Kimkim Trip Reviews for Thailand

Mint put together a great itinerary. Leena was punctual and very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the whole trip. The cooking class might have been the highlight of the visit. The only suggestion would be during the tasting event in Chinatown that Leena would have provided tastes of several dishes. Instead she would ask if we wanted to try this booth or that booth. Once we had a dish it represented the whole meal and we had very little room for other foods.

Activity Review

Authentic Thai Cooking Class in a Traditional House!

Bangkok

This was probably the highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Prompt and safe.

The planning process was painless. Some back and forth with the consultant Long, based in Hanoi. We had to cancel the original trip in 2023 due to our other tour in SE Asia being cancelled. Kimkim held our deposit to be applied to future travel, with no time restrictions. We reactivated the itinerary for 2025 with the expected price increases.

We were provided details for pickup at BKK airport which was seamless. Our guide Eddie met us at the airport and transferred us to our hotel in Rangnam district. The next three days included a floating market, the River Kwai bridge and railroad, Erawan waterfall trek and the temples at Auytthaya. The final day in Bangkok was self guided. We used it to relax after 23 days in Vietnam and Cambodia, and tour the Rangnam district. We were assigned a room at the hotel that we felt was not up to the expectations based on the hotel website. Long made arrangement and we changed rooms. The hotel and staff were perfect for our stay.

Day 6 was a flight to Chiang Rai. Airport transfers were seamless, as well as the flight arrangements. The next day we met our guide Mai and driver. The day included the “Black House”, Long Neck Village, royal gardens at Doitung. We then Mae Sai market at the border with Myanmar. A stop at Sop Ruak “golden triangle” included a long boat cruise of the Mekong River which splits Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The day ended at the Blue Temple. Next day was a stop at the White Temple and a scenic drive the Chiang Mai. The hotel in Chiang Rai was not in the city centre, but there were several options for local Thai Food. The hotel was clean and comfortable.

Day 9 was an early start with a visit to the Kanta Elephant Sanctuary. We met our guide Nan and driver at 06:30. It was great to see how rescued domestic elephants are treated and not used for entertainment. We interacted with the animals in feeding and bathing. The next stop was an orchid display. Orchids are everywhere in SE Asia, wish we could grow them like that in Canada. After lunch visited “workshops of craftsmen”. This was a disappointment as it was nothing but high pressure sales, very little about the production of the products.

Day 10 was an almost 2 hour trip to Doi Inthanon National Park which is the highest point in Thailand at over 2,500 metres. We were supposed to do a trek on the Ban Mae Klang Luang nature trail. It would have been after a late lunch and was approximately 2 hours. This should have been first in the itinerary in order to do it while the temperature was still lower, and not on a full stomach. The hotel was in “old town” Chiang Mai, inside the moat. Lots of food options available.

Day 11 the transfer back to Bangkok was seamless, including the flight. The hotel was the same as at the start of the trip. Rangnam is walkable, with lots of food options. Next day was a seamless transfer to BKK for our trip home.

Communication with our consultant Long during the trip was via WhatsApp. He checked with us on each change of location, and quite often after business hours. Over all a seamless worry-free experience. I had some reluctance at the start of planning for this trip on using Thai ULCC airlines. Long reassured me that there should be no problems, including no baggage charges. I will now recommend Thai AirAisa to friends and family. The drivers were professional, and the vehicles were clean and comfortable.

Awesome time thanks to Mint and Kimkim, the guides and tours were all amazing. Will definitely look forward to booking again!

Hotel Reviews

Solitaire Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Centara Grand Beach Resort

Krabi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dinner Cruise on Chao Phraya River

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hong Island trip by Speed Boat!

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok by local transfers and temple visit

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Ancient Ayutthaya

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

5 Islands Sunset Cruise with Kayaking and Swimming in Bio-luminescence!

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phi Phi island, Bamboo Island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speedboat

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our tour guide in Bangkok was not best suited to our specific needs - she was not adept with young children and instead of having us aligned with a food tour specialist, she was also our guide for a night food tour which was not well designed (we do food tours all over the world and have had enough experience to know great). Additionally, the earthquake the hit Southeast Asia impacted our trip and we personally intervened to add some protections to our travel arrangement. Our service provider did reach out to us but we had to more quickly divert our travels.

Hotel Reviews

500Rai Floating Resort

Surat Thani

We really appreciated the location of this hotel. Its newer sister hotel, 360, appears to be draining 500Rai of some capital improvements that would further enhance the experience- they need updated paddle boards as well as kayaks. It’s hard to keep nature at bay in these environments, but more attention to servicing rusting apparatus would be helpful. Tours were good. Food was wonderful. Staff was fabulous. Not sure why our Family Suite was not connected directly to the working path to the main area which required us to have a special boat take us back and forth to our room, unlike the majority of the other cabins. We did select the Family Suite since it had air conditioning 24/7 vs. only in the evening for the other cabins.

Authenticity & Character

It’s the on the water character. I would say that there animal population is much lower than anticipated given that much of the land was lost when they created the dam that defined the lake itself.

Location

Beautiful surroundings.

Staff

Caring, engaged and thoughtful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were OK. Towels so so. Mold in bathrooms. Poor lighting for bathrooms.

Six Senses Yao Noi

Ko Yao Noi

For the most part, this hotel is fabulous with one significant exception- the mosquito population is managed in an environmentally sensitive way but it doesn’t bode well for the guest. Non of the exterior spaces are screened in, making time in one’s villa limited to the indoor air conditioning if you wanted to avoid being bitten. Not all of the supplies are fullly refreshed everyday. The personal butler was very helpful and added to the ease of a family vacation. The kids enjoyed the limited programming and we adults really appreciated the spa and yoga program.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful property.

Location

Stunning location. Easy to travel to other islands. Beach itself was OK although wished it was easier to do open water swimming from the shoreline.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shopping at Chatuchak Weekend Market

Bangkok

Really enjoyed the site. Guide was very helpful with negotiations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lovely driver.

Half Day 3-Hour Private Carving Class at Siam Carving Academy

Bangkok

We had found this company for KimKim. The quality of the experience was just what we had hoped.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

We had young children with us. Tour was focused on adults and not kids. Hot. Should have included an activity to stimulate kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A guide who gets kids.

Transport

Lovely driver.

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

We are foodies and always do market/food tours. Our guide was not as familiar with who the specialists sites or history of the food we might have eaten. Granted, we were difficult with food allergies, but there was no preplanning by the guide to address this. Enjoyed the TukTuk but felt this was a missed opportunity.. In contrast, did a chef led tour (self identified) in Phuket that was hands down the perfect

Quality of Experience

Food

Stops that have top of class food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide that is fully attuned to food experience.

Transport

TukTuk was fun and easy to manage in the traffic.

We had a very creative, supportive and intelligent dialog with Mint Pham, who was responsible for our vacation schedule. Mint was responsive, intelligent, and supported us with extra effort at every turn, and handled every problem that we presented, some of which were completely outside the normal scope. Her selection of hotels was especially important, and she picked great hotels with great services and locations. This was key to the entire trip, which turned out to be so successful because of the location, sophistication and high-end characteristics of each hotel. The excursions were for the most part great. This was total support and exceptional advice and planning. I would give Mint a 5.0 rating on a scale of 5, and recommend her services to anyone traveling in Southeast Asia.
Mint organized our trip which included Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ko Samui. We really enjoyed ourselves, saw a lot and were sorry to go. The Thai people were so friendly and supportive.

Hotel Reviews

The Quarter Hua Lamphong by UHG

Bangkok

The Quarter Hua Lamphong by UHG in Bangkok was a fantastic hotel. The location was great, the staff were very nice and accommodating, and the building itself was incredibly well-constructed, which we found out when an earthquake occurred during our stay.

De Charme Hotel

Amphoe Muang, Si Phum, Chiang Mai

The De Charme Hotel in Chiang Mai was in a fabulous location, right in the middle of town. It was a lovely place with very accommodating staff, and offered a good breakfast. The hotel's central location made exploring the city convenient.

Baan Samui Resort

Surat Thani

Baan Samui Resort in Ko Samui was ideal, being right on a lovely part of the beach. The staff were very nice, the breakfast was great, and the location was close to a main street filled with bars, restaurants, and a nice shopping center. It provided a complete beachside experience, with drinks and food service. I wish we could have taken even more advantage of its beachfront location.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Eco Elephant Care!

Chiang Mai

Half-Day Eco Elephant Care in Chiang Mai was a great experience. The elephants are treated with much respect and care, regarded as family members by the people who take care of them. Participating in feeding them and observing their behaviors was both entertaining and affecting. Despite feeling like a bit like a set-up for tourists, it was definitely a wonderful experience, seeing elephants happy and well-cared for.

A Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park!

Chiang Mai

The day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park was interesting and worthwhile. The area was stunning, with the tallest mountain in Thailand and beautifully built pagodas. The air quality was not great due to field burning, impacting the views. Nevertheless, the excursion was good, and the guided tour through boardwalks in the forest was a nice touch.

Angtong National Marine Park

Thailand

The Angtong National Marine Park excursion, which included snorkeling, was somewhat underwhelming. The snorkeling site was decent but overcrowded with too many boats and people. Being an experienced snorkeler, I felt the site itself wasn’t exceptional, and the long travel time to get there didn’t seem worth it. The tour had potential but could benefit from a less crowded experience.

Jook booked this trip for us very last minute and did a fabulous job. Hotels were wonderful and the driver/guides exceptional. Jook selected great tours that we thoroughly enjoyed. I will definitely use Jook and KimKim again - fabulous company.

I wrote a 5000 word review of how wonderful this trip was, but it didn’t save. So just take this little blurb, pretend it’s 5000 words of amazing review. And you’ll know what I meant.

Jeab was great to work with and developed a wonderful itinerary for us. It was so helpful to have someone local to confirm transfers and tour times, without us trying to phone each day to confirm activities over the next couple of days. We spent 13 nights across 4 cities/towns, each hotel was as advertised and met our expectations. We enjoyed all of our tours and our guides were all knowledgeable and friendly.

We had an issue on the first day (I fell over, 100% my fault) but Jeab and Noemie (the KimKim support person we had available 24/7) were helpful and sympathetic. They checked whether tours could be adjusted to accommodate my newly acquired walking stick, and could make recommendations regarding treatment - we did come home with a few different herbal balms that helped the healing.

The Thai Family Experience Home Host Tour in Chiang Mai (cooking with the host family) was better than we expected, the food was delicious, we actually got in and helped with the cooking rather than being mostly spectators (of course we didn't do everything but it was quite hands on), and the large host family prepares several dishes as appetizers as well, all amazing.
Also near Chiang Mai the Patara Elephant Farm tour was good, you get to feed and wash the elephants, plus some cuddles and a few pictures of course. The handlers there were excellent and clearly care for the elephants.

From Phuket we took a full day boat tour Hong by Starlight. Highly recommend this tour to anyone. We were gone 11 hours from hotel pick up to drop off, tired from the fun of the day but not worn out because it is so well run (and pretty much everything is done for you). There is a guide for every couple, they take you from the main boat on inflatable canoes through caves/tunnels, show you the wildlife, and take photos of you with the perfect backdrops. The third and final canoe trip was after dinner, it was pitch black on the water just around the other side of a small island from the main boat. In the darkness we could see the bio-luminescent plankton clearly. It was a great day, they take care of you really well. Not expensive, and certainly worth every dollar for the experience we received.

We'd love to go again and would certainly trust Jeab to plan us a perfect holiday.

I have always traveled with an established tour group, so this was my first venture into a personalized tour. The idea of this vague, on-line platform made me nervous. I was quite worried before the trip, but all my worries were for naught. It was an incredible tour from start to finish.

First, our specialist Lacey was beyond phenomenal. Even though we're half a world apart, she was so responsive to our questions and always replied quickly. We made numerous adjustments throughout the planning stages, but she was kind, courteous and upbeat from start to finish even though I'm sure we drove her crazy. She had excellent suggestions and followed through consistently on any of our questions or concerns. We also had the privilege of meeting her in Hanoi (her home base) during our visit (one of the highlights of the trip). I would like to add that she remained in touch with us throughout the tour and made sure everything went as planned. When the airlines switched our flight time, she made all the arrangements necessary to get us to the plane on time.

Were there a few glitches on this trip? Certainly. That's the nature of international travel. Would I have changed a few things in hind sight? Certainly. But overall, the trip was flawless. With the exception of 2 guides who were less than wonderful (one simply didn't feel good and probably should have requested a substitute and the other simply wasn't much of a guide -- more of an escort who got us to all the places we needed to be without any explanation).

But we also had two of the best guides I've ever had. Our Cambodian guide (Set) and driver (Buhan) were marvelous. They treated us like queens. I highly recommend them for anyone traveling to Cambodia. And the best of all was Ae in Bangkok. I don't think I have words to describe how incredibly wonderful she was. She wanted us to love her country as much as she did, and she succeeded. She had the most incredible smile always, was constantly handing us a new food or treat to try, and shared personal stories that allowed us to totally experience her culture. I've kept her photo because it makes me smile every time I see it.

So thank you Kimkim. To my great surprise, I would work with you again on another trip to somewhere else in this magnificent world we live in. Thank you for putting us in touch with a local travel specialist who would design a custom tour.

It is not kimkim practice to provide their clients/travelers with an itemized list of cost breakdown, so we had no idea how much we paid for things. Kimkim agents would not share the cost of anything when we asked either.

Once the trip is booked through kimkim, no matter how far in advance you cancel and no matter what happens, you cannot get a refund for anything. Unforseen circumstances always arise when traveling, so it is aggravating that kimkim does not have any flexibility on this whatsoever. This also makes the travellers feel taken advantage of by kimkim.

We were unaware that a couple of our hotels recommended and booked by kimkim did not allow flushing of toilet paper down the toilet. We have never been to Thailand before, so this isn't something we even knew we should be aware of. If we knew this, we never would have booked these hotels... It is concerning and upsetting that our travel agent did not let us know about this in advance. To note, it is your job as a travel agent to provide as many details to your clients as possible and to be 100% transparent (which ironically kimkim prides itself for on its website). Although there was supposedly nothing wrong with either hotel per kimkim standards, there was definitely something wrong with both of our hotels chosen by kimkim per our standards. It was entirely kimkim's fault for ill-advising us regarding these hotels, yet my husband and I were the ones who were forced to pay for two additional hotels. This cost us a ton of money unexpectedly and we suffered needlessly at the hands of kimkim. This situation could easily have been avoided if our travel agent Mint had just communicated clearly with us in the first place. Kimkim has done nothing thus far to ameliorate this situation for us.

Google reviews of hotels were seemingly not taken into account. Kimkim books with specific hotels and bases their suggestions off past user experiences rather than booking only with highly rated hotels. (Online ratings are extremely important!!! They provide more of an objective lens as well as a much larger sample size). Our hotel in Phuket that kimkim booked for us had a plethora of poor google reviews, but kimkim's excuse for booking this place was "most of our clients enjoyed their stay here".

There was a major pickup confusion/hassle to which kimkim did nothing. We had switched hotels in Chiang Mai on 10-Mar in early afternoon and were told by our travel agent Mint that all parties were notified of this change. However, come 11-Mar, we were supposed to be picked up at 8am but weren't picked up until 9am because the driver was completely unaware what hotel we were at. He went to 1-2 different hotels before getting the right one. He called me twice because he was so confused, and he thought we had just switched hotels that morning. It was frustrating because we rushed to get ready by 8am and then waited for 60 min in the lobby. We were not given any sort of discount or refund for this inconvenience. Kimkim didn't even apologize.

We are not given contact info for any of the drivers. So, if any issues arise (which they did), we are not able to contact them. We are forced to take a roundabout way of communication by contacting our kimkim specialist who then contacts the driver. This is not time-effective. Also, kimkim has no idea what the situation actually is because they aren't there. It makes no sense why kimkim can contact the driver but we as the travelers cannot.

We dealt with frequent late pick-ups with NO communication from kimkim. For example, 13-Mar in Chiang Mai we are told to be ready for pick up at 9am. We rush through breakfast to be ready and in the lobby by 9am. At 915am, I text the travel agent (since I don't have driver contact info) if the driver is here. Travel agent Mint replies at 916am and says the driver is on their way. 930am rolls around and we are still in the lobby with no updates from anyone. I texted Mint again because the driver still hadn't arrived. Mint said she would call the driver. After several minutes, we hadn't had any updates again, so I texted Mint once again asking what happened with the driver. She replied and said this was, to our surprise, a joint pickup and the driver said there "was traffic" (which we knew to be a lie- kimkim had no idea). Regardless of the excuse and regardless of the situation, this delay should have been communicated with us by either the driver or kimkim ASAP so we were not sitting around waiting for almost an hour, wasting our time.

The kimkim itinerary specifically says pickup at "9am". When it reached 915am and we still hadn't received any updates and the driver hadn't arrived, we texted our kimkim agent who said "pickup is actually 9-930am"... A time range is MUCH different than one set time, so why weren't we notified of this range whatsoever when it directly affected us?

Kimkim randomly springing on us that we are riding with a bunch of random strangers when our itinerary has only included private transfers thus far and only finding that out the day of minutes before we were picked up is extremely inconvenient, not to mention inconsiderate.

We needed passport # for ziplining as well as our passport picture for the elephant sanctuary, but neither one of these were on the kimkim itinierary and kimkim did not warn us about this. Thankfully, we already had our passport pics on our phones by some miracle and were able to participate in the activities without issue (with no thanks to kimkim).

Without giving us any prior notice or heads up, our kimkim contact for 2 weeks (Mint) randomly texted us one day 5 min before one of our flights took off and told us to contact someone else going forward because she's "going to be off for a while"... Is this how kimkim's supposed 100% transparency really works?

Neither travel agent EVER checked in with us. This should be the BARE MINIMUM and common sense as a travel agent... To ensure things are on time, that things are going smoothly, that your clients (us) are having a good time and are alive... Both our travel agents Mint and Tina only responded to texts we sent them; they never once checked in on us independently. The last few days of our trip, they went completely dark- we literally didn't hear from them at all. They didn't even wish us well or safe travels (which, literal strangers did for us, but our own travel agents didn't?!). We don't feel cared for or respected by kimkim whatsoever.

Kimkim specifically said our Day 15 (March 17) activity was a "small group". However, we boarded the boat with well over 20 people which is, by definition, not a small group. Not to mention, our "small" group interacted with a ton of other groups, taking away any perceived or possible intimacy of a small group setting.

Our boat island tour on 17-Mar took us to Bamboo Island for 1.5 hours where there were no functional bathrooms and both the beach and the water were oversaturated with people. Additionally, the fish were extremely aggressive and bit me multiple times even though I was calmly and quietly floating on the surface of the water. This day was the absolute WORST by far and honestly one of the worst travel days I've ever had in my life. How could kimkim recommend such a terrible experience?

Hotel quality seemed to differ quite a bit between cities for no apparent reason... For instance, kimkim's chosen hotel in Bangkok (Valia Hotel) was super new, super fancy, 5-star, and highly rated. However, kimkim's chosen hotel in Phuket (The Charm Resort) was 4-star and not too highly rated.

Overall, my husband and I are quite dissatisfied with kimkim and, as it stands, will not book with kimkim again or recommend them to anyone. I am no travel agent, but I am confident I could have planned a better and cheaper trip for my husband and myself with many less hassles. If anyone with access to Google can plan a successful international trip, what makes kimkim stand out? What can they do specially that I can't just do myself? Communication from our kimkim agents was severely lacking for the entire trip duration- so much so that it was easy to forget we even had travel agents. It seemed pretty evident that they didn't care about us. Kimkim prides themselves on 100% customer satisfaction and 100% transparency, yet neither of these things were true during our trip. Such a major disappointment.

Hotel Reviews

Phka Chan Hotel

Siem Reap

My husband and I had a fantastic stay here. Rooms were clean, food was delicious, staff were extremely kind and accommodating, beautiful balcony overlooking the pool, bathrooms were nice, shower water temperature & pressure good, great location, included breakfast was awesome- the noodle soup here was our favorite breakfast food on our entire trip. Bottled water is complimentary. It did take us a bit to figure out the AC (not self explanatory), but once we did it worked fine. Would definitely recommend and would stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful scenery, nice pool, nice rooms.

Location

Right next to the bustling main street with tons of restaurants and shops. However, it is still quiet.

Staff

The staff here went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. For instance, my husband has dietary restrictions and staff were extremely accommodating and made sure he had plenty to eat. They even made edits to menu items to accommodate for him.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were large and very clean. Beds were comfortable.

Valia Hotel Bangkok

Bangkok

Overall, my husband and I had a good stay here. Clean rooms, amazing large bathrooms, decent food, large breakfast buffet, kind staff, excellent water pressure and temperature, comfy beds, excellent AC, good location. The rooms are a bit small.

Staff

Staff were accommodating and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Comfortable beds.

Banthai Village

Chiang Mai

We didn't end up staying here. Much to our surprise, they do not allow flushing of any toilet paper- this was the biggest issue for us. We only found this out upon our arrival at the hotel. The AC unit blows air directly onto the bed which is uncomfortable. The floors are extremely slippery. The shower water didn't seem like it could get hot enough. Although it seems quaint, it was not for us. Knowing what we know now, we never would have allowed kimkim to book this place.

Location

Although it was relatively quiet, it is a walk to get to any restaurant or downtown.

Rock & Treehouse Resort

I picked this place after doing some research, and I was overall not disappointed in my choice. Beds could be a bit comfier but they were fine. Rooms were relatively large with beautiful views and wildlife abundant. Huge and awesome balcony. AC worked fine. Water temperature was good. Water pressure in shower was severely lacking at times, but only momentarily. Breakfast was lacking- very small and not many options. Staff were kind and accommodating. Food was delicious. We loved that you can book excursions through the hotel- we did the half-day jungle trek at Khao Sok National Park and it was one of our favorite experiences on this entire trip. The biggest con was that the window shades don't close all the way. They do have a pool but it is small. Would recommend and would stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful scenery and wildlife abundant. Most of the walls of the rooms are huge windows. Really feels like a jungle resort.

Location

Very quaint and quiet location surrounded by jungle and wildlife. 5 min drive from Khao Sok National Park and ~10 min walk into small town with cafes, restaurants, and shops.

Staff

Staff were kind and accommodating.

The Charm Resort Phuket

We didn't end up staying here. This hotel does not allow flushing of any toilet paper- this was a huge issue for us. In addition, multiple Google ratings mention dirty rooms, poor water pressure, and poor water temperature. Knowing what we know now, we would not have allowed kimkim to book this hotel for us.

Activity Reviews

Phi Phi island, Bamboo Island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speedboat

Phuket

If we could rate this 0 stars, we would. This was one of the worst travel experiences we've ever had (and we are long-time world travelers). Kimkim had on the itinerary that this was a "small group" activity; however, it turns out that this was actually a large group of well over 20 people. Not to mention, our group interacted with countless other large groups so there was no intimacy whatsoever. Every single place we went was absolutely packed full of tourists. At Maya Bay, you could barely walk because there were so many people. We were given the option to go swimming at Pi Leh Lagoon, but there were so many boats and so many people that you barely had any room to swim. Bamboo Island was no different- the snorkeling area was overwhelmed with bodies. It was absolutely horrible. It took an entire hour via boat one way to get anywhere. Not only is this travel time excessive, but it wasn't worth the experiences. The fish at Bamboo Island were extremely aggressive. I was bit multiple times even though I was quietly and peacefully floating at the water's surface. The bathroom situation for this excursion was horrible. There were literally no functional bathrooms on Bamboo Island and we were stuck there for 1.5 hours (and no soap/hand sani or toilet paper). Maya Bay bathrooms were overcrowded and had no soap or hand sanitizer. The boat did not have any bathrooms. Snorkeling was a major let down for so many reasons. Note: We've been snorkeling before at world-class snorkel sites and are not beginners. Firstly, the equipment sucked. The mouthpiece was faulty and water kept filling your mouth and the snorkeling tube. They didn't use any defogging material either so after about 5 seconds your goggles would fog up and you couldn't see anything. They didn't supply you with flippers. They didn't give a snorkeling lesson whatsoever, so most people were splashing around and swimming loudly and scaring the fish away.

Quality of Experience

The worst day by far of our entire trip and one of the worst travel experiences I've ever had. Nothing about this entire day/excursion was positive. I have literally nothing good to say. It was terrible.

Food

The food at the very end was disappointing. Not a lot of options and it didn't taste great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was clearly just some guy without any real expertise. He didn't give snorkeling lessons or tips. He didn't warn us about no soap on Maya Bay. When we arrived at Maya Bay, he specifically told us to "only bring your phone" without even mentioning there were food & drinks available for purchase (cash only) and we couldn't get back on the boat once we left.

Transport

No bathroom on the boat. For the number of people on this trip, the boat was relatively small with limited seating. It took an entire hour to travel one way.

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

My husband and I had a magnificent time at this cooking class. It was just me and him which was SO nice. We traveled with our instructor to a local market to pick out fresh ingredients. My husband has dietary restrictions and our instructor was more than willing to accommodate. We were shocked that our class included so many meals- we made one appetizer, two main courses, and dessert. Our instructor explained things very clearly and was very funny and kind. The food tasted so delicious and you get a cookbook at the end. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Intimate and educational experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our instructor was amazing. She was so funny and nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

Our instructor picked us up and dropped us off.

Half-day Experience Zipline at Maetonluang Village

Chiang Mai

This is an activity we specifically requested that kimkim include in our itinerary (and I picked the specific location/company after doing my own research). Staff were incredible. Views and scenery were incredible. Ziplining was so fun! I felt very safe and taken care of. The lunch buffet at the end was decent. There are bathrooms at the beginning. You traverse the ziplines with a small group. You have the option of paying a photographer to take pics & videos of you ziplining which was well worth it. They have small free storage lockers. I would highly recommend this activity and would suggest that kimkim add this into potential activities.

Quality of Experience

Such an amazing and fun experience.

Food

Lunch was included and buffet style. It was decent.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were hilarious, friendly, and very knowledgeable.

Transport

Unbeknownst to us, this was a joint pick-up. Kimkim did not inform us of this. We didn't like being crammed into a van with a bunch of strangers. Not to mention, the driver came 1 hour later than scheduled/planned so we were forced to wait in the lobby for that entire duration.

Discover Angkor Wat and Floating Village - Day 1

Cambodia

Overall, this was an awesome experience. It was so cool to see a world wonder (angkor wat). Ta Prohm was probably my favorite part of this day - seeing the massive trees enveloping ancient temples was magical. However, this was an extremely long day in the heat & humidity and with direct sun exposure. I suffered from heat exhaustion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. He was very excited to share his culture and country with us.

Transport

Our driver was amazing. He was so friendly and prompt and provided us with a seemingly unlimited supply of cold water bottles.

Exploring Bangkok by local transfers and walking tour

Bangkok

My husband and I had a good day exploring Bangkok with our lovely tour guide. We saw several temples, all of which were cool to see.

Traditional Thai Massage!

Bangkok

This activity was specifically requested by my husband and I. We really enjoyed it! Everyone was very professional and it was quite relaxing.

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

This experience was so awesome! We started out at the Mae Klong Railway market. We got there right in time to see the train come in. There were a ton of stalls/vendors and we did quite a bit of shopping. Next, we went to a coconut sugar processing facility which my husband and I thought was really cool. The people there were very nice. Finally, we did the Damnoen floating market. This was our favorite! It was so beautiful. It felt like the Venice of Thailand. There were tons of vendors and really delicious foods. A very unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoy Food Tasting in Chinatown!

Bangkok

Note: Not recommended for vegans or vegetarians. Our guide took me to Chinatown where I tried a wide array of unique food items (including jellyfish!). There were SO many food vendors selling so many different kinds of food- mostly items containing meat. I ate so much! The guide paid for everything which was nice. I had a good time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Elephant Jungle Expedition at Chai Lai Orchid Ecolodge!

Chiang Mai

A life-changing experience. My husband and I did a private tour. Note: This particular sanctuary strives for the ethical treatment of its elephants. We started off by feeding three adult female elephants sugar cane. We were instructed by staff how to properly do this. Next, we mixed and crushed together an array of medicinal herbs to feed to the elephants for their wellbeing. Then, we took a small stroll with one of the elephants to a mother and her calf. The baby was so playful and cute and fun to watch. It kicked around a soccer ball! We then headed to the river where an elephant was bathing and we helped bathe and splash it. The water was ice cold! Our guide then made us lunch over an open fire and served it to us in a section of bamboo tree trunk. It was delicious! (Note: My husband has dietary restrictions and our guide asked about this prior to making food. He was very accommodating). We next walked a short distance to a waterfall. Finally, we took a ride on a long bamboo raft down the river. You will get wet! This was beautiful and serene. Overall, we had an amazing experience here and would highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Elephants are such majestic creatures. Spending a day with them was truly remarkable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide at the sanctuary was humorous, knowledgeable, and friendly.

Transport

Kimkim did not inform us that this would be a group / joint transfer, which was inconsiderate and rather annoying. We didn't enjoy riding with a bunch of strangers. In addition, there was a major transport mixup due to kimkim's lack of communication. My husband and I had switched hotels the previous morning and were told by our kimkim agent that all parties were notified of this change. The kimkim itinerary said pickup was 8am. However, we weren't picked up until 9am because the driver was completely unaware of what hotel we were at. He went to 1-2 different hotels before he got the right one. He also called me twice because he was so confused, and he had thought we had just switched hotels that morning (when we had actually switched one full day ago). It was extremely frustrating because we rushed through breakfast to get to the lobby by 8am, only to have to wait for an entire hour. Kimkim's communication during this ordeal was severely lacking, and we were not given any sort of discount, refund, or even an apology for this hassle.

Great 21 days to Thailand - Kimkim team provided guidance throughout the trip They were available when there was last minute changes or issues. Favorite excursions were interactions with elephants - both in Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Another favorite was a private charter of a catamaran in Koh Samui where they brought us to pig island. Only negatives were sometimes the group excursions were long - they could have been cut shorter (Kayak, road trip from Chiang rai to Chiang Mai) Overall a very memorable trip !

Hotel Reviews

Le Patta Hotel Chiang Rai

The hotel was close to the walking street but it’s on was located on a busy street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is closed to the walking street and street food but it’s on a busy street

Staff

The staff was very nice and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is clean but the room could use some refurbishing. Lots of mosquitoes in the area

Meliá Chiang Mai Hotels & Resort

Chiang Mai

Very beautiful modern hotel with great amenities such as a pool , bar and nice gym

Authenticity & Character

It’s very modern therefore not your typical Thai hotel with character.

Location

Across the street from the markets

Staff

The concierge was great

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed super comfy

Hotel (Booked on Your Own)

Koh Samui

Absolutely loved our stay at the Anavana resort. It felt like a true Thai resort with individual huts. It’s a very small resort so it’s not crowded and the restaurant view on the beach was fantastic

Authenticity & Character

Thai huts in a tropical setting

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Beach Khao Lak Resort & Spa

Phang Nga

Very busy resort but with a Thai feel. The lobby and restaurants are all in bamboo therefore you feel like you are in the tropics. Our room was nothing special but the other rooms closer to the beach seemed nicer.

Authenticity & Character

Bamboo lobby on stilts

Location

Resort is close to all the restaurants

Staff

The checkin staff was great but it was difficult to get service from the pool bar staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean

The St. Regis Bangkok

Bangkok

Over the top luxurious hotel with great amenities - rooftop pool and fantastic gym. It also had the best buffet breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Siam Mandarina Hotel

Samutprakarn

I’m not sure I would stay at this hotel again

Authenticity & Character

Location

It’s a sketchy area - close to the airport

Staff

Restaurant staff was extremely slow. We left our EarPods at checkout and they wouldn’t mail them to us

Cleanliness & Comfort

Crazy weird noises

Dusit Suites Hotel Ratchadamri, Bangkok

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Newly renovated modern hotel

Location

Great location - central location but quieter as among all the luxury hotels.

Staff

All staff in Thailand are excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfortable

Avista Grande Phuket Karon Mgallery

Phuket

Very nice hotel with beautiful pool and very nice rooms. The buffet breakfast was excellent

Authenticity & Character

A very nice hotel especially at night with all the lights

Location

It’s in a bit of a weird location as it’s across the public beach but you can still walk to all the restaurants

Staff

Desk staff were excellent

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Samui Islands Yacht Charter – Sunset Trip

Koh Samui

Excellent catamaran excursion with great attentive staff, delicious snacks and great bbq. Would charter from blue voyage again.

Quality of Experience

Catamaran was clean and in good shape. The different unexpected snacks were great

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very attentive but still kept their distance so we could enjoy family time

Transport

Golden Triangle and Mekong River Boat (Private)

Chiang Rai

The guide was excellent and informative. Enjoyed the Opium museum I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 as the golden triangle was interesting but not scenic as expected. . It was fun going to Laos but the vendors are a bit pushy.

Quality of Experience

Food

The local restaurant was delicious

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was excellent

Transport

Driver was great - boat ride to Laos was fun

Chiang Rai - Chiang Mai via Mae Kampong with Lunch

Thailand

Loved visiting the blue temple early without the crowds. The white temple was magnificent. Our guide was excellent. The drive to Mae kampong was extremely scary as the drive was unsafe. We never got to see the village and walk around as the driver was scaring us and we missed the meeting point. Unfortunately that made our excursion a disappointment

Quality of Experience

H

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide excellent. Driver awful

Transport

Fatbike Countryside Explorer

Chiang Mai

We ended up being the only two on the excursion. The bikes were in amazing condition. The guide was great and patient ( very safe when we had to cross highways). The lunch provided after the bike ride was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Grandma’s Cooking Experience

Chiang Mai

We loved our cooking experience at grandma S kitchen. Extremely well organized. They would prepare all the ingredients ahead of time and we got to cook and eat - a soup, pad Thai and a curry and dessert. They would clean up our station in between courses. Very efficient excursion with a funny chef

Quality of Experience

Quality of ingredients

Food

Delicious meal

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Similan Island - Small Group Tour

Thailand

Loved the similar islands although this is definitely not a small group - we were about 40 people side by side in A speed boat. It’s still worth it as the water is beautiful. There are a lot of other tour boats - so it’s crowded. The food provided after by the company was ok - not great.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food at the island was good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A larger boat with less people would have been better

Elephant Day Care at Patara Elephant Farm

Chiang Mai

We got to see several elephants rose freely including two 1 year old ( who were funny and kept escaping)We were 4 people to take care of 2 elephants - loved the one on one experience. The fruits at the end were sufficient for a snack

Quality of Experience

Love the one on one with the elephants

Food

The fruits were great as a snack but it wasn’t a meal. We had sticky rice too.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not too much English but the staff was great

Transport

The pick ups from the outside providers were great other than riding in the back of a truck one time. They were always on time and provided a nice vehicle for transport.
The first hotel chosen in Bangkok was horrible. They tried to put me in the worst room when I was in crabby, but fought for an upgrade. Also had to upgrade my room on my last day in Bangkok because I would’ve been kicked out at 10 AM if I used Hoa’s choice and my flight was until that night so by upgrading to club level, which was not that much more money I really got the benefit. The company chosen for the bike ride in Bangkok was absolutely amazing. Hoa was always available to take my text or emails and I really appreciate that.

Hotel Reviews

Paradise Koh Yao Resort

Absolutely amazing! The room, the staff, the food and the location was incredible!

Authenticity & Character

Wild animals everywhere

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel De Bangkok

Bangkok

Horrible location, staff didn’t speak English and the room was horrible especially the bathroom.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed and bath tub was horrible

Our Jungle Camp - Eco Resort

Tambon Klongsok, Ampur Panom, Suratthani

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Namaka Resort Kamala

Phuket

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beach access

Staff

I got sick there and the staff were very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ao Nang Villa Resort

Krabi

They initially tried to put me in a horrible room in an awful building but they helped me upgrade. You couldn’t swim in the ocean in front of the hotel because it was next to all the boat taxis so there was so much gas in the water. Pools were nice and they had a yoga/meditation class, which was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Twin Lotus Resort

koh lanta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

My bathroom had a smell and bathtub dirty

Hyatt Regency Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel (Ex: Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Our Jungle Resort - 4D3N Package (Tree House/Bungalow) - Day 2

Khao Sok

I got very sick, but the staff were very nice and the room was fine.

Historic Bangkok Bike Tour (Joining Excursion)

Bangkok

It was an incredible experience to get to see Bangkok. Once in a lifetime bike ride!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Jungle Resort - 4D3N Package (Tree House/Bungalow) - Day 1

Khao Sok

Changed and went to see the elephant, which was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Jungle Resort - 4D3N Package (Raft House) - Day 3

Khao Sok

I didn’t get to go because I was sick and had to stay in the treehouse with air conditioning.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Jungle Resort - 4D3N Package - Day 4

Khao Sok

I had to change from taking the boat to my next destination to getting a driver which Kim Kim took care of for me and the drive and vehicle were very nice.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Koh Rok & Koh Haa Discovery with Snorkeling by Speedboat

Koh Lanta

Beautiful location that the company took us to, but the boat was way over packed and their staff were so rude. There wasn’t enough places to sit and eat, and they had limited communication skills.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

How to drive for 45 minutes in a back of a truck.

Our trip to Thailand was amazing!! It was so nice to have a trip customized to our wants & needs with everything taken care of! The itinerary, hotels, transfers, guides, tours, etc were better than expected! We highly recommend Tina & KimKim Travel !!

The service provided by Kimkim was 100% worth every penny. My trip specialist, Mint, was super responsive, and did a great job planning our trip. She worked within our budget, coordinated everything perfectly and was available for any questions or concerns. To be perfectly honest, I barely needed to communicate with her during the trip, because she planned it so well!

my only gripe would be that some of the activities, particularly in Bangkok, were so touristy that they just weren't fun. The canal boat tour was the most touristy tourist trap I've ever done and was just not enjoyable. this is not kimkims fault, just the reality of it.

The Jim Thompson House was also pretty lame. Again, not Kimkims fault. I was hoping for a more "real" experience but everything was cookie cutter tourist attractions. But we made the best of it, and our tour guides were very helpful.

However, it's hit or miss for some thing's. a couple of potential group activities were just my wife and I, which was great. The cooking class was very intimate and we got to get really personalized lessons. The motorbike night food tour was also very fun and our tour Guide, Yee, was cool AF.

All of the tour guides were professional, punctual, and spoke great English. All of the hotels and transportation were spot on. tacos were always there too pick is up and take us to our next destination.

Mint took a lot of the stress out of enjoying our trip. For our first trip to Asia (Thailand), Kimkim was great. They gave us the confidence to do it on our own the next time.

Hotel Reviews

De Chai The Deco Hotel

Chiang Mai

The accommodation at De Chai The Deco Hotel in Chiang Mai was absolutely fantastic. It was the only place that was part of the original plan, and we loved it. Everything met our expectations, and there were no issues at all.

The Quarter Hua Lamphong by UHG

Bangkok

The Quarter Hua Lamphong in Bangkok was nice overall. The main downside was that only one elevator was operational during our stay due to construction, which caused delays. Other than that, we were happy with the place.

Activity Reviews

A visit to Mae Klong Railway market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market!

Bangkok

Not worth the hype. I asked for our tour guide to take us down the side streets through the local markets behind the railway. That was more interesting than the main attraction.

Quality of Experience

the attraction is meh, nothing worth seeing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok by local transfers and temples visit

Bangkok

don't miss this. very cultural and immersive. Or guide, Ms. Anita explained so much to us. she was incredible!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explained the culture and history to us. She knew everything!

Transport

Enjoy Chiang Mai Nightlife with a Bike!

Chiang Mai

Or guide, Yee, made this a fun and exciting experience. Riding on the scooters was fun (and felt very safe), the information provided, and food we tasted was great. Another good event.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Or guide were driving the scooters! never felt unsafe.

Transport

A Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park!

Chiang Mai

This was not bad. Beautiful national Park, but nothing too special. The temples built by the Airforce were grand but also very... contrived?

Quality of Experience

Food

good for those who don't like spice. They cater to all, not to the authentic flavors that you expect from Thai food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chiang Mai Cooking Class Experience-Small Group

Chiang Mai

THE BEST THING WE DID AND ATE IN Thailand! So, full disclosure, I'm a professional chef, and wife is pretty adept as well. The cooking instructor meet us and took us to the market. She had a plan, but I opened it by telling her what I wanted to learn. And she said "Game On!". Okay, she didn't say that, but she would have. She revised her cooking class for us to make the things I wanted to learn and she killed it! The food we made was So good, and because it was only my wife and I, we got super hands on personal lessons. I also had a couple of beers while we cooked and ate, and it just made for the best experience. Beginning to end, from the ride to the market, to shopping, to cooking, then eating, 11 out of 10 experience. THANK YOU!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai-Half Day

Chiang Mai

I applaud and support the effort of protecting the elephants. Everyone seemed to enjoy this activity, but wasn't my thing. But that's a "me" problem.

Quality of Experience

Food

worst meal we ate. But we understand they had to cook for the masses, most of which couldn't handle spice/flavor.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunrise Glory visit to Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon & Bamboo Island

Ko Phi Phi

Another super touristy event. I would skip the majority of it, and just go snorkeling. We woke up super early (which was fine) to be the first on the tour before the beaches got over crowded... but they were overcrowded from the moment you arrived. also Sunrise happened before we even got on the boat so it was nothing spectacular. Visiting the beach where they filmed the movie "The Beach" is just a beach and not that exciting. go figure. Snorkeling was cool, otherwise the motorboating around was just a waste of time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was fantastic. Hoa and Ashley (Phuong) from KimKim provided amazing service and support with planning the trip and making adjustments as needed. They were professional, helpful, friendly, and endlessly patient. We were very happy with everyone who helped us at each of our destinations, particularly our guide Sun Bunthoeum in Siem Reap, Cambodia; our guide Bach in Hanoi; and Diep, our driver in Hanoi. Bach and Diep make a great team and filled our time in Vietnam with laughter.

Hotel Reviews

Solitaire Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

The hotel was clean and comfortable in a great location. The gym and pool were quite nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anjali by Syphon

Very nice hotel with lush gardens that create an oasis in the middle of Siem Reap.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tirant Hotel

Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Fantastic location in the Old Quarter and within easy walking distance of the water puppet theatre and Hoan Kiem Lake. Rooms were clean but rather plain and ordinary.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was very clean, but the rooms were too plain and basic.

Mon Cheri Cruises

The ship was pleasant with clean, comfortable rooms. The cruise itself was disappointing. We would have liked to spend much more time underway to see the stunning scenery go by. Instead we spent too much time at anchor, for kayaking and a land excursion to a cave. Those two stops were interesting but not worth the time that could have otherwise been spent underway. Most of the sailing time happened during the night, when it was too dark to see the scenery. The staff was great, especially Ducky, our waiter, and Jasmine, the cruise director.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Emeralda Tam Coc Resort

Fantastic location right on the river and within easy walking distance of town, vendors, street food, etc. We upgraded to premium deluxe rooms, which were great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bangkok Symbolic Temples

Bangkok

Amazing places: very interesting and well worth doing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. However, his English was not the best, and he was often difficult to understand.

Transport

Hang Mua Viewpoint - Visit Tam Coc & Bich Dong Pagoda

Ninh Binh

Bich Dong Pagoda, which is built into the mountainside was well worth the hike up to see it. The Hang Mua Viewpoint has good views but was too crowded with tourists. The boat ride along the river was incredible, with rice fields on either side and mountains rising straight up out of the fields. That experience was definitely one of the best parts of our trip and featured some of the most unique and beautiful scenery we've ever seen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

Super fun with lots of great food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to The Glorious Days of Ayutthaya Kingdom

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide's less-than-great English was a limiting factor.

Transport

Nature Walk in Cuc Phuong National Park

Ninh Binh

We enjoyed our visit to the primate rescue center, and it was great to see the important work being done there. The turtle rescue center was less interesting. The hike through the jungle was a good way to get an up-close experience of the jungle but otherwise was unexceptional. This was a good outing, but I wouldn't do it again and don't necessarily recommend it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Apsara Dinner Show

Siem Reap

Good cultural experience, but some dances were more interesting than others. It would have been helpful to have a detailed program to explain the origin and meaning of the various dances. The food was unexceptional.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boarding Cruise - Halong Bay - Lan Ha Bay - Tra Bau (Mon Chéri Cruises)

Ha Long Bay

The ship was clean and comfortable, and the staff was great. The best part of the cruise was when we were underway, so we could see the beautiful scenery going by. Unfortunately, we did not spend that much time underway, which was disappointing. Much of the daytime was spent at anchor, for kayaking or a land excursion to visit a cave. Sailing seemed to mostly happen overnight, when people were sleeping and it was too dark to see the scenery anyway. I would definitely recommend a different cruise that skips land excursions, spends more time underway, and takes in more of the amazing scenery of Ha Long Bay.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Angkor Complex Discovery

Siem Reap

Absolutely worth seeing. Despite knowing that we were visiting ruins of great temples, it was still a bit shocking and disappointing to see the state of disrepair that the ruins have fallen into. We hope that over time Cambodia will be able to invest more into preservation and restoration. Ta Prohm, with trees growing directly out of the ruins, was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lan Ha Bay - Cat Ba Island - Tuan Chau - Disembarking Cruise (Mon Chéri Cruises)

Ha Long Bay

The cave was interesting but not particularly special. We would have preferred to skip the excursion altogether and spend more time underway to see the beautiful scenery and natural rock formations of Ha Long Bay.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kulen Mountain Adventure by Jeep

Siem Reap

Somewhat interesting and fun to go by Jeep, but probably not worth an extra day in Siem Reap.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and drivers (August, Sovann, and another driver whose name I don't know) were friendly and knowledgeable and spoke great English.

Transport

The Jeeps were fun, but be prepared to be very dirty after a long drive on dirt roads.

Half-day Morning Duong Cooking Class (Joining Activity)

Hanoi

A great experience. The chef who conducted our class was very personable; he made the class fun and interesting. It was more of a cooking demonstration than an actual class, but he did give us some tasks to do. The tour of the local market to buy produce and other supplies was great. The meal we (mostly the chef) prepared ended up being one of the most delicious meals of our trip. Highly recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Siem Reap - Visit the floating villages of Tonlé Sap - Kompong Phluk

Siem Reap

Interesting experience. We were amazed by the vastness of Tonle Sap. This excursion has limited impact in the dry season, which is when we visited, but may be better in the rainy season. The houses do not actually float; they are built on stilts. In the dry season, you see the stilts rise dozens of feet above the water, because the lake level is so low. In the rainy season, the houses probably appear to float.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Half Day Exploration

Hanoi

Great visit to the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Minh complex: well worth doing. It was great to see these two sites, but I wish we had seen more of Hanoi. A full-day tour probably would have been better for us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Bach and our driver Diep were terrific. They are a great team and made every outing lots of fun.

Transport

Water puppet show

Hanoi

Amazing show. We were a bit skeptical about it ahead of time but were so glad we did it. Don't miss this fantastic show!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unfold The Secret of Hanoi Street Food

Hanoi

One of the highlights of the trip. Our guide Bach took us to some amazing spots and vendors and was willing to keep going for as long as we were able to keep eating!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This was our first time using kimkim to plan travel, and the entire process, from defining the details of our trip to Thailand, to the actual visit, exceeded expectations. The intake process that kimkim uses was fun, aimed at quickly deciphering what a traveler is looking for. Better yet, it immediately connected us to a local travel planner, in this case a terrific woman in Vietnam named Hoa Tran, who really knew what the heck we wanted. Hoa easily offered up countless options for our consideration and quickly iterated until we landed on the kind of trip we aspired to take. Each iteration was clear and thorough and included lots of details and pricing as well...made it easy to get to an itinerary we liked.

Thailand was amazing! And we literally felt cared for by somebody that kimkim arranged to greet, tour and escort us around the country every step of the way (we are good independent travelers so don't need hand holding but kimkim got the balance right). Hoa picked amazing hotels in the three cities we visited (Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket); they were over the top lovely and not the usual picks a web search might spit out. And while hotel restaurants can be a risk, the food in all three of these hotels was excellent and the service was extraordinary (BTW, Thai people in general are the most caring and gracious we have ever met...we learned a thing or two about being more gentle human beings from them). Our hotel in Phuket, the Amanpuri, was over the top; it was one of the nicest places we have ever visited. Despite the care of our local guides, Hoa checked in with us at every stop of the journey...a nice and thoughtful touch.

Our days were full (maybe too much so, but that was our fault for insisting that we do something exciting every day). Our guide in Bangkok (Kirana) was the best...and so knowledgeable and funny. The elephant sanctuary visit and jungle hike in Chaing Mai were also great, but our four days in Phuket just relaxing in a stunning setting next to the Andaman Sea was the absolute highlight. Finally, our all-in package that included hotel, tours / guides and domestic air travel felt like a good value. We paid a pretty penny for the visit, but for an experience that was easy, seamless and fun, we felt we got more than our money's worth.

We will definitely uses kimkim again; we think their secret sauce might be connecting a traveler to a local planner who really knows the place you plan to visit. From the outset, we were dealing with a local (Hoa Tran), who knows Southeast Asia like the back of her hand, not some random clerk in a Chicago HQ. Based on our experience, our friends are using kimkim to plan a trip to Iceland. And if we head back to Thailand or Southeast Asia (we are definitely going back to the Amanpuri in Phuket), Hoa will again be our requested planner...she was just great.

Lacey was incredibly patient working with us to craft the trip of our dreams at the price we wanted to pay. When our flight to Siem Reap was changed, she arranged to get us from Halong Bay to the airport in Hanoi. That was the only blip in the schedule, and it was seamlessly handled without us having to do anything.

Overall, our guides and drivers were wonderful. A special call out of Ae, our guide in Bangkok, who we wanted to take with us. She made us fall in love not only with Bangkok, but her. She attended to our every need, and then some. She treated us to the foods of Thailand, and always was smiling. We also enjoyed Set and Buhaun in Cambodia. Set treated us as queens, and we loved the cool towels and water Buhaun had ready for us. We only spent half a day with Pookie in Chiang Mai, but we enjoyed the time with her. We were less impressed with Thom in Hanoi--he clearly was not feeling well--and Mr. Chaun in Chiang Rai was more of an escort than a guide. Instead of walking through our stops and sharing the history, he pointed us in the right direction and later met us to leave. He seemed impatient and eager to finish the job. We didn't get that sense from anyone else. They all were eager to share their knowledge with us. Because of his attitude, we wish we would have spent only one day (or none) with him. Other than that, we had a tremendous experience.

Highlights were dinners with families in Vietnam, Cambodia and Chiang Mai; Angkor Wat; Tonle Sap; everything with Ae (tuk tuk food tour, flower market, Grand Palace at night, railroad and floating markets, Ayutthaya), the White Temple, the elephant sanctuary and our two excursions in Phuket (Phi Phi Island sunrise speedboat tour and John Gray Sea Canoe trip).

The trip not only met, but exceeded, our expectations.

Lacey was amazing! So communicative and there when we had questions or had minor hiccups on our trip! We can’t thank her enough for all her help planning our dream honeymoon!

I recently had the pleasure of working with Hoa, our trip planner for our first journey to Thailand, and I cannot recommend her highly enough! From the very beginning, Hoa was incredibly flexible and accommodating, taking our preferences and interests into account while crafting an itinerary that truly felt personalized.

She went above and beyond to ensure we had a unique experience, introducing us to local favorites that we would never have found on our own. Her attention to detail made our trip seamless.

Thank you, Hoa, for making our trip unforgettable and for being such a fantastic guide throughout the planning process. We can’t wait for our next adventure, and returning Thailand.

Also Anne on our food tour was great. Aswell as the drivers.

Hotel Review

Veranda Resort Pattaya - MGallery

Authenticity & Character

Location

Outside the city with great sunset and beach views for a quick trip

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Tingly Thai Cooking School - Morning joining class

Bangkok

This was much better than expected. Loved going to the market and learning about the food and culture. Our guide was amazing and kept it very fun

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Street Food Tour After Dark by Tuk Tuk

Bangkok

One of the best tour guides. Loved Anne jist knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mint was always incredibly responsive; I wondered if she worked 24/7! She suggested a great itinerary to begin with and then quickly addressed/adjusted to our wants.

Hotel Review

Oceanfront Beach Resort

Phuket

We enjoyed everything about this hotel except the location. The room was wonderful as was the service, the pools, the breakfast. Regarding the location, it’s about 1.4 km to the bleach and the action of Patong, a nice walk except that the road is very busy and there are stretches with no sidewalk. Consequently we ended up eating at the hotel restaurant 2 nights. The food was good but we would have liked more options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

See comments above

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Phi Phi island, Bamboo Island, Pi Leh lagoon & Maya bay by speedboat

Phuket

The islands are beautiful. The downside is the long run by speedboat which was pretty bumpy and the number of people also visiting. The first stop (Maya Bay) in particular was just dense with people. We spent more time in line getting back to the boat than we did at the Bay.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A visit to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Phuket

Phuket

Really enjoyed this, more than we expected. Going in we were concerned about the ethics of these elephant preserves, but once we learned that all the elephants are “rescues” from lives of hard labor and unable to be returned to the wild, and we saw how they are treated, we relaxed and enjoyed the interaction with these incredible creatures and learning more about them and the Preserve.

Traditional Thai Cooking Class with Market Tour!

Phuket

Wow, that was a lot of fun! Jim made it an educational and fun experience right from the start, with the visit to the market. He really focused on the ingredients and what each brought to the four dishes that we prepared. Once at the school, everything went like a well oiled machine as we prepared the various ingredients, then cooked and ate our delicious meal. We had attended another cooking class in north Thailand on another tour; this was more fun and we really liked that we got detailed recipes should we want to try and replicate at home.

John Gray's - Hong by Starlight

Phuket

One of the highlights of our 6 week trip to SE Asia. A slower, but much smoother ride out to the islands. The ride around James Bond island was probably sufficient; didn’t need to actually stop. Then the best part: the trips through the sea caves by inflatable kayaks piloted by a crew member to the various hidden lagoons! What an experience! Then to have an entire beach to just our boat (~25 people) was fun. Lastly the dinner and Loy Kratong prep and ceremony was special.