Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

I normally do all my own travel planning. However, when I had a chance to go to Vietnam for a long weekend, on short notice, I did not have enough time to think, plan and book. Thus, very leerily I went to the internet and found KimKim. The reviews seemed good, so I gave it a shot.

1. My contact Huyen was very responsive, all the time. I changed my plans a few times, and she was supportive and reacted quickly.
2. My Vietnam guide, Hien, was in Hanoi was also very good. Knowledgeable. Happy personality. By the way, the streets in Hanoi are the craziest I have every seen.
3. Ninh Binh drive and day was on time and very interesting.
4. Ha Long bay cruise was on a very nice ship. Very clean, good size being maybe 20 rooms, so not crazy crowded. Food was very good, especially the last day brunch.

I would recommend KimKim and Huyen to everyone.

Our nearly two weeks in Vietnam were great and Ashley did an amazing job setting up the details. The accomodations we had at each destination and the in-country travel were all quite good with no complications. Each of the guides and drivers did a great job. The guides had different personalities which added to the interest. We especially enjoyed our experience trekking with Zozo in Sapa, the overnight Doris cruise at Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and the Delta trip with Nhu-y.

Our time at Krabi in Thailand was not as enjoyable because the choice of Krabi was not a good match for us. We anticipated a relaxing three days at a beach resort between our time in Vietnam and the 10 days in Japan planned by another Kimkim associate, but we did not investigate sufficiently what was offered at Krabi or ask Ashley about alternatives that might have been available in Vietnam or in Thailand closer to Phuket. The drive to Krabi and back to Phuket were tedious. The guide and driver did their jobs well, but we didn't really need a guide to do this. A driver would have been sufficient. Also we learned in Krabi that we could have flown directly to Bangkok from there to continue our trip to Japan. The Panan resort was fine, but it was a 10 minute walk to the beach, and the town of Krabi was not our vibe. It is much better suited for younger couples or singles or young families.

Overall, we commend Ashley for a job well done, and we will certainly recommend that our friends consider Kimkim to help plan a trip to the far East.

Hotel Reviews

Panan Krabi Resort

Krabi

About a 10 minute walk to the beach. The room was quite nice and the staff was excellent. The pool meanders through the resort and was a nice place to relax and is set up very nicely for children to play. The food in the restaurant was good.

Silverland Mây Hotel

Also an excellent location, room, staff, and food. The rooftop pool was very nice.

Laluna Hoi An Riverside Hotel & Spa

Excellent location, room, staff, and food. We enjoyed the convenience of the pool and poolside bar.

Eldora Hue

Hue

Conveniently located, great food, luxurious room

Activity Reviews

Authentic Mekong Delta Tour By Luxury Speedboat (LR)

Ho Chi Minh City

Very interesting experience. Nhu-y and the boat crew did a great job and she answered many questions about the people and their life along the delta. We enjoyed visiting the family home.

Hoi An Night Market and Boat Trip With Lantern Releasing

Hoi An

Same guide and again an interesting experience.

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

A charming smaller town and the guide was knowledgeable about the history and points of interest.

Imperial City Tour of Hue Half-Day Exploration

Hue

Interesting and the guide was knowledgeable but it was a very hot day and considerable walking was required.

I loved my trip to Vietnam, Doris (in the back office) and Hoang (the guide who accompanied us) were always very helpful and helped us discover several incredible places that we wouldn't have gone to without them.
We don't usually travel with a guide, but Hoang and Doris always gave us the necessary space so we didn't feel like we were on a traditional tour.
Everything went very well, and I highly recommend it!

Our guide in Hue and to Hoi An via Da Nang was great (Quinn). He had a lot of knowledge about Viet Nam and its history and his English was good. Really an asset. He also wanted us to get the most of our trip and our experience, it was genuine.
He could also answer most of our questions.
Our guide in Hoi An (Bao) had so-so English skills and was not super responsive in our questions. The trip to Cham Island was a turist trap and we had a tough time getting over the pollution in plastic and the bad use of the island. Tourists should be limited and there should be better protection of Cham Island. Also the diesel fumes in the harbour area of Da Nang was awful. Lots of cheap sellers, too many tourists and very hard to breathe from the fumes.
Last guide in HCMC was fine (David). English skills was fine and he was a good guide. The trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre) was a good taste of what the delta is and what is possible. For a next trip we would love to go deeper into this, perhaps on an overnight trip if possible to be able to explore more. Our day was good.

We knew that planning a 3-week Southeast Asia vacation for my family would be too difficult and overwhelming by ourselves. I'm so happy we went with Hien to help us plan our vacation itineraries for Vietnam and Thailand! I gave her some ideas of places we wanted to visit, as well as some experiences we wanted to have and she ran with it and came up with an amazing itinerary of cultural experiences, historical tours, foodie tours, eco-tours, etc. We've been back home for a week now and have had time to reflect on our whole trip. The trip was absolutely AMAZING. Everything was planned out perfectly. We always knew we would have a guide greeting us at the airport. We knew we would have a guide/driver to our tours and other scheduled events. The lunches and dinners that were set up especially for us were top-notch. We always knew once we had a new guide, we would have their number and they would be available to answer questions we had or help us out when needed. They were also great picture-takers and we got some wonderful family pictures of our trip! Thank you so much for planning such a wonderful and not-soon-forgotten vacation for our family! We were able to get a taste of what true Vietnam and Thailand are, aside from the usual tourist-trap type locations. The local families we spent time with were so welcoming and the kids really appreciated the local life and customs we partook in. Biking through the villages and rice paddies was an amazing experience that we all are still talking about. The elephant sanctuary in Thailand was also a hit among all family members. What a once-in-a-lifetime experience it was! I want to give accolades to our guide, Cuong, who we had in Hanoi and Ninh Binh. He was an amazing guide and an absolute life-saver when we had to find medical care for our son, as he helped us find what we needed and acted as an interpreter. He truly is top notch among guides and we are very thankful we had him! He was so knowledgeable about everywhere we went and even changed up our schedule in Ninh Binh to better suit what we were looking for in a local experience, to make it that much more meaningful to us.

Hotel Reviews

Chanalai Garden Resort

Phuket

Lovely hotel, well decorated, friendly staff in the restaurant. Close to beach, pool was very nice. Rooms were clean. We had booked a twin room for our kids but they did not have one available upon check-in, so we had to wait until the next day for one to be available and then move all their belongings. They didn’t allow us late checkout on our last day, but they did store our luggage for us and allow us use of the facilities until our later flight that evening, which was much appreciated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

De Charme Hotel

Amphoe Muang, Si Phum, Chiang Mai

Hotel looks nice from the outside but the rooms are dated. The shower and bathroom could use a good scrubbing. The bed was rock hard. We had no hot water the first day. They did fix the hot water the second day and brought a mattress topper, which helped a lot. Staff were not very friendly either. They did allow us a late check out the last day, which was appreciated with a later flight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Plenty of restaurants in walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

True Siam Rangnam Hotel

Phayathai, Rajthevee, Province

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silverland May Hotel

Very nice hotel. Very clean with impeccable service and helpful and friendly staff. Large breakfast selection.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aqua of The Seas Cruise

Room was spacious and clean. Not much to do on board in the evening. There was a very loud and obnoxious large group that ravaged the buffet the first day until the second day when everyone was given plated meals. Their children were also loud and uncontrollable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location - Halong Bay

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Lovely accommodations and close to everything. Amazing views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dal Vostro Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Nice accommodations and great location right in the center of the Old Quarter. Hotel staff were extremely nice and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the center of it all. Lots of shops and restaurants close by.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Doi Inthanon National Park (N)

Chiang Mai

Hiking through the jungle and seeing the rice paddies and wildlife was an experience! The waterfalls were beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Half Day city tour - Monk Chatting

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak floating market - Half-day

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Evening Food With Tuk Tuk Tour

Bangkok

The tuk tuks were a lot of fun and the food sampling we did was really cool and delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cu Chi Tunnels & Half Day City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Full Day Sightseeing with Temples

Ho Chi Minh City

We visited Cho Lin market, Thien Hau pagoda, Ong Bon temple, Independence Palace, Central Post Office, Book Street, and Jade pagoda.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trung Trang Cave - Tuan Chau - Disembarking Aqua of The Seas Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Vietnam

We actually changed up our itinerary this day and went to Tam Coc instead of Trang An. We went through many caves and had a beautiful scenic view at the Kh Gioi Ravine. Visited the Bich Dong Pagoda and Chus Ha Ha Pagoda. Went motor biking in the evening, which was an absolute blast.

Quality of Experience

Awww

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ninh Binh - Biking trip to Tho Ha village, Nho Quan

Ninh Binh

We loved biking through the village and rice fields. We enjoyed our cooking class and going through the Galaxy Grotto caves.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi fullday city tour with Jade Temple

Hanoi

Another great day with our guide, Cuong. We had a full day with a visit to the Hang Be market, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, Jade Temple, and finished with a water puppet show.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Cuong was an amazing guide for this street food tour. We got to experience some of the best eats in Hanoi. It was so much fun and the egg coffee was top notch!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok City Tour Full Day (RA)

Bangkok

The temples and the Grand Palace were beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Lan Ha Bay - Onboarding Aqua of The Seas cruise

Vietnam

The caves were cool and the scenery of Halong Bay was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phuket Hanuman World Zipline Adventure 32 Platform ( private transfer )

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Chiang Mai Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Join tour

Chiang Mai

The highlight of our time in Thailand! Such an amazing experience to be all hands on with these beautiful creatures!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip and planning it was super easy! We had 4 different drafts before we settled on one we loved. Dat was great about communicating the changes and answering questions as we planned. He even made sure the visas we got for both countries were correct.

Transfers: All pickups and drops off went smoothly! It was so nine knowing those logistics were taken care of. It was great to have the domestic airline tickets booked as well. We simply had to show up at the right time and be transported to the next spot.

Highlights
Hanoi: Tam Coc River tour was amazing! I would suggest people bring a hat or umbrella as it was super hot!
Bahn Mi 25 - best sandwich we have had! We went two times!
Dal Vostro Hotel - this was the best hotel we stayed at and the best breakfast we had on the whole trip. The rooms were great and the staff was so incredibly helpful and kind!

Sapa: trekking is a must! I do wish we would have realized how muddy it got on parts of the trail. I would have brought shoes that I did not care about ruining. Thankfully we were able to get them washed for $2 in town! This was such a beautiful place and the people we met along the way were lovely. We had an amazing lunch at red Dzao house and got a foot massage after trekking for $6. We did not do the part of the itinerary about spending time in the Dzay village. Once we arrived there, we got in the car and left. It was disappointing. Hotel was great - not as friendly as the one in Hanoi.

Ha Long Bay - AMAZING! Doris cruises were so wonderful! The rooms are huge and the lunch they served upon arriving was outstanding. We got to kayak and swim. I was stunned by the scenery and the small cruise made the experience personal.

Ho Chi Minh - we learned so much while we were here. The War Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels - while hard, were well worth the time. Johnathan our tour guide was great! Dinner at Propaganda was a highlight! The hotel was ok. It was right across from a nightclub, so the first night was really loud. The breakfast was ok - nothing special.
Mekong Delta was awesome! Again, we learned so much! Watching the coconut candy get made was fun. We brought some home to share. The set lunch was not good at all. It was a lot of food that didn't taste that great.

Phnom Penh - The Killing Fields and S-21 were really heavy places to visit, but also necessary. Our guide was helpful. It was really special to meet 4 of the survivors of S-21. We had an amazing dinner at Eleven - one & at The Titanic. Our hotel was great! Getting a tuk tuk was easy and able to walk to restaurants!

Siem Reap - We LOVED our guide - Narong! He was so funny, helpful and taught us a lot! He is also a sharp dresser! He and the driver took such good care of us with cold water and cold wipes, especially after a hot day at Angor Wat. The hotel was lovely - and the massages are heavenly! We had a wonderful dinner at Haven and at Mesa. Lunch was supposed to be included on the Angor Wat day - but our guide said it wasn't. The lunch place was good!

Overall it was an amazing trip! Here are a few things we felt could be improved upon:
1. The lunches on the group tours (private tours was great) were disappointing. It just wasn't good food.
2. There were 2 things on our itinerary we did not do - one in Sapa and one in Tam Coc - disappointing.
3. Be clear about what meals are included.
4. It was hard to communicate with Dat once we were in country. There were times we reached out via whatsapp and had to follow up because we didn't hear back from him. There was also an urgent matter he had to attend to which is fine, but it would have been nice to have a back up number.
5. I might chose a different hotel in Ho Chi Minh City - because of the nightclub.

It was amazing to work with Huyen to get our Sapa and Ha long Bay trip.
From very 1st day till the last leg of our journey at the Hanoi Airport she was following us to make sure everything is well and flowing smoothly. The drivers for pick ups at each location were amazing, helpful.
Ha Long bay paradise cruise was great.
We thankful to Kim Kim team and Huyen.
We will highly recommend her and Kim Kim for any travel needs in Vietnam and around Asia

My boyfriend and I went on a 13 day trip to Vietnam which was incredibly planned by Minh. My mom helped in the planning stages which was made easy by KimKim with easy access to the trip planner through a chat and online itinerary. Communicating and adjusting the itinerary was amazing and done in a timely manner. Minh was helpful in every way adjusting as requested and making wonderful suggestions. Once on the trip, everything was seamless and high quality from the airport transfer to the tours and guides. Other than some small issues with air conditioning in some of the hotels not functioning, we enjoyed our hotels, food, outings and guides. Some of the highlights included the overnight cruise on Capella Cruises on HaLong Bay. As well as our night Vespa tour in Ho Chi Min. We had custom clothing made in Hoi Ann and saw spectacular rice terraces and scenery. We ended the trip relaxing on the beach in Nha Trang which was beautiful! We were given a great overall taste of Vietnam and look forward to returning one day! Thanks to Minh for truly making this a trip to remember!! So happy to have found KimKim Travel!!

Hotel Reviews

Amiana Resort Nha Trang

Beautiful hotel located right near the private beach. Huge pool! Enjoyed our stay here. It is very quiet as it is away from the main part which was appreciated after a long stay in Vietnam. Enjoyed delicious food, great beach where we rented floats and snorkeling equipment! We had a great time and was a perfect end to our 2 week trip in Vietnam!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Away from the busier part which made it feel like an oasis

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Odys Boutique Hotel

Ho Chi Minh City

Well located to be able to walk around easily!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Allegro Hoian

Great hotel close to centre of Hoi An so easy walking. The hotel has discounts to good tailor shops so we had some wonderful clothing made which was so much fun!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capella Cruise

Halong

This overnight cruise was a highlight of our trip to Vietnam. Beautiful boat and was not too busy at all when we went. Views of surrounding are spectacular. Went kayaking and enjoyed the top deck and delicious food!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Eco Garden

Very rustic and our air conditioning didn’t work for the night we were there which was not great since we had spent a long day hiking in 40 plus degrees. Not much to do but was fine for a night in between other locations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nothing much around but it is in the middle of the country so undertandable

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning wasn’t working

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Nice hotel with good room however the air conditioning didn’t work which was not great since it was VEEY hot out! Room service was good and appreciated after a long hiking day in the heat!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioner didn’t work which made it very uncomfortable. A fan was provided which didn’t do much to cool things off given the over 40 degree temperatures!

Hanoi Pearl Hotel

Hanoi

Nice and clean hotel with great room service. Well located to many sites in Hanoi.

Authenticity & Character

Nice decor and clean with good air conditioning!

Location

Walking distance to many sites and train street

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable and good air conditioning

Activity Reviews

Vespa Adventure: Street food after dark

Ho Chi Minh City

We had a wonderful time on our Vespa tour! Our guide was incredible and so generous! My birthday had been a few days earlier and he surprised us with a small birthday cake which was so thoughtful!! Loved our Vespa experience!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cam Thanh Coconut Village - Basket Boat

Hoi An

Lots of fun! Our boat guide was so cute!! Fun activity!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (Capella Cruise)

Vietnam

Beautiful boat and great time seeing Halong Bay!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Pu Luong Natural Reserve

Vietnam

Was beautiful but VERY hot which made it tough!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pu Luong - Ninh Binh: Trang An - Hang Mua

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi guide Mai was excellent and the apartment at the Somerset was perfect for our 3 generation family. Sapa guide Zozo was different in personality but equally excellent. We enjoyed trekking with her and the accommodations at the eco lodge. Nok escorted us to Ha Long Bay and back and made sure we got ticketed and checked in to our flight to Hue. At Ha Long Bay we all enjoyed the Doris Cruise featuring scenery and kayaking.

Hotel Reviews

Doris Cruise

Nice room. Great crew. Beautiful scenery.

Laxsik Ecolodge

Beautiful setting. Great accommodations.

Somerset Grand Hanoi

Excellent accommodations for our 3 generation family. Nice pool and restaurant.

Family Friendliness

Apartment accommodations.

Activity Reviews

Lan Ha Bay – Dark & Bright Cave – Disembark Cruise (Doris Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Nice views. Enjoyed this aspect of the local culture and scenery.

Onboarding - Lan Ha Bay – Ba Trai Dao/ Tra Bau (Doris Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Great crew. Beautiful scenery.

Conquer The Roof of Indochina - Fansipan Summit with Cable car

Sapa

Fun but it was raining and cloudy. Would have been much better if the weather had cooperated.

Trek to Lech Dzao & Thanh Kim Villages

Sapa

Zozo was an excellent guide and being assisted by the women of the area was a unique experience.

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

Lovely waterfall. Clouds hampered the views in the mountains.

Explore The Beauty of Hanoi - Full Day Sightseeing

Hanoi

Good overview of Vietnamese culture.

We took our children ages 10 and 12 to Việt Nam for the first time in 2024. We knew we wanted to do some sightseeing in addition to visiting my husband’s family in Huế and had decided to go for three weeks. In all of my googling for ideas for how to sequence the trip, I kept coming back to the trips on the KimKim website. That’s when I realized what I needed was an old school travel agent to help me and I found the perfect person in Ashley. We were able to converse seamlessly back in forth through the KimKim platform. She took care of all of the logistics and made things so simple. As a busy working mom, it saved me so much time not to be endlessly searching on multiple websites but simply choosing amongst the amazing options Ashley presented. If I wasn’t sure something was exactly the right fit for our family, she took that feedback and adjusted things within hours. When my 75 year old parents decided to join us for a week of the trip and extend their travels on to Thailand and Japan, she handled that with ease. Ashley was also very engaged during our travels. While we never needed her help because everything ran perfectly, she checked in daily via WhatsApp to be sure it was all great and going according to plan.

And the trip itself - wow! Realistic Asia is the way to go if you want door to door service and top notch local guides. My husband and I have traveled extensively on our own but it was so easy with kids and grandparents to know someone was always meeting us and taking us all the way from point A to B. Mai in Ha Noi was an encyclopedia of knowledge and a great first guide to orient us to the country. We loved Train Street, the Old Quarter, and the Temple of Literature. Our absolute favorite of the trip was Sa Pa. It was so peaceful and cool! We loved staying a bit outside the town in an ecolodge with an infinity pool overlooking the fields. Our guide Do was incredible. She shared so much about local Hmong culture and took us on a walk with the Red Dao people - we were the only tourists in sight. Sa Pa town itself was lively at night and beautiful by the small lake. Our Doris Cruise in Ha Long Bay was a perfect end to our tourist week in Việt Nam.

Hotel Reviews

Doris Cruise

Really lovely and the sunset happy hour was perfect. We would have liked more swimming time and a boat with more water activities (slide, SUP) would have been grand.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Goes to Lạnh Ha bay which was fewer boats

Staff

Kevin and Michael were the best!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laxsik Ecolodge

Our stay here was the highlight of our trip. The infinity pool overlooking the rice and corn fields was perfection.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the Hmong architecture

Location

A 10 minute drive from Sa Pa but an easy taxi and the views and peacefulness are worth it

Staff

So friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Somerset Grand Hanoi

Location

Easy walk to old quarter

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some of the rooms were a little dated

Activity Reviews

Onboarding - Lan Ha Bay – Ba Trai Dao/ Tra Bau (Doris Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Loved the kayaking and the sunset cruise

Quality of Experience

Food

It was just ok, typical of cruises

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Did not love having to stop at the tourist area on the way to and from

Trek to Lech Dzao & Thanh Kim Villages

Sapa

The hands down most memorable part of our trip - a must do

Quality of Experience

Food

The food at the local home was just ok and there were tons of tourists there - would have preferred a quieter spot

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Do is the absolute best. She is from the valley and shared so much of her life story and also taught us about the farming.

Transport

Conquer The Roof of Indochina - Fansipan Summit with Cable car

Sapa

Sadly the rain and clouds kept us from seeing the views but we still appreciated the feat of engineering as well as the village museum

Quality of Experience

Only due to weather

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

We love to hike and the waterfalls were great. We didn’t get to go to Heaven’s Gate as it was too foggy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore The Beauty of Hanoi - Full Day Sightseeing

Hanoi

We were sad the Museum of Ethnology was closed but the Women’s Museum was a good substitution. The lunch place was just ok.

Quality of Experience

Food

Would have preferred a more local spot, less tourists

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wow what an amazing trip. From the moment a thought was planned Camellia planned our trip and communicated every small detail perfectly, from a small idea of ours a 17 day trip through Vietnam and Cambodia was formed. Our entire trip was professionally organised down to the finest detail. Every guide and driver arrived well before the schedule time, all guides spoke great English and were extremely knowledgable. Thanks for a wonderful trip. Most highly recommended.
Pam, Dean, Ben & Georgia

We visited in June, during rainy season. Although the weather gave us mudslides, rockslides and road detours and missed views, the locals gave us no regrets! The people of Vietnam gave us hand waves, friendly smiles, tasty food and so much pride in the country of our birth. Our consultant Doris offered patience as we sorted out our priorities and helped us finalize an itinerary that made everyone in our group excited. And when a flight delay kept us from activities the first day, Doris offered alternatives to make up those activities. Our tour guide Hoàng was just fabulous. He took direction from multiple people and sometimes had to resolve conflicting directions (unbeknownst to us) - he handled it all with aplomb and professionalism. Never once letting on that another person in our group told him something different. We really should have one point of contact but Hoàng sorted it out and we had a fantastic time doing what we wanted and tailoring our day to accommodate requests as they surfaced. My brother left his phone at a roadside restaurant. Fortunately the driver had snapped a photo of the restaurant’s sign which had its phone number before we left. Hoàng called the restaurant and the owner subsequently drove 2 hours on his motorbike to deliver it to us at our hotel at the next stop. What an amazing save! I still can’t believe we squeezed in as much as we did in 10 days because Hoàng and the driver’s flexibility and willingness to adapt. Our driver was amazing (saved my brother’s phone which was also his wallet!). He was kind and so adaptable to detours and spontaneous photo stops for mundane countryside (but fascinating-to -us ) scenery. He indulged my love for terraced rice paddies. If you are looking for a tour company that listens and can be flexible on the fly, go Kimkim all the way.

Activity Review

Dalat free day

Da Lat

If visiting the south, put Dalat on your must-stop list. When HCM is sweltering, escape to Dalat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Look

This was our 2nd trip booked through KimKim who engaged Hien from REALISTIC ASIA to plan, book / take care of every aspect of our adventure.
From the 4to5 months before our trip, whilst on the trip and after the trip, Hieńs service was EXCEPTIONAL… our absolute enjoyment seeming to be her main priority every day. She is just lovely and had great attention to detail and we had the peace of mind that at every airport there would be a guide / driver awaiting us, that every day planned our driver would be ready and our guide waiting with all the info we needed and prepared with a fun plan of activities for the day … and offered us every flexibility, if we changed our minded or saw something else we'd prefer to do we could do it as there were just the two of us on this private tour. Our itinerary was a perfect blend of elements from countryside, villages, towns, cities to rivers, mountains, oceans and lagoons.
We love the responsible travel aspect to KimKim - Realistic Asia, each trip having an element of giving to the community and visiting those off the beaten track places we could never find ourselves where we can enjoy authentic local experiences with locals living their day to day lives … it was awesome. We could never have planned or even thought of all the adventures we had by ourselves. And it made everything so easy in a country we hadn’t been to before, where we didnt speak the language or know the customs etc … it was all taken care of for us, without worry. AND we were treated to the most amazing food , food that we would never have thought of trying if by ourselves …. And it was all so delicious.
To Hien, you were amazing, thank you, To our GUIDES, Cuong, Truong, Mr Huey / Channak ‘ thank you soooo very much for your knowledge, care / fun.
I would not hesitaste to use Hieńs services again and highly recommend her and her team.

Hotel Reviews

Santa Luxury Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acnos Hotel

The busiest and least personable of the hotels we visited.

Authenticity & Character

No facilities, little character, very plain rooms and bathroom.

Location

Just a short stroll from the Mara let’s and walking street but in a very hectic area

Staff

They were just ok.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ants in our room, dirty floor and. Shard mattress with lumpy old pillow.

Cozy An Boutique Hotel Hoian

Hoi An

A MUST VISIT hotel, a short walk from down town Hoi An, which is good as you are out of the way of the noise and hustle. The service from this hotel from start to finish was EXCEPTIONAL. It is a beautiful boutique hotel with a lovely pool area and bar. The staff were just sensational and our room was beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rosaleen Boutique Hotel

Hue

Very helpful, friendly staff and nice hotel with sufficient amenities in the centre of old Hue.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dragon Legend Cruise

Hon Gai

SUPERB from start to finish. EXCEPTIONAL. AMAZING CABINS!!! WONDERFUL STAFF.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Lion Kings Hotel & Resort

Authenticity & Character

Not much character

Location

A bit out of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A pretty basic room and standard

Borei Angkor Resort & Spa

Siem Reap

SIMPLY WONDERFUL from start to finish.

Authenticity & Character

Super luxe. Amazing wooden detail, waterfalls, fish ponds, artwork, Felt authentic and opulent.

Location

Very close to where everything is in SIem Reap but far enough away not to be noisy. Set back off the road for ease / comfort. A magnificent en trance.

Staff

Every attention to detail was given. We were treated like royalty.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Impeccable ‘ every detail.

Pu Luong Valley Home

Thanh Hoa

STUNNING hotel set in the rice terraces of Pu Luong. AMAZING room with beautiful view over the terraces to the mountains. We were the only guests at the hotel so had exclusive access to the infinity pool, bar, restaurant. Everything was just wonderful and I highly recommend this hotel and that you visits Pu Luong.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stunning room

Dal Vostro Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Very professional and friendly service in a city centre ‘ old town ‘ hotel. Ideal location for seeing the real old Hanoi.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Banteay Srei - Floating Village - City tour

Siem Reap

We did some temples, Tomb Raider for one, today as because it was a public holiday we switched activity days. We were glad to see Tomb Raider separately from the other temples so we could really appreciate it and it was our favourite. Lunch was great. The floating village experience was excellent although it was hard to see the conditions in which people live along the river and in the villages. A very raw experience. Channel, our guide was excellent and is a truly lovely genuine man.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day Angkor sightseeing and Ta Prohm temple

Siem Reap

A must do while in Cambodia experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

We had a great day. It was a long drive. Interesting visit to brick making and coconut candy making etc. The Mekong River boat trip was wonderful and the food at the home stay was delicious. A very special experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This guide was super friendly and chatty but we felt he rushed us ‘ just a little

Transport

Cooking Class by Vy's Market - Holiday Master Class

Hoi An

The cooking demonstrator was excellent an d super friendly and lots of fun and I loved what I cooked. The trip around the markets was great too and the cafe where we had tea. Highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cycling in Cam Thanh & Thanh Dong Organic Farm Visit

Vietnam

Simply LOVED this experience and the guide was EXCELLENT. Everything about this morning was brilliant. LOVED IT

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On bikes!

Fairytale Ba Na Hills Day Trip - Visit Golden Hand Bridge

Vietnam

Had a super fun day but did not realise it was a theme park. Felt a bit rushed. The lunch buffet was out of this world and the cable car a big adventure.

Quality of Experience

Food

I have never seen a buffet like this before ‘ truly amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide appeared distracted and rushed.

Transport

Hue Sightseeing Half Day Tour

Hue

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cu Chi Tunnels & Half Day City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

We definitely felt rushed on this trip by the guide. It was quite a long drive for a short experience. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable but we just felt rushed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Not the best lunch we had although it was nice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Tam Giang Lagoon

Hue

One of the highlights of our trip. This felt very special / authentic. Everything about this was terrific.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vung Vieng Fishing Village - Halong Harbor (Indochina Junk)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Cuc Phuong National Park

Ninh Binh

We didnt do this as there had been torrential rain the day and night before and we didnt fancy the leeches or walking in the mud, so Cuong organised an alternate activity for us which we thoroughly enjoyed

Hoa Lu - Tam Coc (Half Day)

Vietnam

Loved Tam Coc, one of our favourite places and cycling the town then going down the river was one of our highlight experiences.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trekking In Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

We loved this activity even with the rain. Felt like locals and the scenery was stunning and Cuong was very good company.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Halong Harbor - Bai Tu Long Bay - Thien Canh Son Cave (Dragon Legend cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Outstanding service and team on the Dragon Legend. Felt like royalty!

Trekking to Don Village

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

We just loved this activity. Simple, basic, raw and authentic. Stunning scenery.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Cuong made this lots of fun! We loved the food and the adventure and this was a great start to our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hanoi city sightseeing full day - with SOS Children Village

Hanoi

Cuong was a BRILLIANT guide and Realistic Asia is very lucky to have him. H ensured we had the best time in Hanoi, saw all the most important sites and had lots of fun ‘ at our pace. He is very kind and caring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cuong and Mr Dong were fabulous

Transport

Loved the big car

The trip planning was seemless. The local guides were amazing and the itinerary was perfect for our family. We truly enjoyed our experience with KimKim.

Mr Cường was a fantastic guide. He was funny and very knowledgeable about Vietnam and the places we went. Mr Hai, our driver, was very hospitable and always had water waiting for us in the car. The activities planned were fun and gave us a good mix of Vietnamese culture and landscape. I would highly recommend KimKim tours to anyone planning a trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

This hotel is located in the heart of the old quarter which made walking to shops and restaurants very easy. We highly recommend the Met restaurant for good, authentic Vietnamese food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renea Cruises Halong

Hon Gai, Ha Long

This is a smaller cruise and is perfect! This allowed for a more personal experience and our guide in the boat, Duc, was fantastic. There was a good mix of activities and rest time and food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Boutique Garden

Ninh Binh

Beautiful little boutique hotel. The rooms were large and gave us easy access to shopping and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cap La - Cong Dam - Thien Canh Son cave

Ha Long Bay

I’m glad we spent a second night because we got to go swimming! We swam on the first day after kayaking to the secluded beach but that was more like waddling. The second day, we anchored the little transport boat in the middle of the bay and jumped into the water! It was so refreshing and a good time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

More cruise on the bay - transfer back Hanoi

Vietnam

At the floating fish village, we met cute little puppies!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ninh Binh - Bai Tu Long bay welcome on board

Ha Long Bay

Loved loved loved this cruise. Bai Tu Long Bay is the bay less travelled and it was nice not to be surrounded by other cruises.

Quality of Experience

Food

So much delicious food! You won’t go hungry on this cruise, for sure.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tam Coc - Mua Cave - Thung Nham Bird garden

Ninh Binh

The flowers here were breath taking. We got stuck in a heavy downpour for about 30 minutes but still decided to walk through anyway and was so glad we did. Everything was so lush and colorful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to heritage site Trang An Grottoes

Ninh Binh

Trang A Grottoes is beautiful! It was a very hot day but the scenery was very worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bicycle Tour of Rural Villages - Cultural Tour of Hanoi

Hanoi

We had a rainy two days in Hanoi but still our guide still managed to show us a great time. The bikes were comfortable and Duc made sure to take time to get the right size for my daughter which made a huge difference for her. The cooking demo with the local family was so fun and the food was so good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Central and North Vietnam. Originally we planned on two days in Ho Chi Minh City but due to a traveling companion’s illness we missed the first two days of our trip. Kim Kim was very helpful in rearranging our itinerary so that we could fly into DaNang and start the trip from that point. Kim Kim even got us a few refunds on some of our missed activities.

Our two days in Hoi An were delightful. Our guide David Hau was fantastic. He went over and beyond in arranging for pick up of an item left on the plane. Can’t thank him enough.

Halong Bay was also a must see.

It’s a pleasure for us to review our three week holiday to Vietnam through Kim Kim as we had an amazing trip and would honestly recommend this service to anyone. We flew into Saigon for a two days did a magnificent food tour with two young guides (sorry I’ve forgotten their names) on the back of motorbikes (lots of fun) and saw the Chi Chi tunnels and War museum which although confronting was also incredible to see and a must do if visiting Vietnam IMO. Loan (Ron) was our guide who then took us to The Mekong River. He was an amazing host and taught us a lot. We then went to Hoi An our favourite place on our holiday (beautiful) then Hue, Ninh Binh, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.
We loved everything about this beautiful country and can’t speak highly enough of our tour organiser Huyen who was patient, generous and incredibly professional with her dealings with us. Thankyou very very much Huyen and Kim Kim. Much appreciated!
We hope to visit again soon.
What an amazing place.
No negatives at all just positives.

We have never been into joining tours. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them & they are especially good for those pressed for time & who want to see as much as possible. We have always enjoyed discovering places on our own & in our own time so there was an element of apprehension when I booked our 1 week in Hanoi.
Well it was nothing short of wonderful. From the moment we arrived till the minute we were dropped off at the airport, we were in the best hands possible. Our guide Binh & our driver also called Binh made sure we wanted for nothing. They were always punctual & cheerful. The car was always freshly stocked with bottles of water & Bihn the driver was always making sure the air conditioning was the way we wanted it. Hotels were luxury grade, the meals planned were delicious (my only complaint being there was always too much good food😁)& Bihn our guide made sure we saw as much as we could & was chock full of information regarding the places we visited. The highlight for us was Ha Long bay on the Indochine which was highly recommended by the travel agency.
The local travel agency through Nguyen messaged us 3 times during the week to ask how we were doing & called us today as we were driving to the airport to say goodbye.
I have to give credit to Trang & Kimkim travels through whom I booked. I would use them again without hesitation. They asked me what I wanted, listened carefully & they delivered.
Loved Hanoi, the people, the places, the food, the warmth & the hospitality. 🙏❤️
https://www.kimkim.com

Our trip planning was extremely smooth and easy. We wanted to balance city exploration with experiences in country side, exploring local villages and exploring outdoors through activities such as walks, hikes, bikes rides, kayaking with lots of downtime as well. Our travel agent arranged a private tour with our own guide and driver. Every detail was arranged and handled. The trip went extremely smoothly. During our trip there was a historic heatwave that made parts of the program challenging but they handled these challenges smoothly and modified time or small details to ensure our comfort but without compromising the value. We appreciated the warm, hospitality, friendliness, and knowledge that our team shared with us.

Hotel Reviews

Victory Star Cruise

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Retreat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luông Natura Bungalows

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mai Chau Villas

Authenticity & Character

Has all the amenities of a resort with the charm and village location of a home stay. Location was perfect for biking/walking around villages, visiting farm stand, or relaxing. Meals are home cooked and delicious. The cabins are beautiful and spacious.

Location

Staff

Still has the feel of a family owned establishment. They were friendly, kind, and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sunline Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Halong Bay - Hanoi

Vietnam

Pu Luong - Ninh Binh: Visit Hoa Lu & Tam Coc Boat Trip

Vietnam

Ninh Binh - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

Hanoi - Mai Chau

Mai Chau

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first visit to Viet Nam. We wanted to see as much as possible in 12 nights so our itinerary was pretty full on but it gave us the chance to have a fantastic look at and feel for the country.

It has made us want to return, do a more leisurely trip and choose to stay at the places we liked the most.

From the moment we made contact with Ashley to organise an itinerary, until the moment we boarded our last flight the entire trip ran like clock work and Ashley made herself available to us at any time should we need advice or extra info.

There were many highlights, we really loved the Vespa food tour in Saigon and the Capella cruise in Halong Bay. But seriously everything was brilliant.

Do not hesitate to book with KimKim travel, they are truly professionals and their ground staff/tour guides are amazing too. Special shout out to Vic for the Vespa tour for making us feel safe amongst the millions of bikes 👍.

Prepare yourself to eat some amazing food, and all the local beers hit the spot exactly after a long day (or a coconut coffee ). Just do it.