mountainous Sapa & Cao Bang regions northwest & north of Hanoi. Sapa was surreal, unearthly in its beauty sometimes, while Cao Bang (famous for its beautiful waterfall shared with China & mountain with a hole in it) seemed in contrast more spread out & open.

In sum, I would highly recommend Realistic Asia & KimKim, for the attentiveness, care, communication, knowledge, and professionalism that they invariably exhibited. These are highly experienced companies, and know Vietnam, Asia, and the realities & adventure of travel. They showed an easy flexibility & willingness to change or alter plans as circumstances dictated. I learned a tremendous amount on this trip, had a great time, and met wonderful people. I would sign up again with both companies in a heartbeat.

We spent almost 2 weeks in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. First I want to say thank you to Hien at Realistic Asia for a great planning experience. Kim Kim works with local travel agents all over the world. As a traveler, we get first class planning support and experience - all with local input.

Vietnam - At Hien's suggestion, we got the expedited immigration experience at the airport. It was so fast! Highly recommend!

We started in the north, explored Hanoi. We then went to Pu Luong Nature Reserve for some adventure beyond the big city. It took a long time to get there due to the roads and rain. It rained for a few days straight. It was an incredible amount of rain. Even with that, our fearless guide took us on hikes, bike rides and around the area. The landscapes are beautiful, the waterwheels were an example of art meets science & engineering. At one point, we were exploring local villages in the valley and we had to cross a river that had overflown. Our guide took care of us (and our shoes!) by negotiating with a local to bring us across the river on his motorcycle. We were very appreciative! We stayed at the Pu Luong Eco Lodge. A wonderful place to relax.

After that, we went to Ninh Binh. It was another long drive for a great experience to be in a boat heading to grotto/caves. We rode bikes around the side of the water and through the town (still raining!). It was only about 5km. It was beautiful. Overall, we wonder if we should have substituted this experience with something else.

From Ninh Binh, we drove for a few hours to Ha Long Bay for a 1 night cruise. The room was nice and had a balcony. The Nostalgia Cruises ship's staff were helpful and kind. We enjoyed the short cruise. Before leaving the ship, we took a tender to walk through caves on Cat Ba Island. A great experience! Additionally, the rain finally let up and we could see the colour of the water shift from grey-blue (rain) to green (sun)!

During planning, we decided to reduce travel time and fly from Hanoi to Siem Reap instead of travelling to Ho Chi Minh City and then flying to Siem Reap. We thoroughly enjoyed our brief time there. We stayed at Lynnaya Urban River Resort. It's a fantastic place to stay (although some rooms can get noise from live music). We went to Angkor Wat to see sunrise, back to the hotel for breakfast and then started a 30 km bike ride to see the temples. Our guide (Pheng) was knowledgeable and showed us around. He was also incredibly friendly and willing to share his own experiences. We left the temples in amazement. As we were getting tired of cycling, he also arranged for the driver to meet us and transport the bikes and people back to the hotel at the end of the day. The following morning, we explored Chong Kneas floating river villages by boat and flew back to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City).

Back in Vietnam, we saw the Cu Chi tunnels. They take awhile to drive there, but it was informative to be there. At night, we took a Vespa Food Tour with a our food tour guide, Lam. It was a fantastic experience! We each had our own drivers as we weaved in and out of traffic like locals. It started pouring. Thankfully, they had ponchos for us! We explored the city on scooter, experienced street food, seafood dishes at a nicer restaurant and finished the night with a drink at a cozy bar. This might have been our favourite experience in Vietnam!

After all the adventure, we flew to Bali. Instead of staying at the beach, we drove (3 hours) to Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort. While they have hikes and other experiences at the resort, we spent our time there relaxing. It is an amazing place. It offered privacy, relaxation, fantastic service in a beautiful setting overlooking a valley. We didn't want to leave.

Hotel Reviews

Pu Luong Eco Garden

A great place to relax in Pu Luong. They had everything we needed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lynnaya Urban River Resort

Siem Reap

Beautiful and well-located. The staff were really nice. Ultra-clean. If you're staying when they have live music, ask for a quieter room. Food (breakfast and dinner) had great options in the restaurant, pool or bar.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort

Just WOW! This is the first place that my spouse and I agreed we didn't want to leave. We had a villa and private butler (Gargita). It was so relaxing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It took more than 3 hours to driver there.

Staff

Gargita our butler made sure that our stay was perfect!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Jardin Hotel Haute Couture

Le Jardin Hotel Haute Couture in Hanoi was a nice city hotel with good facilities. It was convenient to arrive from the airport and check in early after a long journey, which we appreciated. The hotel was comfortable and met our needs well during our stay in Hanoi.

Activity Reviews

Trekking In Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Very enjoyable - even in the rain!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lan Ha Bay - Halong Bay - Disembark the cruise (Nostalgia cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Angkor Wat by Cycling with sunrise ( 25Km)

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pheng was personable, knowledgeable and experienced.

Transport

The driver brought us back at the end of our tour (instead of having to cycle back to the hotel)

VIP Fast Track Service (VIP B)

Vietnam

Totally worthwhile!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evening Street Food Tour With Vespa Wanderers

Ho Chi Minh City

This was the best experience that we had while in Vietnam! We explored the city like locals. The guide was personable and the tour on Vespas amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Started with street food and then went upscale!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City

The Cu Chi Tunnels tour was good and historically interesting. The tunnels are further away from the city than I expected, about an hour and a half drive, but it was worth the visit to understand more about Vietnam's history.

Water Wheels walk and Bamboo Rafting

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

The Water Wheels walk was good, especially being outdoors and learning about how the water wheels work near the rice paddies. Unfortunately, we did not do the bamboo rafting due to safety concerns about flooding caused by heavy rain, so I can't comment on that part.

Our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia was unforgettable! KimKim hit a home run with every aspect of the vacation - from itinerary to hotels to sights to guides - it was all perfect. We especially loved our guides Leong (Hanoi), Ann (Hoi An), Richard (Saigon), Sang (food vespa guide in Saigon), and Yun Sophea in Cambodia. Our trip consultant, Alex, was in touch with us every step of the way to make sure things were going well. We have done a trip to Morocco with KimKim, as well as this one to Southeast Asia, and could not be more satisfied with both experiences. We will absolutely use them for future vacations!

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi L' Heritage Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

This was a lovely hotel in the perfect location. We especially appreciated the large sized room and excellent air conditioner. The breakfast on the top floor was delicious and a perfect start to our days in Hanoi. The staff was gracious and were were very pleased all around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Elegance Cruise

This cruise was stellar! We loved our cabin and spent a lot of time relaxing on the balcony. We wish we had stayed for two days!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hoi An Moon Premium Boutique Hotel & Spa Resort hotel

Hoi An

This was our favorite hotel on our trip. The hotel is brand new, and it is part of a 5-star hotel brand. The staff was the most attentive and gracious we have encountered and their breakfast was fabulous. Best coffee and food selection we have seen. The room was beautiful and spacious and we enjoyed the foot massage we got in the spa. We would absolutely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Hoi An!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orchid Saigon Hotel

Ho Chi Minh

This hotel was in a great location and had a very nice staff. It was a little bit dated inside, and the room was small, but that is probably how most rooms are in Ho Chi Minh City. The staff was very nice and gave us excellent options for restaurants nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Metta Residence & Spa

Krung Siem Reap Siem Reap

This hotel was a true gem! Tucked away on a quiet street in Siem Reap, this hotel was a welcome haven after a very busy day of visiting temples and sights. We loved the foot massages at the spa, they were excellent. The room was very large with great air circulation. The dining room was nice for breakfast and the staff was gracious and so friendly. It was very easy to hop on a tuk-tuk to go visit Siem Reap's vivid old city with its canal and Pub Street. A perfect place to stay in a wonderful city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Halong Bay - Hanoi - Fly to Danang, Transfer to Hoi An

Vietnam

Don't miss a boat cruise on Ha Long Bay! Worth the travel and it is a unique experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta, Explore Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

This was a true slice of life on the MeKong Delta area. As it was low season and rainy, we had the area pretty much to ourselves so it was surreal to float down the river and experience the lush tropical atmosphere and sounds of the birds. Really great!

Hoi An - Ba Na Hills - Golden Bridge - Hoi An (Group tour - SIC)

Vietnam

Ba Na Hills is an impressive feat of engineering and really amazing architectural detail and gardens. However, if you don't love amusement parks and tourist-centered attractions, this could be a long drive for not much to offer you. I enjoyed the flowers and landscape and detailed work in the french village architecture, but my husband felt trapped that we had to be up on the hill for four hours. Beautiful and worth it for the right people. My husband was not that person!

Siem Reap - Explore Angkor Complex Temples by bike

Siem Reap

We loved this so much. On the bikes you get to see the back side of the temples and some of the villages that are in the complex. We highly suggest visiting the complex this way!

Saigon By Night and Food By Vespa (Group Tour)

Ho Chi Minh City

This is a "must do" in Ho Chi Minh City! Our guide, Sang, was exceptional. It was pouring rain during most of our vespa adventure but oddly that just added to the authentic feel of the experience. A huge thank you to Sang for his insights and humor on the excursion!

Hein helped us plan a wonderful adventure through Vietnam. 🇻🇳 she was patient as we added and subtracted events and made changes to the schedule. We were in 4 cities and at each location the drivers and guides showed up and helped with any and everything. We wanna give a really special thanks to one of our guide Kc Cuong. He spend several days with us, telling the history, personal stories, performing magic tricks and lots of jokes. He was very personable, interesting and fun to be around. Anyone would be lucky to have him as a guide. Overall, great trip.

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi

Amazing piece of history! It’s a throw French themed throw back decor, filled with famous previous famous guest and rich history.

Authenticity & Character

This is authentically the real deal. A historic hotel with bomb shelter and all!

Location

Just at the edge of the old quarter and lake. Easy to walk or grab everywhere.

Staff

Staff are many and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

The place is historic and some things are dated. However, it’s clean and nicely kept.

Nham Village Resort

I great resort- particularly if you are looking for relaxation and quiet. Nice rooms with great river views.

Authenticity & Character

Authentic spa resort type facility, with restaurant pool and spa.

Location

It’s off the path, but in walking or grab distance of the old city. They also have a shuttle.

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel is clean and updated

Orchid Premium Cruise

Being on the bay for a night is extraordinary and worth the effort. The boat is small and only holds room for less than 20 people. If you’re looking for socializing, this is probably not the boat. It would be great to rent the whole thing for a retreat or wedding party.

Authenticity & Character

It is authentically a boat, it’s bit dated and not at all modern in design.

Location

The views and location are extraordinary. I had never seen topography like these islands.

Staff

Staff are very nice. However, they are very task oriented, to a fault. We would be in the middle of lunch and told to hurry up so we could select dinner and they could prepare. They had problems just letting us be on the boat enjoying our time. I think most westerners would say they could relax a bit.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The boat is clean and the rooms are nice. They are just not modern in decor.

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Hoi An

The hotel is very nice particularly compared other comparable place in Hoi An. It has a bit of a plantation decor and feel.

Authenticity & Character

Nice resort Hawaii kind of feel, with several pools and bikes to ride.

Location

It’s a tad outside of the old city. But you can walk in about 15 min or take a grab. They also have a hotel shuttle, all though hours are limited.

Staff

Staff were very accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a problem with our room as it had been raining and the room smelled like humidity. They changed our room and the second was much better.

Activity Reviews

Make Taste 5 Signature Brews & Coffee Story

Hanoi

We went to a nice neighborhood into the second floor of a shop that also conducts cooking classes. The space was clean, but nothing spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Highlights & Hidden Gems By Vietnam Army Jeep

Hanoi

Great way to see the city and the nooks and crannies. It might be hot for those that need aircon- but we enjoyed the fresh open air even in the heat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Due to the catastrophic flooding that occurred in Nepal in August 2026, I had to majorly pivot in my travel plans while I was already away from home and had to come up with substitute plans on the fly and in a short time span... I reached out to Kim Kim and Doris took care of EVERYTHING! She could not have been more accommodating. She listened to all of my needs, concerns, preferences, and limitations, not only in the beginning planning stages, but all throughout the entirety of the trip. She pulled together, not only my travel vida, but a diverse, educational, cultural, and relaxing Vietnam experience in an extraordinarily abridged amount of time, complete with drivers, English speaking guides, accommodations, bike/boat tours, a ship cruise, domestic flights, cultural/historic experiences, and local family/farming/commerce experiences. She was extremely kind, sensitive to my needs (especially when I needed to make some changes to the itinerary due to being exhausted from a very long trip). The guides were mostly fantastic. The adventures/hotels/outings/education were fun, safe, well run, on-time, and very conducive to me being a foreigner. Doris and the guides were careful to avoid "tourist traps" and focused on offering me an authentic and local experience. I very highly recommend booking travel with KimKim Travel, and working with Doris!! I will never forget this trip : )

We had an incredible holiday in Vietnam, made even more special by the amazing people who looked after us along the way.

A huge thank you to Hien for the trip planning and ongoing support. Everything was so well organised and made the whole experience effortless.

Our Hanoi tours with Que were fantastic. We loved exploring the history, food and culture of the city with such a knowledgeable and passionate guide.

The e-bike tour was definitely a highlight! So much fun, and a huge thank you to Kevin, who came to our rescue at the last minute and helped us navigate the traffic! We loved the egg coffee experience, banana plantation and learning about the history of the B-52 Café.

Finally, our time on Orchid Cruises in Ha Long Bay was incredible. The scenery was breathtaking, but the crew really made the experience. Everyone was so attentive and welcoming, with a special mention to Steve, who was such a wonderful server.

A truly memorable trip from start to finish. Thank you to everyone who helped make our Vietnam holiday so special!

KC - Terrific Hanoi guide
COUC- great natural tour of Pu Loung
Tony Boa- great bicycle and boat tour Hoi An
Jin- knowledgeable market and cooking class tour Hoi An
Nostalgia Cruise- lovely boat and crew Ha Long Bay
Hein- tour planner excellent

KimKim put together a wonderful trip. From the planning with Hien to the trip itself I would not have asked for more. Hien made sure everything was according to plan and stayed in touch for the whole trip. So many highlights to the trip. Hanoi: The Hot Lo Prison was most interesting. My guide Mai in Hanoi was very knowledgable and added much insight to all we saw in Hanoi.

Ninh Binh was definitely the highlight of my trip. Such incredible scenery and temples. Special shoutout to Quang Anh, my guide on the E Bike tour.

Ha Long Bay cruise was incredible. Beautiful boat, excellent food and the scenery was incredible.

A

Great trip end to end!

Stephen/Long was a wonderful, welcoming, attentive guide during my solo trip to Vietnam. The guides in each city were knowledgeable and responsive.

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi Calista Hotel

Lovely introduction to Vietnam. The birthday balloons were so sweet! There was a bit of confusion about breakfast, particularly on the day I was leaving early for an excursion. I would have been happy to find food on my own that morning, I felt like I was imposing on the dining room staff showing up so early. It was confusing knowing where I needed to go to find the bus to Pu Luong. I didn't realize I needed to walk to the end of the block.

Authenticity & Character

Location

So much: food, attractions, etc is walking distance but it was not too noisy.

Staff

Welcoming and kind. I wish I knew they were not able to exchange my (too old?) American currency, I would have taken care of that at the airport or just relied on the (many) ATMS.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathroom was great. Having the AC shut off the whole time I was gone made for up to an hour of a stuffy room upon my return

Pu Luong Ecoluxe

Thanh Hoa

So beautiful and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Peaceful and beautiful

Location

In the middle of a lovely nature reserve - a great spot to start excursions

Staff

Welcoming and responsive

Cleanliness & Comfort

I had all I needed!

The Saga Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

It was a little bit of a walk into the main part of town. Quiet and clean.

Authenticity & Character

The lanterns and view of the pool were a highlight

Location

It was a bit of. walk to where I wanted to go

Staff

Very receptive to feedback on the day of my departure. I am loving the lanterns they gave me as a gift,

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silverland Min Hotel

Ho Chi Minh City

A little dingy for the rating. Communicating with the staff was the most challenging of my trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dingy

Activity Reviews

Hanoi City Tour - History & Temple

Hanoi

Wonderful introduction to the country. I would have liked a little more time in each place, it would have been worth it to not visit as many places to have more time. I didn't enjoy one of the stops being at a shop - it was nice to learn about about the industry but it mostly a way to try to sell me stuff - I am not a big shopper.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Always right there when it was time to go

Enchanting 19km Off-Road Trekking

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

An amazing adventure.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful views of the mountains/countryside

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Village Life | Water Wheels | Rafting

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An - Farming & Fishing Life By Bike

Hoi An

A cool adventure . The coconut boats were very touristy and it was a challenge to not know what was going on for much of the boat ride. In retrospect, I would have enjoyed spending the day biking around and going to lunch, skipping the boats. The guide was awesome as he guided me through the challenging bike ride in the city.

Quality of Experience

Food

Vegetarian food was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mekong Delta Group Tour (My Tho - Ben Tre) (updated)

Ho Chi Minh City

Interesting day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Great vegetarian options

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour - Joint in tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Interesting but upsetting look into the network created by the Viet Cong during the war. I passed on the chance to fire an assault rifle. This is not experience I would repeat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

The meal was very good but it was not much of a walking tour or street food. The guide said finding vegetarian food would be too difficult. That was not my experience seeking out food on my own.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Exploring Hoi An City And Food Tour

Hoi An

Amazing overview of the city. It was pretty crowded.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pu Luong - Caving | Scenic Rice Fields

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Beautiful, amazing adventure

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh Half-day City Highlights Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

I wish this was longer and I had more time at the War Remnants Museum. The museum was at the end of the tour and it was only open for an hour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was kind and understanding when I was emotional after the museum visit

Transport

The team at Kim Kim Travel organised an amazing trip for us. Camellia was very proactive in responding to all our trip requests and ensuring our itinery was exactly how we wanted right down to the hotels, internal train and flights and wonderful tour guides.
Once in Vietnam the transfers were seamless, tours were wonderful and all the team responded to queries very quickly and were really helpfull.
A special mention to Win our tour guide in Hanoi who was very knowledgeable and super helpful right down to ensuring we got on the right cabin on our overnight train to Da Nang.
I would recommend Kim Kim travel whole heartedly to anyone who wishes to travel to the Far East.

Excellent experience working with Long at Kimkim. Much revision of itinerary to meet my ideal Excellent experience working with Long at Kimkim. Much revision of itinerary to meet my ideal vacation.

Airport pickup and transport was everything I hoped. The VIP escort through customs when we arrived allowed us to cut the line after the long flight which made us all happy. Also got eSIM for phones to avoid international fees. Used Viettel kiosk at airport. Tony helped with currency exchange at the same kiosk too.

Enjoyed food tour with Tony in Hanoi. He continued with us as our guide to the mountain towns of Pu Luong and Ninh Binh. Both Long and Tony as well as driver, Mr. Huong were a great resource when my teenage daughter needed medical attention. Easy to work with healthcare in hospital. Everything worked out well. Also needed a special prescription filled and team was extremely helpful to find pharmacy.

Ha long Bay cruise was a nice new boat with good food. Not much educational tour component. Also diesel fumes from so many cruise boats around. Also have to pay for all water and drinks on the boat. Not too expensive but an extra cost to be aware of.

Family enjoyed Hoi An hotel Moon was a new resort. Good experience with John as our guide in Hoi An, making lanterns as well as custom clothing. Farming village tour and cooking class were in same location with some overlap of activity. Probably would just pick one of these activities next time. I enjoyed the produce and crafts market in Hoi An. Don’t miss street food, and famous banh mi restaurant. Night market in Hoi An was interesting and felt safe.

Getting money from ATM needed me to notify my bank I was traveling. Had me nervous for the first day until I was able to make withdrawals. While most hotels will take credit card, the small merchants will ask to ‘share the fee’ and mark up the price 3-5% if you use credit card.

The finalized itinerary gets uploaded to a convenient app that I could refer my teenagers to look at to know the next activity and schedule for the day. Also has some pictures to provide an idea of what is coming up and hotels etc.

Airport pickup and transport was everything I hoped. The VIP escort through customs when we arrived allowed us to cut the line after the long flight which made us all happy. Also got eSIM for phones to avoid international fees. Used Viettel kiosk at airport. Tony helped with currency exchange at the same kiosk too.

Enjoyed food tour with Tony in Hanoi. He continued with us as our guide to the mountain towns of Pu Luong and Ninh Binh. Both Long (through what’s app) and Tony as well as driver, Mr. Huong were a great resource when my teenage daughter needed medical attention. Easy to work with healthcare in hospital. Everything worked out well. Also needed a special prescription filled and team was extremely helpful to find pharmacy.

Ha long Bay cruise was a nice new boat with good food. Not much educational tour component. Also diesel fumes from so many cruise boats around. Also have to pay for all water and drinks on the boat. Not too expensive but an extra cost to be aware of.

Family enjoyed Hoi An hotel Moon was a new resort. Good experience with John as our guide in Hoi An, making lanterns as well as custom clothing. Farming village tour and cooking class were in same location with some overlap of activity. Probably would just pick one of these activities next time. I enjoyed the produce and crafts market in Hoi An. Don’t miss street food, and famous banh mi restaurant. Night market in Hoi An was interesting and felt safe.

Getting money from ATM needed me to notify my bank I was traveling. Had me nervous for the first day until I was able to make withdrawals. While most hotels will take credit card, the small merchants will ask to ‘share the fee’ and mark up the price 3-5% if you use credit card.

Another favorite activity was spa for massage. Hotels charged a little more than shops but were very convenient. If we had some down time wife and daughters were getting nails or facial for very inexpensive price. Great way to help back and legs recover on first morning after the long flight.

We had a wonderful multi-country trip through Vietnam and Thailand, thoughtfully organized by Hien. It struck a great balance between culture, food, nature, and adventure — from food tours in Hanoi and Bangkok, to trekking in northern Vietnam, beach time in Thailand, and visits to temples and pagodas along the way. As a family looking for an active holiday with a lot of variety, it was exactly what we wanted.

During planning, Hien took real time to understand our preferences — the type of activities, accommodation style, and what would work well for our family — and was consistently responsive throughout. It was also a lovely touch to be able to meet up in person during the trip itself.

On the ground, everything ran smoothly: drivers were punctual, guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and they took very good care of us. The agency stayed in touch during the trip to check that everything was going well, and even arranged a birthday surprise for one of us!

So, yes, we'd highly recommend this agency to families or anyone looking for a well-organized, activity-rich trip through Southeast Asia, and we'll definitely reach out again if we return to the region.

I took my 3 kids on the trip age, 18,16 and 14. They absolutely loved it. We went for 18 days, started in Hanoi and ended up in Saigon. We had plans almost everyday booked through Trang. Everyday was new and it seemed like everyday was better than the last. I have done 2 trips with KimKim, the other to Costa Rica and they were both brilliant. The kids enjoyed Vietnam more as it was more culturally interesting. Having the tours booked everyday , usually for about 5 hours and having the meal, breakfast and lunch included made it very easy. Otherwise i would have to be trying to book it all myself and it would ruin the trip and also the amount of logistics is staggering. The transportation was great and we had our private van everyday with driver. The country is long so sometimes we would be in the van for 1.5 hours each way but the kids enjoyed it as they listened to music, watched videos etc. I have to say Trang was excellent, There werent any issues, she came to meet us the first day and brought us welcome to Vietnam gifts. There was no standout place as they were all stand out. I highly recommend Vietnam and Trang as she was incredible. Thank you again KimKIm

We just returned from a 12-day family trip to Vietnam planned through Realistic Asia/Kimkim, and it exceeded every expectation. From beginning to end, everything was seamless, thoughtfully organized, and executed flawlessly. The itinerary struck the perfect balance of culture, history, adventure, relaxation, luxury, and authentic local experiences. Every destination felt completely different from the energy of Hanoi, to the breathtaking landscapes of Ninh Binh, the serenity of Lan Ha Bay, the beaches of Da Nang, and the charm of Hoi An. We genuinely loved every single activity and never once felt like there was anything we would have changed.

One of the highlights was the people. We had two different drivers and three different tour guides throughout the trip. Each had a unique personality and guiding style, yet every one of them was warm, professional, incredibly knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about sharing Vietnam with us. They didn’t simply take us from place to place, they brought the country’s history, culture, traditions, and daily life to life in a way that made the trip incredibly meaningful.

The logistics were equally impressive. Every transfer, hotel check-in, activity, and timing was perfectly coordinated, allowing us to simply enjoy ourselves without ever worrying about the details. Traveling with children can sometimes add complexity, but everything was handled with such care that the trip felt effortless.

The person who truly made this experience exceptional, however, was Hien. From the very beginning of the planning process, throughout our travels, and even after we returned home, Hien was nothing short of extraordinary. She was unbelievably responsive, proactive, thoughtful, and always one step ahead of any question or need we had. It genuinely felt like having a trusted friend in Vietnam available whenever we needed assistance. That level of service is incredibly rare and is one of the biggest reasons this trip was so enjoyable.

We’ve traveled extensively around the world, and this was one of the best organized trips we’ve ever taken. We would recommend Realistic Asia, Kimkim, and especially Hien without hesitation to anyone considering Vietnam or Southeast Asia. We will absolutely be using Hien and KimKim again for future travels, and we couldn’t be more grateful for such a memorable experience. Five stars simply doesn’t feel like enough!

Hotel Reviews

The Oriental Jade Hotel

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jiva Hoa Lu Retreat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orchid Classic Cruise

Hai Phong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Most design forward and architecturally magical hotel we have ever stayed in!

Moire Hoi An, Vignette Collection

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Exploration & Vietnamese Coffee Tasting

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tam Coc Secret Landscape by E Bike

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Our favorite meal of the trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lantern Making & Thanh Dong Organic Farm ( HUT)

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service (including visa application)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

This was so awesome after an incredibly long day of travel!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - Mua Cave

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My son and I just returned home from our trip to Vietnam, planned by Hien at KimKim. She could not have done a better job for us! She listened to our interests and crafted experiences that were a perfect fit for us. We only had a week ( could have stayed so much longer- love Vietnam!) and had a lot we wanted to see and do and she made it happen with great guides and experiences. Our guides and drivers were always on time and were so knowledgeable. This trip would not have been possible without Hien and her team's expertise.

Ashley did an incredible job. I would highly recommend her.

Activity Review

Tropikal Trekking & Jumbo Wash by Mason Adventure (Updated by Maison Adventure)

Bali

Well worth the trip. I would highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport