Ashley Nguyen

Ashley listened to us a created a fantastic trip combining the city, history, mountains, countryside and water. We traveled by bike, motorcycle, bus, plane and boat - all perfectly executed by Ashley and Kim Kim with all pick ups and drop offs, multiple drivers and guides and planned events. We were surprised at how GOOD EVERYTHING was - both the expected (the majesty of Halong Bay and the wonderful organized chaotic buzz of Hanoi) and the unexpected (very interesting and fun to learn about coffee and how to make drinks, walking through the alleyways of Hanoi with a brilliant guide on a food tour, the quiet mountains, decompressing watching the Mekong Delta, the markets, the detailed discussions with guides while on long walks). I am not a foodie - worse, I am vegan - and for vegans shy of travel I should mention that the food was amazing - and guides always confirmed / called ahead and asked questions to ensure that all worked for me. I have never eaten so well or such fresh produce. Lastly, the hotels, homestays and lodges that Ashley booked for us were perfect -- small, attentive helpful staff, efficient laundry service (perfect as we travel with only carry ons) and good for a cold beer in the late afternoon post the days exploration and the night's activities. Huge thank you to Ashley and KimKim for creating such a memorable trip!

My family and I went to Thailand from the 25th of December until the 6th of January.
Just want to say that Kim Kim organized our luxury trip very well and were always available if we needed any help. My family and I had a fantastic time and Ashley was extremely helpful with the organization as were the local guides like Winni in Bangkok and Dada in Puquet. We found everyone kind, and helpful. I would recommend this group to organize whatever you need with hotels, tours and airline tickets.

Overall the trip was great. We had a ton of help from Ashley and she was very responsive during the trip when we wanted to change some plans or had questions. The places to stay she helped us choose were lovely. The private rides she set up for us were very timely. My only complaint is a couple of the guided trips were not what we expected. We did an all day private Phi Phi Island trip, our guide took us to 3 Islands and did a stop at another Island. The guide was pleasant as was the crew but the places we went (except for the snorkeling) were incredibly crowded. I understand the time of year is very busy but I hoped with a private trip we would have been offered options to go somewhere away from the crowds since we didn't have specific places we wanted to see. Our Bangkok food tour was similar. We went to China town which was incredibly crowded. Again our guide was great and found us excellent food but it was so busy there were few places to sit and we could barely walk through the crowds. As it was also a private trip, we would have been happy to be told that the usual places were very busy and been given the option to go somewhere less popular. In general we were happy but, when paying extra for private excursions, we would have appreciated more flexibility and been happy to not join the biggest possible crowds in order to go the most popular places. We didn't love Ao Nang, it was pretty but super busy with people, loud music and clubs, we wished we'd stayed at Railay Bay instead. We really loved the quiet of the jungle and lake stay at Khao Sok as well as the hiking in Chiang Mai to visit the Karin people's village. We bought the most beautiful handmade scarves there for souvenirs. Our favorite meal was the one we cooked at Ya's cooking school out of Krabi!

Ashley was with me every step of the way as this was a trip that was planned almost three years in the making as life kept lifing. Ashley was patient, and we collaborated on an excellent vietnam trip with no blips. I will use her again

Hotel Reviews

La Siesta Classic Ma May

Hanoi

Excellent hotel and staff, with a french vibe. Food was great, location was perfect for me

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Capella Cruise

Halong

This was such a great experience for a cruise, staff was really helpful and hospitable, rooms were to die for

Authenticity & Character

Location

M

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Northern Charm Hotel

Staff was great and in the heart of district 1. Everything was in walking distance

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazing Sapa

Sa Pa

Great staff, room was a little Old but great views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Novotel Ha Long Bay

Authenticity & Character

Location

K

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cu Chi Tunnels & Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Great information of the past, got to do shooting range

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour

Hanoi

Only bad thing was that i could not finish the food

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk To The Love Waterfall And Heaven Gate

Sapa

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We booked our trip through kimkim, and everything was handled with great professionalism. Our trip was assigned to the local agency Realistic Asia, and they were fantastic. They were always available, keeping us informed about each day’s details and even giving advice for our free days. On short notice, they also helped us arrange extra activities that weren’t originally in the plan — for example, just a day before, they managed to organize a full day of tours, guides, and transportation exactly as we wanted.

The guided tours added so much to the overall experience. The guides were not only knowledgeable about the sites and history but also warm and friendly, sharing personal stories, Vietnamese customs, and modern life. They happily answered all our questions and showed us places we would never have discovered on our own.

Having everything arranged and knowing someone was always there to help or solve any issue made it easy to fully relax and enjoy the trip. We totally recommend kimkim and Realistic Asia!

One piece of advice for future travelers: take the time to really go through the proposed plan. The itinerary is great as is, but you may want to add extra activities or spend more time in certain places (for example, I wished we had more time in Hoi An and Hue instead of Da Nang). Customizing a bit more can make your trip even more special.

Kim Kim knows how to plan a trip! Our tour in northern Vietnam was impeccably arranged with seamless pickups and transfers. All the local guides were amazing and knowledgeable. The scenery and activities we experienced were spectacular. Ashley, the KimKim coordinator, stayed in close touch every day by WhatsApp to ensure our trip was going well. Five stars!

We loved our trip!
We would 100% recommend Kimkim and Ashley.

Ashley was in contact with us every step of the way, always providing just the right amount of information, and she was incredibly quick to make adjustments when we decided to add two extra tours.

Our tour guide Bao in Sapa was our favorite, though each guide we met was unique and shared not only details about the sights but also insights into the Vietnamese way of life and thinking. The rice fields, Fansipan, and the waterfalls were breathtaking. However, the Ecolodge (our hotel in Sapa) was a bit disappointing—there was a lot of humidity and an unpleasant smell in the rooms.

In contrast, the hotel in Hanoi was fantastic! The rooms were wonderful, and the staff were extremely helpful and welcoming. We also loved the Jeep tour—it was such fun! The only thing we would have added was a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

The cruise in Ha Long Bay was perfect! The crew made everything fun and easy-going while still being very professional. The rooms were absolutely dreamy.

A special thank you to Ashley for immediately rearranging our bus when we mentioned it wasn’t convenient—she made everything so smooth.

Da Nang wasn’t our favorite stop. While the hotel was excellent and the spa there was amazing, we felt the city itself didn’t have as much to offer. We’d recommend staying two days in Da Nang and adding one more day in Hoi An instead, which was lovely. Our guide in Hoi An did a fantastic job, listened to our needs, and tailored the experience perfectly.

Saigon was a revelation! The Vespa tour was one of the absolute highlights of our trip—the guides there spoke the best English of all and made the experience unforgettable. All the tours and guides in Saigon were excellent.

Overall, every airport transfer was on time and seamless, all the hotels were in great locations, and thanks to Kimkim and Ashley, the only thing we had to worry about was having fun!

Hotel Review

La Casta Cruise

Halong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Saigon By Night - Street Food Tour By Vespa (Updated)

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide, Mai in Hanoi was amazing! She was super knowledgeable about the culture and history of Vietnam. We learned so much from her. She was always prompt with our drivers and kept us on schedule without feeling rushed.
Our guide, Zo Zo in Sapa was also a fabulous guide. We did a six mile trek with her and she was great in giving us the lifestyle of the Vietnamese in the mountains. We also went to the temples on top of indochina. Amazing trip!