Northern Vietnam Bliss
Vietnam | Dec 27 - Jan 3, 2023

Dana
Dana C.
Singapore | Reviewed on Jan 05, 2023

Just returned from an 8 day trip planned via KimKim to Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay) and could not recommend KimKim and Realistic Asia’s tours more highly. This was my husband and my first time taking an entirely “tour guided” vacation, as we typically plan and organize everything ourselves. To be honest, when researching KimKim tours, I found mixed reviews (mostly due to covid and changes it forced upon past clients), but after filling out the initial query into the trip, I felt Ashley and the AI questionnaire had a great grasp on the type of travelers we were and our expectations for a private, 2 person tour that focused on nature, getting to know local people and food. When we received the final quote, the price was not much more than if we were to plan it ourselves, but allowed us to sit back and enjoy rather than deal with the stresses of booking and organizing everything before and during the trip. We did food tours, treks through rice fields, visits with local farmers, tastings of rice wine and tea, train rides, cave tours, cooking lessons, and boat cruises…all of which were scheduled exactly as promised- away from the beaten path, individualized and to our level of care and quality. Ashley checked on us throughout the trip and was prompt in replying to any questions or concerns about the trip before and while it was happening. I would definitely travel through KimKim in the future and have no problem recommending them to others who are looking for a reliable, personalized, and responsive agency to make your next dream vacation become a reality.

Hotel Reviews
Aurora Premium Hotel & Spa

Great location and very friendly, responsive staff. Comfortable rooms and a good spread of food for people of all diets for breakfast.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Walkable to many restaurants, shops and local sites of interest.
Staff
Very friendly and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Livitran Express

As far as overnight train rides go, this is one of the most comfortable I’ve been on in SE Asia. The sheets and pillows were very clean and the complimentary snacks and drinks were appreciated. The room was a bit cold in the winter months, but manageable. The rooms were very quiet and we couldn’t hear anyone once they were all in their rooms. The shared bathrooms were surprisingly clean, even at the end of the long journey and I would compare to any average airplane bathroom on a long flight. Stocked with toilet paper and soap as well.

Authenticity & Character
Cute Christmas decorations and an adjustable table lamp made for a nice ambiance at the holidays.
Staff
Great onboarding staff. Had a train staff unlock and open our door as we were about an hour into the trip which was unexpected and unexplained. He said something in Vietnamese then shut the door immediately.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean beds, sheets and fairly clean shared bathrooms
Silk Path Grand Sapa
Lao Cai

Beautiful grounds and architectural details at this hotel. Unfortunately it was extremely foggy our entire stay, but even despite that, the ambiance was incredible. Very kind and caring staff who were attentive and caring in their interactions. The room was large and the bed was a dream to sleep in. Bathroom could use some more ventilation and the drain in the bathtub was very slow. Food at breakfast was amazing and we were spoiled for choice of delicious options. The spa experience was one of a kind and we wished we had more time to enjoy the amazing facilities there- hot and cool plunge pools, sauna, herbal bath and excellent massages. We took the free shuttle into the city center, which was a short trip and always on time. Would highly recommend this hotel as a peaceful and gorgeous spot to start and end your days when exploring Sapa.

Authenticity & Character
Very nicely decorated and attention put into everything from the elevator walls to the high quality furniture.
Location
Just outside of town and up a hill for amazing views. Shuttle regularly takes you into city center if necessary.
Staff
Very attentive and friendly staff in all locations of the hotel- front desk, breakfast, Italian restaurant, spa, drivers.
Cleanliness & Comfort
All spaces were warm and cozy despite the super cold temperatures. We slept soundly and felt pampered in this hotel.
Era Cruises
Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi

A nice, medium sized boat to cruise Halong bay in. The staff were very kind and hospitable, paying attention to details and making sure each group was taken care of in a similar fashion. All activities were run to plan and on time. The boat furnishings, floors and decor were a bit run down, and some repairs and updates would be helpful, but overall a beautiful boat and setting to spend a night. Our room was by far the best part! It was HUGE for a cruise and had an amazing bathroom with large rain shower, beautiful soaking run by the window, lounge chairs on our private deck and fabulous Japanese toilets. The bed was large and comfy and the heating worked efficiently for us during the cold nights. We had a spa treatment which was nice, although the space was also a bit musty and could use some updates to decor. Food was plentiful and the staff did a great job accommodating my vegetarian needs.

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

Super full after this short tour of Hanoi specialty foods. We loved the variety of spots our guide took us and how he gauged where to go next based on our preferences and thoughts. Vegetarian and non-veg options were available at all stops. Our guide was very friendly and easy to laugh with, ask questions and trust for other suggestions to check out during the rest of our stay.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Walking around with a local guide where we stayed was helpful in gathering our bearings for the rest of the trip.
Day Trip to Ba Vi Countryside & Cooking Class
Day Trip to Ba Vi Countryside & Cooking Class
Hanoi

Wonderful variety of activities, scenery and authentic experiences with local people. We enjoyed tasting the rice wine, tea, and SO MUCH food local food (for vegetarians and non). While we didn’t get to ride bikes due to rain, we didn’t feel like that diluted the trip. Our guide was kind, chatty, and helped us in translating and playing games or asking questions with our hosts at each spot. We felt very welcome and while I know there are other tourists who do come to this area, we felt like we were the only ones there and only saw one other small group of expats at lunch. We are grateful for this tour and the insight it gave us into local daily life in the countryside.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Half day Taphin red Dao hill tribe village
Half day Taphin red Dao hill tribe village
Sapa

The walk was mostly on paved roads and our guide was very quiet on the first day. We were challenged to know what to ask and weren’t provided a lot of information. The walk was peaceful and we did meet some local woman artisans, but we felt like their goods were machine made, wrapped in plastic for loads of tourists, and it didn’t quite feel authentic other than seeing one of their homes briefly. We would have rather learned how to make something with them or played games with the local kids than be haggled to buy something most of the walk.

Quality of Experience
The location seemed a bit lack luster. Just walking on a road people drive on most of the time.
Food
Excellent lunch and variety of local options to try
Guides, Drivers and Staff
First day our guide was very quiet and shy. We didn’t feel her as chatty so seemed less knowledgeable than other guides we’ve had.
Transport
We were told that we didn’t have a driver to take us back to the hotel after lunch. After questioning this, we were told actually never mind and that it could be arranged, but my husband could not leave his bag in the van during lunch because our driver may change.
Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing
Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing
Sapa

A great day of trekking through the countryside and enjoying the beauty of the rice paddies. It was extremely muddy, so I appreciated our guide’s suggestion to rent rain boots for the day’s excursion. The first two villages of the hikes were east walks on paved roads and footpaths, but hardly anyone except us out walking. The walk to the last village was through the rice paddies and very challenging to navigate in the thick mud and hills. Two very capable and kind local women held my hand through much of this section of the trek and saved me many times from face-planting into the mud! Our guide seemed more relaxed than the previous day which made for a more enjoyable, fun experience.

Quality of Experience
Food
Great veg and non veg options at the end of the hike to fuel us through the rest of the day
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Same driver at start and finish of day
Dining at Comet restaurant (Aurora  Hanoi hotel)
Dining at Comet restaurant (Aurora Hanoi hotel)
Hanoi

Had NYE dinner here. Excellent views of the city. Upon entering, we were seated right next to another couple even though there were two top tables available across the room. We asked to be seated there instead for our privacy and the other couples. We were told this was not possible after much discussion. When ordering a bottle of wine, we were brought the wrong bottle that was not on the menu and told it was the only one. My husband went to ask management about it, as the service staff were not able to explain the situation. We ended up ordering beer and wine by the glass instead. The vegetarian food was extremely plentiful but it was all brought out at once so much of it was cold before I could eat it. My husband, on the other hand, was only brought one dish and a salad, which seemed miserly compared to all of the vegetarian dishes I was brought. We had to leave the table multiple times to find staff and order more drinks or ask for plates to be cleared. Overall, it was an average meal. The staff were trying but they seemed overwhelmed and inattentive for such a big night of celebrations.

Quality of Experience
Badly timed dishes, staff who were inattentive and not knowledgeable about the menu.
Food
Dark & Bright Cave - Halong Bay - Hanoi (Era)
Dark & Bright Cave - Halong Bay - Hanoi (Era)
Ha Long Bay

Beautiful but a very short experience. The “dark” cave was closed so we only toured the “light” cave which was not big. The rower was amazing and worked so hard. Despite the rain and fog, it was still peaceful and gorgeous. Our tour took us about ten minutes earlier than other boats did and it made a HUGE difference to be the first ones out on the water. When we returned, the dock was crammed with tourists. Enjoyable but i would have liked a longer ride and to have seen more than one small cave.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Ashley Nguyen
Ashley
Ashley Nguyen
Local specialist in Hanoi | Replied on Jan 06, 2023

Dear my beloved guest,
Thank you so much for devoting some time to leave us such a great review. It really means a lot to us that you had a great experience with our company.
Looking forward to serving you in future trip to our country Vietnam and other Indochina countries.
Best wishes!
Ashley