10 Day Vietnam Tour with Realistic Asia (booked thru KimKim)
Vietnam | Oct 21 - Oct 30, 2022

Amy
Amy L.
Quincy, MA | Reviewed on Oct 31, 2022

We booked a 10 day tour with Realistic Asia thru KimKim. We are two travelers from the US and neither of us had been to Vietnam before. Long was our local specialist and after a little back and forth we landed on an itinerary that fit our travel needs perfectly. We wanted some guided tours but also plenty of free time to explore on our own. We wanted the comfort of knowing we had in-country transportation assistance, guides to ask questions of, and all the logistics planned for us. Everything worked out very smoothly, no hiccups!

Our local guides and drivers, Quyen in Hanoi and Tony in Hoi An, were excellent! They were so dependable, knowledgeable, and fun to spend time with. We would never have learned so much about the country had we not traveled around with the local guides.

Some highlights were the Ba Vi Eco Tour, our 2-day Ha Long Bay cruise, bike riding in Hoi An, and the Vespa city tour with Navi from Female Vespa City Tours in Ho Chi Minh City. We also enjoyed all of the street food and bia (beer) we sampled! A truly memorable trip.

I wasn't sure how booking thru KimKim would go. We are so happy with our experience with KimKim, Realistic Asia and the support from Long, and all the guides and people of Vietnam we met along the way.

Hotel Reviews
La Sinfonía del Rey Hotel & Spa
Hanoi

Great location near Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Easy to walk to many coffee shops and street food vendors. The rooftop bar at the hotel is also a great spot for a drink with a view.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Era Cruises
Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi

The cabins were very grand - we had a terrace double suite. The staff on board were incredibly kind and accommodating (despite some very difficult guests on board). The food was delicious, and views couldn't be beat!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
We loved Lee (the cruise director) and some of the other more junior staff. They were eager to learn about what brought us to Vietnam and tell us a little bit about themselves and the area.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Le Pavillon Hoi An Luxury Resort & Spa

The hotel was very nice, I just wish it was slightly closer to downtown. There were not many other guests staying when we were, so it seemed like we had the place to ourselves!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Cochin Zen Hotel

Very good location downtown. Room was quite small, but that is ok since we didn't spend much time at the hotel. The rooftop bar was lovely!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Explore the Highlights of Ho Chi Minh By Vintage Vespa
Explore the Highlights of Ho Chi Minh By Vintage Vespa
Ho Chi Minh City

Navi our guide was excellent! So fun to end the trip with a motorbike tour since we had been surrounded by them for days! We enjoyed getting to see a residential neighborhood and got to walk around a typical apartment building. Also enjoyed our coffee stop and lunch. Navi shared so much information with us about the city and Vietnam and it was great to talk with her.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day Trip to Ba Vi Countryside & Cooking Class
Day Trip to Ba Vi Countryside & Cooking Class
Hanoi

This tour was a great way to get into the countryside and see how Vietnamese in more rural areas live. I will never think about soy milk and tofu production or conical hat making without thinking of the women we met in the village. Some of the stops could have been eliminated or shortened, but all in all it was a great day.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Boarding cruise in Ha Long Bay
Boarding cruise in Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay

Once in a lifetime experience! I had read some negative reviews about other cruise lines so didn't know what to expect but Era was wonderful! Truely amazing views - don't miss the kayaking or cave tour. The staff on board couldn't have been more gracious and friendly.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Long Dao
Long
Long Dao
Local specialist in Vietnam | Replied on Nov 02, 2022

Dear Amy,
Thank you so much for such a detailed review. We are so happy to know that you enjoyed your trip to our beautiful country. Thank you so much for choosing us for this trip to Vietnam!
Once again, thank you for your feedback. Our team really appreciates it.
Wish you all the best and hope to welcome you again in the future!
Long