Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

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

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Majestic Saigon

Ho Chi Minh

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Aira Boutique Hoi An Hotel & Villa

Hoi An

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capella Cruise

Halong

We had a comfortable cruise ! Good staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Topas Ecolodge

sapa

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bespoke Trendy Hotel Hanoi

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Highlights

Ho Chi Minh City

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Ha Long Bay

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek to Lech Dzao & Thanh Kim Villages

Sapa

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

Good street food tour .

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Fullday City Tour with Train Track Coffee Enjoying

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

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

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Street food walking tour (S)

Hanoi

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Join Cooking Class and Market Tour in Hanoi

Hanoi

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cap La - Ha Long International Port (Renea cruise)

Ha Long Bay

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

FIVE STARS!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best regards, Barb Crook

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

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

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

Hotel Reviews

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

Sapa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Amazing views from the hotel

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Green Bay Resort Phu Quoc

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Allure Hotel

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mai House Saigon

HCMC

Lovely hotel wish we could have stayed longer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Ve

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Indochine Lan Ha Cruise

Hai Phong

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrival in Hanoi - Transfer to Halong Bay by private car

Vietnam

Very smooth driver waiting at the right time for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Full Day City Exploration

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vietnam was our third trip with Kimkim and all three of them were a success. At planning stage it is very useful that there are already many sample trip plans available, so final plan can be reached fairly quickly. In our case already first proposal from Mr. Minh was very good, so later we did very little tuning till our final trip plan.
From organisational point of view trip execution was flowless! All events were prompt, guides knowledgeable and drivers professional. During whole trip we had regular WhatsApp communication with local team, so we always had a feeling that we are in good hands.

The trip was amazing. Long did such a fabulous job on every level. There was not one part of the trip that wasn't fabulous. The people of Vietnam are friendly, hard working, funny and just a joy to be around. The culture, history and determination of Vietnam's people should not be missed. We had several great guides and drivers. Special thanks to

Alex
Willie
Jackie
Mr Wee

Our guides saw to every detail and ensure we had a blast. I loved the entire trip but you absolutely must take a vespa tour around Hanoi. We visited small villages, ate with friendly amazing people, visited cities and so many wonderful places. It is definitely a return destination.

A special thanks to Kimkim and Long. He did such an amazing job setting this up. He put up with tons of questions and made sure it was perfect (which it was). I will continue to use Kimkim for any adventure. Thank you Long! You are the best!

Hotel Reviews

Anantara Hoi An Resort

Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

great spot for visiting the downtown and getting clothes made. The hotel is awesome and the people amazing. if you want to walk to the market and boats this is the place to go.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pilgrimage Village Hue

Hue

Hue was probably my favorite place on the trip and this hotel and staff were by far my favorite. Everyone was good but this hotel was in a perfect location and a perfect staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capella Cruise

Halong

This was a great adventure. I enjoyed the Kayaking the most. The schedule is tight and timely but it was an amazing experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Garden Resort

Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province

This is a gem of the wild.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Retreat

Thanh Hoa

This is a great place surrounded by rice fields and friendly people. We did a 10 mile hike around small villages and it was simply amazing. This was a great place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silk Path Grand Resort & Spa Sapa

Lao Cai

I wish I could have spent more time here. The hotel is amazing and the spa and pool were awesome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi - MGallery

Perfect location in the old quarter! breakfast was amazing and the staff incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hoa Lu - Tam Coc (Half Day)

Vietnam

Hiking and rafting in Pu Luong

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

This was awesome! Out in country but you can just explore local villages on your own if you wish.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue - halfday city tour with lunch

Hue

Hue was my favorite place. The bike ride was awesome and we loved the citadel

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ma Tra - Ta Phin

Sapa

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trek to Lech Dzao & Thanh Kim Villages

Sapa

Loved the local culture and crafts

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Remote Villages of Ban Khoang & Ta Giang Phin

Sapa

This is why I went to Vietnam. The people were amazing. yes they want you to buy a few small things but it was well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Sightseeing Tour

Hoi An

Got to visit the ancient places in Hoi An. it was a great morning and then we bought to many lanterns.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hidden Trails of Pù Luông

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Jackie and the group did an amazing 10M hike. So fun to see the culture and talk to the local people

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Cam Thanh Village

Hoi An

This was a lot of tourists but so fun. It is worth the trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Afternoon City Exploration and Street Food Tour

Hanoi

Did Vespa all day! It was amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Vespa Tour

Hanoi

Alex was awesome! you absolutely have to do this. It was a highlight of my life.

Quality of Experience

Food

All of it. Alex took us to the most special place (Obama restaurant).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Imperial City Tour - Boat & Bike Ride to Rural Villages

Hue

Amazing!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Disembarking the cruise

Ha Long Bay

Halong Bay Exploration on Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Do the Kayaking

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ashley is 5 star!

She is a detail oriented consultant who worked with us closely to build an amazing experience on a short visit to Saigon. I would highly recommend Ashley to anyone considering a visit to SE Asia.

Hotel Review

La Siesta Premium Sai Gon

This is an upscale, boutique hotel in the heart of Saigon, within walking distance of top historic sights and neighborhoods. The staff is very accommodating and attentive to guests needs. I recommend anyone considering a stay in Saigon for business or pleasure consider La Siesta Premium.

Location

Activity Review

Saigon By Night - Vintage Vespa Street Food Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

This was the highlight of our stay. The sights, sounds, and smells of Saigon at night, in the cooler night air, is the best experience. I'll do this again when I return. The only suggestion would be to adjust the final stop of the evening to a bar or club appropriate to the age of the guest. Jazz club perhaps for the older ladies and gentlemen. The louder, more pop/rap bar for younger set.

What an amazing experience! Minh was great to work with while planning the trip. Bang Bang was a superb tour guide, so enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful. Our driver, Hero (? Spelling), was excellent and reliable. The Peridot Hotel - room, staff, and breakfast -exceeded our expectations. Bang Bang was especially good at gaining entrance into people’s homes along our walks in the villages. We saw so much. The rice plant terracing was spectacular. Ha Long Bay adventure was excellent - plush accommodations, very good food, and fun excursions. Riding behind guys driving motorcycles and vespas was not as scary as I thought it would be. It was fun in Hanoi. We enjoyed the food, too. We strongly recommend the kimkim team in Hanoi!

Long was incredibly professional, helpful, engaged & respectful from start to finish
He helped us create the perfect Thailand adventure for our specifications & budget.
He knocked it out of the park!
Our local guides & drivers were all fabulous. Available to answer questions, help with directions/requests/last minute activities. They all made us feel special at every turn.
Thank you Long, Saiyamarn, Kai, Noot ❤️

Tour guides were excellent! In Saigon, he displayed excellent knowledge of the city. In Hanoi, he assisted us in getting tickets to water puppet show and was most knowledgeable regarding tour stops. The excursion to Ha Long Bay was definitely a highlight; the company selected was top notch. I would not hesitate to use tour company again.

Crazy but beautiful country.

Thanks you to Trang for very efficient organisation and also Mr Sang who was a very enjoyable tour guide.

Hotel Reviews

La Casta Cruise

Halong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Premium Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Rooms very dated. Cold shower.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sanouva Saigon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I’m

Transport

Ben Tre Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

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

Tommy n Jun are good guides. The drivers are all friendly, eventhough we could not communicate. We like Jun more, he is very kind n sincere. We didn't have a chance to see the museum in Hanoi since the museum is closed every Monday.

Activity Reviews

Onboarding Cruise To Lan Ha Bay (Orchid Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Must go.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Vietnam

Must go.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing

Sapa

We didn't like it, nothing to see.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

Must go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Beauty of Hanoi Capital with experience the Water Puppet show

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Bun Cha n nem

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Minh is was knowledgeable of the area and provided great recommendations.
The food tour he hosted was fun!
He was always friendly, accommodating and punctual

Hotel Reviews

Swan Cruise

Great experience. Rooms were lovely and spacious. Upper deck was very spacious, clean and had great 360° views of Ha Long Bay. Service was superb. The food was okay, didn't seem as authentically Vietnamese. Drinks are expensive as all pricing is in USD.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silkotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Location was excellent. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Rooms were very clean and spacious. Breakfast was excellent when many food options. Umbrella rental service was great especially due to the torrential rain.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the main center of Hoian

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sapa Charm Hotel

Spacious rooms with a lovely view of the mountain and valleys of SaPa. Only thing I found a bit of a nuisance was the wooden bathtub in the shower took up a lot of room.

Location

More quiet and not too far from the city center of SaPa.

Staff

Very accommodating and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anatole Hotel Hanoi

Location was perfect, just a few steps away from the bustling Old Quarters in Hanoi. Service and service staff were very friendly, attentive, prompt and bilingual. Room were very clean and comfortable. Breakfast was delightful with an array of fresh fruits and vietnamese and western style breakfast available. Amenities were phenomenal with the rooftop pool/bar along with the steam, sauna and whirlpool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not far from the Old Quarters and Hoan Kiem Lake Park.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely clean and presentable

Activity Reviews

Hoi An Free Day

Hoi An

Great place to visit and indulge in the local culture, cuisine and shops. Easy to get around town once you get familiarized with the area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Hoi An Fishing Village - Ancient Town Walking with Street Food Tasting

Hoi An

A nice way to immerse yourself in the day to days of a local fisherman. Having the opportunity to cast the fishing nets and learning how to repair it was cool. But most of all having the opportunity to sit down and ask them questions about how Hoian has changed and how global warming and tourism has impacted the community both from a positive and negative aspect. Food tour in HoiAn was phenomenal, lots of great and tasty street food options. Our local guide was awesome and knew all the cool places to eat both touristy and off-the-beaten-path

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fansipan Peak - Cat Cat Village - Limousine bus back to Hanoi

Vietnam

Day 2 in SaPa with our lovely tour guide. Great experience walking from our hotel to the next village. Experiencing the local people, culture, folk music and day to days was lovely. Fansipan park later in the day was another great way to top off our experience. Seeing the world's highest situated Buddah statue in the world was phenomenal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lao Cai - Sapa - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Sapa

Sapa

A great way to experience the local cuisine and life of habitats in the region. Do note, comfortable hiking shoes and rain gear is always recommended as you'll be doing a lot for walking down uncharted terrain where you can really experience the beauty of the countryside. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating.

Quality of Experience

Please see review.

Food

Food at our lunch-stop was so delicious. Lovely view of the rice fields while indulging in local cuisine

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Accommodating

Hanoi - Ninh Binh: Tam Coc - Mua Cave

Hanoi

Great experience. The views are spectacular however just wear comfortable hiking shoes. The Eco Park was phenomenal followed by the bost tour along the water and into the caves. The food we had (lunch) in between activities was okay, quality was not the best.

Quality of Experience

Something different to experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall kind, courteous and accommodating

Transport

Clean and accommodating

Hanoi and walking street food tour

Hanoi

Great overall experience with our guide. Some of the food places were okay, we did find a few places that were much better on our own.

Quality of Experience

Food

The particular place with the chicken feet was not as enjoyable as l thought.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly, informative and patient

Transport

Hien was a great tour planner. Everything from transportation to activities was seamless and well-organized. She also addressed any needs we had promptly while in Vietnam. Our tour was the perfect mix of activity and relaxation!

Hotel Reviews

Doris Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Clos Du Fil Hotel

Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Siesta Classic Hang Thung

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - Halong bay - Lan Ha Bay ( Doris cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Buffet selection seemed random. Would be better if Vietnamese food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Local Market, Basket Boat, Fishing & Cooking Experience

Hoi An

Great way to experience the local boats and market. Cooking class with spring rolls and ginger chicken dish was excellent also.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Insider’s Hanoi - Vespa Tours ( Joint tour)

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

More selection available would be nice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

We went back to the Suong Pho two more times. Great tour!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Minh was super helpful and everyone at Footprint Travel (which is the local company KimKim used). Our tour operator Thuy was very attentive and made sure that we were well taken care of including car pick up, hotel, breakfast and general questions. I love how I could completely customize the tour I wanted, and Minh made some recommendations about certain areas which was good to take note of. They were extremely flexible and considerate. The tour fit within our budget and was chosen appropriately but the food on the Halong bay cruise from Swan Cruises could be better. I would have wanted the Hanoi street food tour to be a bit more adventurous foods rather than pho and banh mi but it was still very tasty, we went to more local spots on our own free time. Hoi An was unfortunately monsoon season so it poured rain everyday but our local guide was still super positive and even offered his better quality poncho for me to use instead of my broken one. Sapa trek was a lot of walking but we enjoyed the mountain terraces and the local food lunch. Fanispan was also a lot of stairs but very very cool gondola!! Fanispan is a bit tourist gimicky but once you get to the temple part it’s great. We did the overnight Sapa train and surprisingly it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but very basic. I was actually able to get some sleep, and Minh/Thuy made sure we were able to shower before and after the train. Ninh binh was amazing, I wish I had a bit more time there but you can only squeeze in so much in 11 days! We enjoyed our free time days in Hanoi and Hoi An to just explore on our own, and so glad that this was an option as part of KimKim. We would 100% return to Vietnam and definitely use KimKim again!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Silkotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Umbrella rentals food, food was good, staff were nice, good amenities!

Authenticity & Character

Great!

Location

Off to the side a but but still close walking to central area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swan Cruise

The experience and room was fantastic but the food was too westernized, and everything was expensive in US dollars.

Authenticity & Character

Great room with a balcony!

Location

The bay views are amazing

Staff

Staff was very attentive and informative

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was great and everything was pretty clean. We heard our neighbours had a foul smell in there rooms in the lower floors.

Sapa Charm Hotel

Good but tub was a bit weird. Location was not as close to downtown Sapa but great views.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice and had some charm.

Location

Wish it was a bit closer to downtown but it was convenient to trek from.

Staff

Language skills could be improved.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable.

Anatole Hotel Hanoi

Best breakfast of all the hotels on the trip. The staff are super attentive and amazing and actually remembered our names. The steam room and shower and pool facilities were great to use even after we checked out that morning. Would definitely stay here again. Location was also great!!

Authenticity & Character

The rooms are modern and clean.

Location

Very walkable and close to many things.

Staff

Staff actually remembered our names!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Departure - Goodbye Vietnam!

Vietnam

We had a free day and just arranged for transport to airport only, loved having free time to pick up any last minute souvenirs!

Quality of Experience

Hoi An Free Day

Hoi An

Big fan of free days and exploring at your own pace, also gives a chance for rest when itinerary is jam packed!

Quality of Experience

Hoi An Fishing Village - Ancient Town Walking with Street Food Tasting

Hoi An

Jam packed day but it was great even despite the heavy torrential rains! Our guide kept positive and we had a great time fishing, biking, boating, cooking, and seeing the silk worms! To top it all off we had plenty of great food on the food tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay Morning Activities

Ha Long Bay

We enjoyed the cave and morning Tai Chi. Also transportation back home was very streamlined.

Quality of Experience

Food

The pho noodles were undercooked, but at least coffee, juice, and tea were included for breakfast.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

The views were breathtaking and we liked our room, just the food was a bit too westernized and the drinks were in USD and very expensive compared to the rest of our trip. We enjoyed the cave, the squid fishing, and the cooking class, and the kayaking to a secluded beach.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was catered to more western tastes instead of being more authentic. Drinks were also the most expensive of the trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fansipan Peak - Cat Cat Village - Limousine bus back to Hanoi

Vietnam

We enjoyed our walk to CatCat although it was a bit rainy and the stones leading down to CatCat were very slippery so I couldn’t enjoy the view and was looking down the whole time at the ground. Once we arrived at CatCat it was beautiful blue sky and stopped raining. The village was beautiful and very picturesque. No Hmong locals followed us this time so it was better. I was very tired from the hike the previous day so we had to pay extra to get a taxi to drive us back up the 3km hill (uphill the whole way!) I wish they had the private driver pick us up from CatCat there but oh well. We had free time for lunch in Sapa then got driven to Fansipan. Fanispan and the temples itself is beautiful but the surrounding area is very touristy. I enjoyed the views from the gondola.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was kind of sick so he got me sick from the long drive back to the train station.

Transport

Wanted a pick up from CatCat back uphill.

Lao Cai - Sapa - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Sapa

Sapa

Lots of walking! But amazing views of the rice terraces. It was muddy so we got very dirty! Lunch was very tasty! The Hmong people following you down the entire 8km trek is annoying but they actually helped us from falling and slipping so I guess it was okay. Makes you feel pressured to buy things. Make sure you have good hiking shoes with grip!!

Quality of Experience

Walk was a bit difficult due to the mud and my husband did not have grip on his shoes so he slipped several times. It was an amazing trek though!

Food

Very tasty!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide is a local Hmong but she’s friends with all the locals which makes it awkward when they ask you to buy things. She was lovely though.

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh: Tam Coc - Mua Cave

Hanoi

Views and experience was amazing but the food at the restaurant was not good.

Quality of Experience

Lunch food could be better

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great!

Transport

Driver fell asleep a few times and did not pick up phone calls but we were able to find him due to my luggage AirTag :p

Hanoi and walking street food tour

Hanoi

The food line up for this tour is good for people who prefer western food but we like the food a bit more local. We wanted a bit more adventurous food options.

Quality of Experience

A bit too basic for us.

Food

Chicken pho was not as flavorful at the booth they chose. Other foods were tasty, but except the Che I would have been able to access all these foods myself.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was great! He walked a bit too fast though.

Transport

Drivers are great