Fantastic, inspiring travel in Vietnam and Thailand
Vietnam | Sep 29 - Oct 20, 2026

Cheryl
Cheryl L.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Oct 26, 2026

The itinerary and our travel experiences were outstanding in every way. From the drivers who met us with punctuality, to our local guides, and all the people we interacted with at our places of lodging, we were treated with utmost kindness, respect, and friendliness. Everyone was very professional, and seemed to have our best interest at heart.
Our guides were skilled, knowledgeable, efficient, interactive, friendly, and very supportive. Jun in Hanoi. Quoc in Ninh Binh. Fin in Hochi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. Kat in Bang Kok. Every one of them, stellar guides.
In every instance, our lodging was comfortable, and offered an excellent accommodation for overnight stays.
I especially enjoyed Coco Riverside Lodge. What a beautiful place along the river in a lovely tropical setting!
I also loved Rocky’s in Koh Samui. The staff were excellent. At Coco Riverside and Rocky’s we had the priviledge of interacting with the owner (Coco Riverside) and the General Manager (Rocky’s). Many personal touches made our visit at these places memorable.
I’ll mention again that the itinerary was very well planned and included many places of interest. Spending the final four days of our trip on Koh Samui was an excellent plan!! Being able to get out into the villages and interact with people and their culture was a highlight for me.
All the 26 modes of transportation made the experience enjoyable and quite varied!!
The food was amazing!!! Always ample. In fact, at times there was too much food and it made me sad to think it might be wasted.
The vans offered very comfortable travel and always had cold water available and often cold wipes. (It was very hot and humid!!) The drivers were always on time or early and safe.
Honestly, I wouldn’t change anything about our itinerary. I enjoyed every thing we did! The pacing was good for me. The time spend at each place seemed just about right!!
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone!! I’m not sure what would have made it better. We learned a lot. Ate the best food. Had the best accommodations, Had knowledgeable and experienced guides. I’ll be thinking about this experience for a long time. Our group of four made many wonderful memories.
Kimkim and Realistic Asia are top notch travel experts and planners. I felt well supported and was glad to know that we had someone to contact if necessary. Would highly recommend!!
Thank you. Thank you, for this unforgettable travel experience.

Hotel Reviews
Hong Ngoc Dynastie Hotel & Spa
Hanoi

Comfortable. Great buffet breakfast.

Authenticity & Character
Location
In the middle of old town Hanoi.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Gateway Inn Pu Luong

Great views from the hotel balcony and our room.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Amour Cruise

A fun way to see more of VietNam.

Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Acnos Grand Hotel
Ho Chi Minh

Great location.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Coco Riverside Lodge

Don’t miss staying at this place!!! What a beautiful, delightful location and fantastic staff. Enjoyed ALL the experiences we had starting our from this hotel. The grounds are so lovely. Peaceful. Quiet. Great staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Located along the river in a well cared for tropical environment.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Silom Serene Hotel
Bangkok

Great location. Large comfortable rooms. Professional, accommodating staff.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rocky's Boutique Resort
Amphur Koh Samui, Suratthani

The food was fabulous. The pools were great. A fantastic location right at the waters of the Gulf of Thailand. The staff were outstanding and very professional. Had several lovely conversations with the hotel General Manager. So happy to have four nights here!!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Hanoi Evening Walking Street Food Tour
Hanoi Evening Walking Street Food Tour
Hanoi

We dove right into the food scene. What a great way to begin the trip with this excellent introduction to the food. A highlight.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hanoi Fullday City Tour  with Train Track Coffee Enjoying
Hanoi Fullday City Tour with Train Track Coffee Enjoying
Hanoi

Informative. Exciting.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Vietnam
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Pu Luong Full Day Easy Rider -  Caving | Riding | Swimming
Pu Luong Full Day Easy Rider - Caving | Riding | Swimming
Pu Luong Nature Reserve
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore Pu Luong Iconic Rice Terrace & Local Brocade (Excursions)
Explore Pu Luong Iconic Rice Terrace & Local Brocade (Excursions)
Vietnam

It was wonderful to see the countryside up close. Learned a lot about local culture.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels
Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels
Ho Chi Minh City
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Samui Elephant Home
Samui Elephant Home
Vietnam

This was a highlight and so worth the time!! Inspiring to see the way the elephants were cared for! The lunch they served was unexpected and was wonderful!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore The Lush Countryside Of The Mekong Delta (3D2N)
Explore The Lush Countryside Of The Mekong Delta (3D2N)
Vietnam

A highlight. Biking….Such a great way to experience the countryside.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Hien Do
Hien
Hien Do
Local specialist in Vietnam | Replied on Oct 27, 2026
Dear Cheryl, Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely and detailed review. Reading your kind words has really made my day! 😊 I’m so happy to hear that you and your group had a wonderful time in Vietnam and Thailand and that everything went smoothly throughout the trip. I’ll definitely pass your kind words on to our guides, Dung in Hanoi, Quoc in Pu Luong, Phi in Ho Chi Minh City, and Kat in Bangkok. They’ll be so happy to hear that you enjoyed spending time with... Read more

Dear Cheryl,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely and detailed review.

Reading your kind words has really made my day! 😊 I’m so happy to hear that you and your group had a wonderful time in Vietnam and Thailand and that everything went smoothly throughout the trip.

I’ll definitely pass your kind words on to our guides, Dung in Hanoi, Quoc in Pu Luong, Phi in Ho Chi Minh City, and Kat in Bangkok. They’ll be so happy to hear that you enjoyed spending time with them.

Thank you again for your time, kindness, and for choosing KimKim for your journey. It was a pleasure to be part of your journey, and I hope there will be many more wonderful trips waiting for you with KimKim in the future!

Wishing you all lots of happy travels and beautiful memories ahead!

Warm wishes from Hanoi,
Hien