Realistic Asia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hotel Reviews

The Oriental Jade Hotel

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jiva Hoa Lu Retreat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Orchid Classic Cruise

Hai Phong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

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

Moire Hoi An, Vignette Collection

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Exploration & Vietnamese Coffee Tasting

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tam Coc Secret Landscape by E Bike

Ninh Binh

Quality of Experience

Food

Our favorite meal of the trip!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lantern Making & Thanh Dong Organic Farm ( HUT)

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service (including visa application)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - Mua Cave

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

Activity Review

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

Bali

Well worth the trip. I would highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport