Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

We just completed a wonderful trip to Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and Hanoi.
The highlight for us was a “village tour” during our stay in Hoi An. Our local tour guide, Trinh, introduced us to our village with a very personal itinerary, including visits to several homes in the community for food and chats.

The hotels that were selected for us were all outstanding. Our favorites were Nikko Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City and Allegro in Hoi An.

A very special thanks to our host, Trang. She made the planning so easy and (other than some minor communication gaps due to the time change) she was remarkably responsive and flexible. Trang literally saved our vacation. When checking in to our Korean Airlines flight in Boston, the airline’s crew noted an error in my visa for Vietnam - basically there was, in error, and extra “s” listed in my name on the Visa. After a long and stressful hour, in which it was clear that I would ultimately not be able to board the flight from Seoul to Ho Chi Minh City with this Visa, Trang saved the day! By the time our flight landed in Seoul, she had arranged for a “rush” replacement visa and I was able to complete travel as planned. I cannot thank Trang enough!

This was our second KimKim experience, as we traveled to Japan with the entire family this past summer. Both experiences were excellent and I will certainly use KimKim again.

Hotel Review

Allegro Hoian

A great boutique hotel with charm and a super-attentive staff. Great location and an even greater breakfast buffet! “Nancy” from the staff was warm and welcoming and made it a point to chat daily and even remembered our names throughout our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Charming feel

Location

Short walk to Old Town

Staff

Nancy was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hoi An - biking Go Noi Village - Hoi An

Hoi An

Our favorite activity of the trip. Trinh, our local tour guide, gave an amazing introduction to her home village. We learned to prepare several dishes and enjoyed a great lunch at a family’s home. Riding around the village on bicycles was a blast!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best driver ever!

We just got back from a 17 night trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. We worked with Kelly at KimKim to plan this trip. She listened to our requests and sent the first draft of the trip which included almost everything we wanted. With some tweaks, it was the trip of a lifetime. The hotels and tours selected were exactly what we were looking for. Kelly also arranged our Vietnam visas which was very helpful. She kept in touch throughout the trip making sure everything was going as planned.
In addition, the guides and drivers were all excellent, providing knowledgeable history about each city. They gave us some good restaurant recommendations. In Ho Chi Minh City, we left something behind at our hotel and our guide Tran Tuan helped get it to the next stop. He went above and beyond at his own time and expense, checking in to make sure we received it. Our guide in Siem Reap, Phally, was very accommodating giving us a break during the hot afternoons and arranged 2 excursions that were not part of the original itinerary. The driver always had cool towels and cold water waiting for us. We would definitely work with KimKim again for our next trip.

The absolute highlight of the trip was our guid, Mu Giang, who was with us 21-26 February as we traveled through Bac Ha, Coc Pa, Ha Gaing and Ba Be. She incorporated a lot of time with local friends and families, a number of home-cooked meals and lots of great information about exactly what we wanted to understand; life today in rural (and urban) Vietnam.
This trip was the most experientially dense trip we have ever been on, and that includes some amazing trips to Anarctica and hiking New Zealand, a lot to compare to!
Hien Do did an absolutely outstanding job of arranging the trip over six months of planning and working through a few changes as plans fell into place. She gets very high marks!
Long Dao picked up the ball about a month before we started and provided the best support, communication and continuity. He is a very hard worker with good contacts.
This team provided us outstanding travel, well within budget and provided us with diverse and very comfortable lodging. We really feel that we experienced all of northern Vietnam in an outstanding way. They were with us every step of the way while providing a very independent feeling trip. We would definitely use Kimkim again for anywhere they operate.

Hotel Reviews

Ibis Saigon Airport

It was a place to crash for our last night before a very early departure towards home. It is very close to the airport. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the room was quite adequate for the mission. The top floor restaurant/bar had a fine view and is a great place for a beer, but the menu is depressing. Lots of fried and western type foods, nothing fresh or local to speak of. The things we ordered were safe and well prepared, but this was definitely the worst food on the trip. Perfect time for it though! We did walk the neighborhood a bit, and there didn't seem to be any other good options. This hotel absolutely served the purpose, but I would not call it a destination to seek out.

Authenticity & Character

It is what it is.

Location

If you want close to the airport (which will soon be replaced...) this is it.

Staff

As everywhere, the people are the highlight and could not have been nicer

Cleanliness & Comfort

Little down at heel, but certainly clean and serviceable.

Saigon - Ba Be Resort

They style themselves as being quite top tier. Almost. The place looks like it's been there for quite a while and is now under newer management. Certain areas are very sharp and well tended but not the whole place. It is clean and our room was very comfortable, though it hadn't been open for quite a while and was in need of a good airing out, which we provided. All good after that. The dining was quite adequate, but not very fresh or inspired the first night. Very short on vegetables, but we asked and they improved markedly the second night. There are not a lot of options for hotels around Ba Be it seems, and this certainly met the need but somewhere a bit smaller and busier might be more fun.

Authenticity & Character

Kind of large and a bit run down. Somebody's grand vision that needs some continuity and TLC applied.

Location

a long way from the Lake and the town, but nothing around it for hiking or sight seeing.

Staff

The Front Desk was helpful and friendly. Dining as well. No English that we could tell, but we had a guide so it didn't matter much.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was great, once we aired it out. Excellent bed, good AC and good shower. Dining room was very clean. Kitchen, maybe... but we had no issues of any kind.

Ha Giang Ecolodge

This was the highlight of our trip in the North. The construction was beautiful, the room well appointed, the view over the village and rice fields from our room was exceptional. The night before we got here had been a little rough, so we really were grateful for this place. Good local fare in the dining room and Hanoi beer, which was welcome after the hiking.

Authenticity & Character

Very local flavor, but nicely done.

Location

Great location for our activities in the area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was a highlight of the trip. Great shower, great bed, very quiet!

Pu Luong Jungle Lodge

This is a really fun lodge. The room was all local materials and really nicely done. They got some laundry done for us and were generally just very helpful and accomodating. You have to be very comfortable with stone stairs without any railings to navigate from Registration to your room and to dining. The place is beautiful but be ready for some stair climber action!

Authenticity & Character

All locally built and the dining was all local as well, and very nicely done!

Location

Good jumping off spot for our hiking and exploration around Pu Luong.

Staff

They were short handed due to the Tet holiday, but met our every need with a smile. They were super.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Good room, good bed, quiet AC (though cool enough at altitude not to need much!). good shower

Nung Gia Homestay

This is a family homestay and they did a great job providing us with simple but very excellent dinner and breakfast the next morning. Simple accommodations, but plenty of hot water, good air conditioning. The bed is extremely firm (board with a thin mat over it), so a little like sleeping on the ground, but no rocks! It gave us good access to the area.

Authenticity & Character

Definitely the real deal! Your are in Vietnam now.

Location

Don't believe Google Map directions. The location is correct, but the route isn't workable. The view from the deck is great, overlooking the town and river.

Staff

The family was very welcoming and the mom, who cooked for us after a long day of teaching, made us feel very welcome.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness was very good. The place is very simple and a softer bed was appreciated the next night.

Bac Ha Legend Home

The family bent over backwards to provide us with great locally sourced meals that were perfect. The accommodation is simple but very comfortable. It was a good location for our travel in and around Bac Ha.

Authenticity & Character

Family run, very accomodating, excellent home cooking.

Location

Staff

They bent over backwards in feeding us locally sourced dishes our guide Mu had worked out with them. Superb hotpot!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Simple but very clean and comfortable. Plenty of hot water and a good mattress. AC worked fine, very quiet.

MK Premier Boutique hotel

Hanoi

The staff here is outstanding. Unfailingly courteous, very helpful and very good English at the front desk. The location is the best. Right in the midst of the bustle of Old Town Hanoi and walking distance to a bunch of interesting stops. The room was comfortable (good mattress!) and quiet. Excellent air conditioning. We really enjoyed the roof-top bar for breakfast and our night cap in the evening. This place was a lovely refuge to return to after prowling around Hanoi or returning from a few days in the countryside.

Authenticity & Character

Location

walkable to lots of Hanoi

Staff

Great English at the Front Desk and Bell staff. Everyone everywhere was super friendly and helpful. Top Notch

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quiet room, quite AC, great shower and comfortable mattress

Activity Reviews

Cycling Around the National park

Vietnam

The only bicycling available was rental bikes at the Saigon Ba Be Resort which were restricted to use on their limited grounds. We didn't bother. We did, however get a bonus on the way back to Hanoi, a stop at the Hua Ma cave, which is one of the longest tourist-accessable caves I've experienced. It has a good cement stair and walkway for access and is fully lit. No headlamp required. A cave purist will be horrified at the colored lighting, but the limestone structures and the size of the rooms are definitely highlighted by it.

Boating And Trekking in Ba Be

Ba Be

The peaceful boat ride to the bat cave, (Hang Puổng) is a magical experience, even on an overcast day. We got the added fun of going further downstream the opposite direction, to the primary school in a small village just northwest of the lake. Mu had arranged with the teacher for us to deliver twenty sets of crayons and coloring books to her class. Items which are outside the budget but were greatly appreciated. Do not waste time on the Fairy Pond, unless you aspire to wall up and down hill through dense smoke from the fires of the food and souvenir vendors lining the path to and from the pea green, heavily polluted pond which has no natural outflow, so can never clean itself out. The newly built quasi-Buddhist temple (Đền An Mạ) is nicely built for tourist consumption, but has no local following or historical significance. Photogenic but not a big deal if you miss it.

Xin Man travel to Ha Giang via Hoang Su Phi

Vietnam

Google Maps showed the shortest route to Ha Giang, but it was a very minimal road. We made it, but the 15 minutes for the longer route on bigger roads could have been worth it. We had lunch with another friend of Mu at their homestay, and it was one of the best meals of the trip without doubt. The village is surrounded by small rice fields and planting was back in full swing after the Tet holiday. A good hike around and we ended up at our Ecolodge, the best overnight in this part of the trip. Took a great hike, river and waterfalls.

Bac Ha Market - Xin Man

Vietnam

Bac Ha Sunday Market was mind blowing! One of the largest markets we've seen anywhere, and everything you can imagine on sale. The highlight was shopping and then cooking lunch at a local family's home with Mu. (a long time friend of her's). That was really special.

Quality of Experience

Food

Home cooking!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Would not have happened without a well experienced and connected local guide.

Visit Hoang A Tuong’s Palace - “Pho” village of Flower H’Mong People

Bac Ha, Lao Cai

Bac Ha was a definite highlight. Great hiking, with an unplanned "happy water" stop at a local farm up in the hills outside Bac Ha. That was a hoot! We did NOT visit the Hoang A Tuong Palace, as it has been redone and not worth the admission or time. Walking around Bac Ha/Lao Cai was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The hiking was splended and having Mu to interpret with our (somewhat tipsy) Hmong farmer friend was essential!

Trekking to Kho Muong and Uoi Villages

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Our longest walk of the trip (14 km) and it was lovely.

Water Wheels walk and Bamboo Rafting

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

The walk around the villages was delightful. Tet in full swing and karaoke at full volume is king in every village. The water wheels were great to see from an engineering standpoint, though they were suffering from quite a bit of neglect, as they serve no purpose anymore, of course. Still, one could get the idea and admire the ingenuity of the design. The bamboo raft was most pleasant and we enjoyed it. Doesn't go very far, but it gave us a couple good photo ops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Quoc was great fun to walk with and did a good job setting up the experiences and meals.

Transport

Mr. Bao got us through the trip with no paint swapped, but he does not radiate the charm and graciousness towards others (especially other drivers) which we experienced elsewhere in Vietnam.

VIP Fast Track Service (including visa application)

Vietnam

Arriving in the middle of the night, this was a godsend and greatly appreciated. Well worth the cost.

The trip was absolutely incredible. it was planned to the minute and Long was the best tour specialist ever, he was making sure all our transfers went smoothly right away, he was assisting us if we needed anything and answering all our questions. we were so happy to meet him in person as well back in Hanoi and his service was absolutely outstanding! we totally recommend to leave with his care, everything went perfectly.

Excellent trip! Trang was so helpful every step of the way. We had a great adventure in Vietnam and got to see so much thanks to Trang’s amazing itinerary.

We were very pleased with the service of Camellia and the guides and accommodations she lined up for us.

Hotel Reviews

Renea Cruise

Overall very enjoyable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They refused to take a charge card and we weren’t aware of that ahead of time.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Did not like being charged for water during meals.

Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

Great location in the midst of the Old Quarter. Very nice and kind staff. Nice breakfast included. Not a luxury stay but more than adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything in the Old Quarter

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A/C leaked water all over my clothes on the luggage rack

Activity Review

Hanoi City Tour of Capital of Vietnam

Hanoi

Very good guide. Jimmy did a very good job. We saw most of the highlights on our tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All on time, communicated well

Transport

Doris was really wonderful. The overall planning and attention to detail was just amazing. She also checked in on us along the way to make sure everything was running smoothly (which it always was). There were so many things along the way that were so efficient that you might not even notice them. Getting picked up and driven all over Vietnam and Thailand, on time over a period of 30 days is really incredible.

We just returned from an exceptional trip to Vietnam and Cambodia and we were so thankful for Kimkim every step of the way. Ashley, our travel consultant from Realistic Asia, was a godsend. She was so patient and helpful in the planning process - we wondered if she ever slept because her responses were so immediate. Once we were in SE Asia, she assisted us in every way and kept the lines of communication consistently open. Mind you, everything went so smoothly that there were practically no issues to resolve. Highlights of our trip were: day trip to Ninh Binh, food tours in Hanoi and Siem Reap, Hoi An, home dining in Hue, Mekong Delta tour, our stay in Phu Quoc, temples in Siem Reap. As a former global studies teacher, I also greatly appreciated the many connections to the Vietnam War and Cambodian Khmer Rouge era. Our expert guides throughout taught us a great deal about the history and culture of these beautiful countries, but we especially enjoyed learning about their lives and the everyday lives of people there. This trip was so memorable and well planned. Hats off to Ashley and Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Saem Siem Reap Hotel

Siem Reap

Excellent staff, room and pool.

Thanh Kieu Beach resort

Kien Gianh

We really loved our stay here.

Odys Boutique Hotel

Ho Chi Minh City

Great place - beautiful rooftop restaurant/bar.

Cherish Hue

Cozy An Boutique Hotel Hoian

Hoi An

So much character!!

Doria Cruise

Really liked the accommodations, staff and food.

MK Premier Boutique hotel

Hanoi

Liked the rooftop restaurant.

Activity Reviews

Visiting the Floating Villages on Tonle Sap Lake

Siem Reap

Full day Banteay Srei, the gem of Yajnavaraha

Siem Reap

Siem Reap Evening Street Food Tour by tuk tuk

Siem Reap

Really fun. Interesting food! Again, loved our guide Phirob.

Full day Temples Sightseeing (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom & Ta Prohm)

Siem Reap

Loved our guide. Temples were amazing

Experience Island Life Trip

Phu Quoc

Great snorkeling and fun fishing. The meal was yummy too. This excursion was a bit different than how it was described.

Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour - Joint in tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Very interesting half day tour!

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

This was a good day - nice to get out of the city and see the countryside. Really good guide too.

Ho Chi Minh City Full Day

Ho Chi Minh City

Our guide was a last-minute replacement for the original guide assigned. He was underwhelming. We all had problems understanding him and he was a bit disorganized. Very sweet though. The Imperial Palace and the War Remnants Museum were the best parts of the tour.

Touch the History of Former Imperial Capital - Hue Full Day Sightseeing

Hue

Our guide was very knowledgeable, but we had to cut this tour short because of illness.

Authentic Home Dining - Enjoy a traditional Hue dinner

Hue

Loved this activity so much. Our hosts were wonderful and our guide was excellent.

Visit Marble Mountain

Vietnam

Really liked our guide on this excursion.

Hoi An Walking Tour & Making Lantern - Joint in tour

Hoi An

Great guide - fun half day tour.

Boarding cruise in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

Boarding and disembarking were fine. Cave excursion was okay. Ha Long Bay is beautiful, but you're basically looking at a bunch of other cruise ships. Also, the water was visibly polluted so swimming was out of the question. We did appreciate the ship we were on - very nice.

Hanoi City tour - Joint in tour

Hanoi

Especially liked the Ho Chi Minh complex and Hoa Lo Prison Museum

Day trip to Ninh Binh (Cycling – Local family - Bich Dong Pagoda - Trang An)

Vietnam

Great guide, super fun group. We really had a great day.

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Our guide T was very helpful on our first day there.

Great itinerary loved the diversity of locations and the fact the team worked with me to craft an agenda the fit our wants. To break it down:
First Stop – the airport reception and half day tour was very trouble free, and I appreciated the guide being flexible with our ask including finding a very local spot to grab lunch and making sure we had time at all the spots we wanted to see.
Second Stop – Lucky was very knowledgeable about everything and was a very gracious host. We very much enjoyed our day on the boat and all the activities that were planned. I would not change anything about that.
Third Stop – Our guide in Da Nang was extremely knowledgeable about local history and culture and made the trip very enjoyable from a cultural experience. All the activities and transportation including the hotels were top notch.
Forth Stop – We enjoyed our time in the city and more importantly we had a great experience on the bay. The cruise ship was very well managed, and accommodation was excellent. Again, it would not change a thing.
Overall.
Hotels – Top of the line, great rooms and great service
Guides – All very attentive and professional, felt like they wanted to make sure we enjoyed ourselves.
Transportation – Did not miss a beat, on time and great coaches at all stops.

Hotel Reviews

Indochine Grand Cruise

Quang Ninh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GM Premium Hotel Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Sands Oceanfront Danang Hotel

Da Nang

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silverland Mây Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

VIP Fast Track Service (including visa application)

Vietnam

Not nessasary, did not feel like we gained anything with this. The regualar service was fine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

KimKim is so thorough with planning our trip , we went to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Bangkok and Phuket. Everything is exactly like our wish ,we felt very well taken care of. Love that Kim can answer any question we had.
Long our tour guide in North Vietnam is so knowledgeable with history and places. He always reminded us where and what time to meet.

I have to say that my and my wife’s trip to Vietnam was amazing. We both have traveled a fair bit, sometimes curating trips ourselves and sometimes using fairly high end travel companies. Our 10 day Vietnam experience ranks equal to the best we have done.

I worked with our local specialist Trang for five months ensuring everything was exactly the way we wanted. Trang was incredible. She was knowledgeable, organized, helpful with ideas and patient!! Our trip went perfectly. Trang checked in throughout and helped with a couple of modifications during the trip based on our whims. We cannot thank her enough.

As for Vietnam. Well it’s everything our friends have told us. Highly recommend putting on anyone’s list.

Absolutely wonderful experience! Stephen and his team at Realistic Travel were all outstanding (Special shout out to Dung and Son - they were great guides for our day trips)! They communicated every step with us and delivered perfectly. We were met right at the airport and delivered to our hotel. Typically that is a stressful time, but they made everything very easy for us. The pacing of our trip was perfect. We had a nice combination of scheduled activities and free time. Everything made our trip perfect - we leave Vietnam with wonderful memories and will recommend this group to our friends!
Highly suggest that Kimkim provides guidance for tipping in various countries - We talked to several other tourists about this issue. We all wanted to make sure our guides knew how much we appreciated them and their efforts. It would be nice to have some basic guidance on this.

Ashley and her team were wonderful. She was very attentive to our needs and created a fantastic experience for me and my family. We left our 18 days in Vietnam in awe. We did the touristic things but even better we had the opportunity to visit small communities and meet and spend time with many different families. All of our tour guides while on our journey were excellent stewards of their country and spoke English beautifully. I couldn't recommend Realistic Asia more!

This was my first time booking a tour like this. Also my first experience with KimKIm. I was a little apprehensive becasuse I have always booked the tour and made arrangements personally. That was going to be too much for a 6 night trip to get a Vietnam experience. Kim Kim was great! Proposed and itinerary. Made modifications to meet my budget. Selected great hotels and experiences with my input. Local specialists were all great. Timing and organization was perfect. Really happy. Thank you KimKim especially to Hien and Stephen and all the local guides.

Hotel Review

Silverland Mây Hotel

Really nice hotel and a beautiful room. Excellent service and breakfasts were very good. Loved the location. Great restaurants and walking around area. A good experience and good value.

Authenticity & Character

Location

vibrant , good walking around and lots of restauants.

Staff

Attentive , pleasant and welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent room and very comfortable bed and linens

Activity Reviews

Titov island - Ha Long Panoramic view - Disembark Indochina Sails Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Just wanted to relax on the boat with a cappuccino in the early morning so we did not participate.

Exploring Surprise Cave or Me Cung Cave - Ha Long Bay Mooring Point - Indochina Sails Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Loved the cave experience. Really not for people with mobility issues or stamina issues. The cave was impressive and I really enjoyed going in.

Quality of Experience

It was immense.

Food

Not really food on this tour

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Ho Chi Minh City

this tour was a little too contrived or touristy for me. I would have loved to hear more about what part the Mekong Delta played in the war. Interesting but a little to touristy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Talapia fish looked interesting but was overcooked and difficult to share and pass around.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Full Day

Ho Chi Minh City

Tour was great . Notre Dame was under repair. Could have left the Post Office out and a little longer at the War Museum. A lot to see and experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

I have to be honest. Generally speaking I don't love Vietnamese food. but also coming from Thailand that may not be fair.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evening Street Food Tour With Vespa Wanderers

Ho Chi Minh City

Highly recommended . Loved this. Great feel for driving in Ho Chi Mingh. Crazy!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

This was worth every penny.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Vietnam was amazing and we had a blast full fun memories to remember. Our specialist Ashley did a fantastic job booking our trip to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. We had several tours that were exciting and interesting to all of us. Food tour with young motor cyclist tour guides was great in Ho Chi Minh. It was fun and best ever tour we had. Recommended to everyone, fun & exciting experience. Ha long bay, street train tour-and walking food tour were our best tours that we experience. Local foods were delicious in Hanoi. Rated 5 for my over all experiences 😊

The entire trip was so smooth and organized because of Kimkim, we truly got to enjoy the country without any stress!

Hotel Reviews

Le Clos Du Fil Hotel

Ninh Binh

Had an amazing view from our very large patio. Super clean and staff were very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Retreat

Thanh Hoa

This place is stunningly beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GM Premium Hotel Hanoi

Perfectly situated in old town. Very clean and wonderful service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silverland Mây Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to so may shops and places to eat.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scenic Cycling Experience Around the Village

Ninh Binh

Such a wonderful way to see the mountains of this town. Would highly recommend doing this.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Water Wheels walk and Bamboo Rafting

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Highly recommend going to Pu luang to see the small rice villages and mountains.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Ho Chi Minh city Half Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Guide was be try knowledgeable and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doris did an exceptional job helping me before and during this lengthy trip to Vietnam. There were a ton of moving parts, lots of logistics and planning needed, and it couldn’t have went more smoothly. She picked out great places for me to stay, catering to the types of places I wanted to be around. She handled booking all the tours making it hassle free for everything I wanted to do, all I had to do was show up. All of the tour guides she used (the trip was across multiple cities) were incredible (especially Destiny in Hoi An/Ba Na Hills). I couldn’t have had a better time in such an amazing country, and Doris made it so easy. Highly recommend!

Long, my local specialist was outstanding, THE BEST! He has restored my faith in kimkim.

I had my first trip with kimkim to Croatia in Oct. 2019. The local specialist, Antonia, was amazing. She was a true "Travel Magician" and we had the best time thanks to her.

Second trip with kimkim was to Portugal in Oct 2022 with local specialist Beatriz based in Madrid, and it was an absolute disaster. Beatriz failed us in so many ways. Because of my 2019 trip experience, I got my closest friends to join this trip. We were all totally disappointed and I had to keep apologizing to my friends. I was determined as a result never to travel with kimkim again.

This time, I wanted to vacation in Vietnam and my daughter encouraged me to give kimkim another chance as she and her family returned from a very good trip with kimkim in summer. Against my better judgement I did and now very pleased to report, Long did a fabulous job from start to finish, and has restored my faith in kimkim.

At the outset I asked Long if he had read my 2 previous reviews, and told him that I expected him to perform and deliver to my expectations. And yes, Long more than delivered. He understood my "demands" - great sightseeing, great local food, the best but not outrageously-priced hotels, and superior guides/on-the-ground service.
Long put together a wonderful trip itinerary and was extremely responsive and helpful throughout the entire planning process.

Thanks to his diligence, and stellar customer service, my husband and I had the most enjoyable time and loved Vietnam.
We did so many interesting and fun things. Ate the best local food, great foodie tours. Stayed in well-located 5-star hotels - charming boutique hotel in Hanoi French Quarters, the best room (gigantic honeymoon room with this phenomenal round bed) on our Ha Long Bay cruise, and beautiful Moire Hoi An (IHG collection) right by the river in Hue, etc, etc.

On arrival in Vietnam, they provided VIP Fast Track Service at the airport, and we were escorted and breezed through customs.
We had our own private cars with excellent, careful drivers and great, very knowledgeable local guides.
While waiting to return home, we met fellow travelers at the airport who didn't do half the fun and exciting things we did - Highlights: Cyclo Tour (we were pedalled through downtown Hanoi in their version of rickshaw right smack in the heart of downtown traffic with our cyclist assuring us repeatedly "No. 1 Driver!" as he skilfully avoided oncoming buses and motor bikes), flat-bottom boat ride down the river in Tam Coc where the boats were rowed with feet not hands, Citadel (stunningly beautiful Imperial palace in Hue built with heavy French influence), basket boat ride in Hoi An and Sai Gon Night Street Eats with Vespa Wanderers (sat pillion on Vespa scooters and ferried from restaurant to restaurant eating the most delicious local food - best coffee, best Vietnamese sandwich, amazing fancy restaurant, best local dessert and capped it off with drinks at a nice bar.)

Long of Realistic Asia planned a fabulous itinerary for us and totally performed and delivered. He personally welcomed and met us in Hanoi with souvenir gifts handmade by his girlfriend, prepped us every day on what to expect the next day, made sure we had the best guides and drivers, checked with us every day to make sure we were happy and had no complaints....in constant contact and responded immediately to anything we needed.
In short, he was OUTSTANDING, THE BEST, another true Travel Magician.
He even checked and made sure we returned home safely.
Extremely well done Long and THANK YOU. You have restored our faith in kimkim.
We will be recommending good friends to you. Keep up your superior level of customer service.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel des Arts Saigon - MGallery Collection

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Moire Hoi An, Vignette Collection

Great location by the river and bridge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silk Path Grand Hue

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orchid Classic Cruise

Hai Phong

Great Cruise Leader. Amazing customer service in the dining room from chef down to servers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Lovely, friendly, very attentive, extremely customer-oriented

Cleanliness & Comfort

The boat needs update and repairs in some areas.

The Oriental Jade Hotel

Hanoi

Lovely, charming well-located hotel with incredible customer service. We were having breakfast the first morning when a staff came to apologize if our sleep was disturbed by a fire alarm that went off mistakenly. The alarm was so soft, my husband couldn't even hear it when I asked him. Our final morning breakfast, a server came to say she knows we will have a 3-hour road trip to Ha Long Bay and could she pack a lunch bag for us. Amazing. During breakfast, I completed a review of the hotel, rated it the best, made a recommendation for a 2nd chair in the room and when we were checking out, the Hotel Manager came to personally thank us, gave us a small gift and thanked me for my recommendation. This is one hotel you must provide for all your guests in Hanoi. Amazing, phenomenal service, great breakfast, great location, comfortable and very clean room and all-around very attentive staff from doorman to reception to Restaurant staff. I have stayed in many 5-star, superior hotels but this one ranks way above the best because of its stellar, extremely attentive customer service. Definitely goes the extra mile!

Authenticity & Character

See my review

Location

See my review

Staff

Incredible, the best customer service possible. You will be floored!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The entire room and bathroom were clean

Activity Reviews

A O Traditional Vietnamese Culture Show

Ho Chi Minh City

Spectacular, amazing show. A MUST-SEE!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Exploring Ho Chi Minh city Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

A little boring but our guide tried his best. The choice of places to visit should be reviewed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sai Gon Nights Street Eats with Vespa Wanderers

Ho Chi Minh City

Amazing experience riding pillion on a Vespa scooter and being ferried from restaurant to restaurant to enjoy the best food. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Quality of Experience

Food

Excellent pick of restaurants

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very skilled and good Vespa drivers. Great customer service

Transport

Cam Thanh Fishing Village Tour & Basket Boat Ride

Hoi An

Very fun and unusual experience. Sailing down the river, nice and the spinning boats, great for the young

Quality of Experience

Food

Delicious, very good lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Authentic Home Dining - Enjoy a traditional Hue dinner

Hue

Lovely experience - delicious food and great guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Loved the home-cooked food. The freshly-made in front of your eyes sesame dessert was so delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Imperial City Tour of Hue Half-Day Exploration

Hue

Loved the Citadel. Uniquely beautiful with heavy French influence.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Trung Trang cave - Disembark Cruise (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Onboarding Cruise To Lan Ha Bay (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is amazing. Stunningly beautiful. A must-do.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc (Ninh Binh)

Hanoi

Very enjoyable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Around the Old Quater by Walking and Cyclo Tour.

Hanoi

Loved it. Unique experience being propelled through crazy downtown traffic. Very skilled and entertaining cyclists

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

Incredible, very helpful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent, careful and very courteous drivers

This was our first experience in south east Asia. Doris prepared a wonderful itinerary for us. After inquiring our travel dates and interests, she designed a detailed and comprehensive plan for our trip encompassing everything we asked for and more good stuff. she was very meticulous in the design and was open to making changes at our request. The overall experience exceeded our expectation. In addition, she guided us through every step and carefully monitored all reservations and deadlines to ensure a perfect trip which it was.
She coordinated the tours, guides, drivers, hotels and flights to our liking and made changes when we asked. she helped with a couple restaurant reservations. she responded to our inquiries with no delays. she was also very personable and friendly which made the interaction that much more pleasant. I give Doris the highest remarks and recommendation as a travel consultant.

We had good guides in Bangkok, Central and South Vietnam . all showed enthusiasm and willingness to give us the best experience. Our guide in Ho CHi Minh city, Mr. Hung Ha was exceptional. The 3 guides in Hoi An city who covered different aspects of our stay were very good , friendly and enthusiastic. I would have all these guides again .

we had memorable moments in every place we visited. Hoi An stands out as well as the nature in Mai Chau and the trip to Mekong Delta. The ending at Phu Quoc island was so lovely ( this was Doris's idea and plan) that we could have stayed there two more days. so perhaps next time. we will not forget the time we spent there

Sincerely,

shant hamamah

Hotel Reviews

Indochine Lan Ha Cruise

Hai Phong

this was a one night cruise. amazing and friendly staff. very helpful in explaining the plan and activities. great food. it was not crowded so lots of space on the deck to enjoy the scenery and relax. the trip to the cave was awesome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ninh Binh Hidden Charm

Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nouvo City Hotel

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Star Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

very nice and modern hotel within walking distance to many attractions , restaurants, night life, coffee shops . very helpful and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Green Bay Resort Phu Quoc

The hotel was rustic and one feels in a jungle yet staying at a 5 star hotel. great pool, great beach, great service and wonderful staff. would f=definitely come back here at our next visit

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mai Chau Ecolodge

One beautiful hotel . one feels like staying in nature. Great restaurant and service. perfect location to wonder around. beautiful scenery

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Vietnam

one of the best days to see this Delta and explore the local villages and all that they do . Superb guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Countryside - Lantern Making - Gardening & Basket Boat Ride (HUT19) - Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An

great day to see the ancient town highlights and also the villages nearby. Lunch was very good. guides were superb

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mai Chau - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Tam Coc Boat Trip

Vietnam

the boat trip was great.

Quality of Experience

Hanoi City Tour & Half-day Sightseeing by Legendary Russian Jeep GAZ69 Or USA Army Jeep (VBTJ1)

Hanoi

great tour and guide

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok - Railway market - Floating market

Bangkok

kind of touristic and a long drive back and forth

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok City tour (B)

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved our guides and drivers in every city—they were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The logistics were perfectly organized and we knew we were in good hands. All three hotels we stayed in were nice, with very good free breakfast options, and we particularly like the Saga Hotel in Hoi An. It made a huge difference to have Lucy’s help in choosing locations and organizing local assistance.