Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

Long was responsive only at the beginning of planning. We have a lot of confusion regarding meals included vs meals reserved. We had three full days in Cambodia but only one full day planned activity and two night activities. Fortunately the guide (Vibal ) and driver (Sofar) were excellent and they made themselves available to us the entire time and took us to places not included in the planning. We were anxious about our activities in Siem Reap and Vibal on the first meeting already reassured us he will take us to wherever we want to go. They gave us the best moments in our trip with excellent service and hospitality. Kudos to this team.
In Vietnam we were thankful to have the driver took us to the restaurant Gia because if we had to call taxi as suggested by Long it would have been a very nerve wrecking experience.
The recommendation of Gia restaurant was of questionable value. I would prefer a restaurant that serves classic Vietnamese meals that one that serves molecular gastronomy type of food. Also it would have been nice to be told that the meal will be 3-3.5 hours and that it will cost around $150 per person. It was presented as if the meal was included and caused confusion to all of us. Did the local tour group get a kick-back from this recommendation?

The overall planning and organization was excellent. All arrangements worked as planned. Last minute changes were accommodated easily. Ashley was extermely responsive. Accomodations were exactly as expected.

This was my first time using Kim Kim, and I will definitely use them for all furure trips.

We had a bit of a problem receiving prompt responses from Camellia. But ultimately, when Thuy took over the administration of the trip while we were in-country, all went very smoothly.

Hotel Reviews

Tirant Hotel

Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

We loved the location of this hotel and found it to be quite nice. We loved that it was authentically Vietnamese. We were able to walk to so much of interest from it's location in Old Town Hanoi.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Peony cruise

The ship was nice with good food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Unfortunately, Ha Long Bay is not being well protected from pollution and litter.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Star Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

Very dingy hotel. Our first room had a party room above it. As music was pounding above, we requested a new room, which they immediately provided. However, the new room was smaller and more worn that the first. If anything, when we encounter a problem with a room, we expect a room of equal if not better quality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Silk Path Grand Hue

A beautiful hotel. But it could have been in any country in the world and didn't have a Vietnamese feel to it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hoi An Historic

Hoi An

A hotel with Vietnamese character in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

HCM City - Cu Chi tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City

We enjoyed this tour very much. Mr. Thong was quite difficult to understand, but he was a delightful personality.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh city - Vespa tour after dark

Ho Chi Minh City

Our guide, Heidi was fantastic. Very good English. Very delightful engaging personality. Again, our interaction was more like a conversation rather than a script.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free at your leisure in Hanoi

Hanoi

Old town Hanoi is delightful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi and walking street food tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi City Tour of Capital of Vietnam

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had trouble understanding our guide Daniel.

Transport

Hanoi - Ha Long Bay - Lan Ha Bay (Peony cruise)

Vietnam

We specifically asked for this experience. But we have concluded that Ha Long Bay is over-touristed and is not being protected from pollution and litter. We would not recommend this visit to others. However, if one does visit, Peony Cruise was a good service provider.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A full day explore the rural life in Hanoi

Hanoi

We enjoyed this day but were slightly disappointed with what was described as a 'village'. It turned out we stopped at a spot that was once a village and is now just set of buildings. The rest of the day tho, was great, with bike riding, market visit and a home visit with a war veteran.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had trouble understanding our guide, Daniel.

Transport

The bikes were barely usable.

Fly to Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

Again, Thuy handled our experience beautifully and was very responsive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

More cruise on the bay - transfer back Hanoi

Vietnam

Thuy did a good job getting us boarding passes and making sure all arrangements were made.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue City Tour, Bike to Rural Villages

Hue

We loved our guide, Quyen. His English was easy to understand. Our interactions were more like a conversation and less like a script he had memorized. He answered all our questions and was very knowledgeable. The biking was fun and the visit to the organic farm and farm-to-table restaraunt was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue to Hoi An Ancient town

Vietnam

Quyen did a great job escorting us from one city to another. He gave us a short orientation tour of Hoi An upon our arrival which helped us enjoy the city!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mekong Delta Day Trip (Cycling)

Ho Chi Minh City

We loved this biking trip. The Mekong area is delightful. The Trek bikes were excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mr. Thong's English is quite difficult to understand.

Transport

Visit Fishing Village & Tra Que village and basket boat

Hoi An

We loved the biking and learning to make and throw fishing nets. The basket boat tour was awful. Terribly touristy and fake. We would not recommend it for others.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 8 days traveling the length of Vietnam from North to South, with excellent guides (KC, ChickyTrung, Tin Tin).

Vietnam is an extremely beautiful country with people who are kind, open, and engaging. We loved having a private tour guide for each city we visited, and we truly enjoyed the introduction to the food we had on food tours in Ha Noi and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

The old town at Ha Noi was both fascinating and beautiful and the shopping there was really fun. We had outfits made for our daughters using their custom measurements.

Hien Do did a masterful job organizing every element, making this one of the easiest trips ever to plan, with a rich array of experiences we got to take part in. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Each and every stop was intentional and purposeful. To our surprise the Vietnam people made the biggest impression, followed by food and rich history. All of the guides were well versed in their area and added immensely to our trip overcoming the biggest obstacle: language barrier. Highly recommend this excursion into Vietnam - a beautiful country on the rise!

Hotel Review

Silk Path Grand Hue

Every detail attended to and the bed was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Authentic Home Dining - Enjoy a traditional Hue dinner

Hue

The host were gracious and humble; the food exquisite, and the guide filed with historical detail. Don’t miss this one!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic experience working with Doris Bui. She was very responsive and worked hard to respond to all of our requests. She created just the right balance of tours and free time for us. All five of hour hotels/cruise accommodations were excellent. Our guides, Long, Brian and Thuy were knowledgeable and helpful. We enjoyed meeting them and learning from them about the history of Vietnam and life today. We especially loved the Viet Palace, our cooking class and the visit to the pottery village in Hanoi. Long provided great restaurant recommendations. In Ninh Binh we had a great ride along the river in Tam Coc and enjoyed Brian's tour through the old capital. Thuy was so great in Hoi An sharing her knowledge of the temples and old houses there. Overall it was a great trip.

Hotel Reviews

Emeralda Tam Coc Resort

Well located. Extremely helpful staff and excellent breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anantara Hoi An Resort

Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

Beautiful hotel and absolutely stellar breakfast. Location is A++

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai

Unbelievable service at this resort. You will want for nothing....every single request and need is met. THe property is beautiful and the villas are truly luxurious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's a little far from Hoi An but they do run a shuttle and the cabs are reasonable.

Staff

Top notch service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amazingly comfortable bed and linens.

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi

Beautiful hotel. Amazing service and food. We stayed in the old part and loved the history and elegance of it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stellar of the Seas

quảng ninh

Beautiful ship. The size is just perfect and the food is amazing. The chef accommodated every reqeust.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi- Lan Ha Bay - Overnight on Stellar of the Seas cruise

Lan Ha Bay

Stellar of the Seas was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi sightseeing

Hanoi

We found the Ethnology museum a little disappointing. Sort of a dry presentation. The line at the Mauseoleum was ridiculously long so we skipped it. Had a great lunch with Long that day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Explore Thanh Chuong Viet's Palace

Hanoi

Loved this. Really beautiful place and lovely drive into the countryside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Cooking Class - Afternoon free

Hanoi

Was alot of fun and interesting to see life in a village. Had fun but might have been better with a group. The woman who did the class was so so lovely and she made delicious food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Bat Trang Ceramic Village - Afternoon free

Hanoi

Really fun. Unfortunately didn't get to make any pottery due to a strike. Interesting to pop into some of the workshops.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu, Ancient Capital - Tam Coc Boat Trip

Vietnam

The boat trip was gorgeous. Our favorite thing was bike riding to Bich Dong pagoda and then biking around the nearby countryside. Brian was lovely to work with and quite knowledgeable. We really liked the central location of the resort.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Hoi An Ancient Town - Visit Precious Heritage Museum by Réhahn

Hoi An

We walked through Hoi An and visited just a few places with Thuy. She was great. We were really happy to explore the market and the Precious Heritage Museum on our own. The Precious Heritage was an absolute highlight and should not be missed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doris is friendly and replies quickly. We really appreciated all her attentiveness!

It was an amazing trip and I loved it ---
the communication with Long was not the best but we enjoyed all the trips and tours he set up
The best guides were in Siem Reap, Hoi An, and Hanoi.
The accommodations were good/great with the best being at the Metropol in Hanoi
I lok forward to another trip with you in the future
J Ready

Hotel Reviews

Shinta Mani Angkor

Siem Reap

Caravelle Saigon

the wing we were in was noisy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Garden Resort

Ninh Binh

very nice and a quiet oasis to relax

Almanity Hoi An Wellness Resort

Hoi An

comfortable and easily walkable staff very nice

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi

superb

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

OMG I want this everywhere!

Hoa Lu And Tam Coc Exploration

Vietnam

very enjoyable

Hanoi Half Day City Tour (S)

Hanoi

wonderful city and wonderful guide --- I wish we had booked more time !!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phare Ponleu Selpak Circus Show

Siem Reap

very enjoyable

Explore the Complex of Angkor

Siem Reap

superb the guide was fantastic this is the second time I have visited this and I learned a lot more this time !

Traditional Apsara show with dinner

Siem Reap

very disappointing

Quality of Experience

Food

Authentic Mekong Delta Tour By Luxury Speedboat

Ho Chi Minh City

loved it ! We had a bit of an issue coming back with hitting a coconut/log and keeling over a bit but it added to the experience ----

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Half-Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

very good wish we had more time --- half day is not enough!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dining at Michelin-star restaurant - Gia Restaurant

Hanoi

wait staff was great --- not impressed with the cuisine

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jade Sails Ha Long Bay Cruise - 8 Hours Trip from Ninh Binh

Vietnam

we did not this due to fog --- did 4 hr Ha Long bay cruise which was great!! I put in amazing but be aware it was a different trip

Suffice it to say it was a perfect trip! Trang is our new hero, so professional, competent, welcoming, and always very responsive. We will absolutely recommend her to future travels! We think she deserves a raise😊. Seriously without her I don’t think we would have enjoyed our trip as much. We wouldn’t change a thing, well maybe just the rain in BaNa Hills! Loved our hotels and also our guides. If we had to pick a favorite day it might be our last one in HoiAn. But truly it was all memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi Pearl Hotel

Hanoi

The Hanoi Pearl Hotel was a delightful first stop on our trip. Although not the most luxurious, its cozy atmosphere and prime location made it a standout for us. The staff knew us by name, which made it feel personal and welcoming. It was perfectly situated for exploring Hanoi, which added to our satisfaction. The rooms weren't huge, but overall, it was a charming experience.

Hoi An Delicacy Hotel & Spa

Hoi An

Hoi An Delicacy Hotel & Spa was lovely, especially with its rooftop amenities. Although it's a bit on the edge of town, which made walking into town slightly less convenient, the overall experience was very pleasant. The location made it feel a bit exclusive and serene.

Indochine Lan Ha Cruise

Hai Phong

The Indochine Lan Ha Cruise was a fantastic experience! Though I've been on many cruises, this one stood out for its charm and old-world feel. They packed the itinerary with special activities, like cooking demonstrations and exercise sessions, which made it special. It was a new ship but had the charm of an older vessel, adding to the allure. My granddaughter was thrilled by the experience of sleeping on water, which added to the joy.

Activity Reviews

Hue - Ba Na Hills - Golden Bridge - Marble Mountain - Hoi An

Vietnam

We had a wonderful time at Ba Na Hills! Despite knowing little about it beforehand, the park atop a mountain was an incredible surprise. The day we visited, it poured rain, so we were soaked, but the magic of the place shone through. Even with the weather, it was an unforgettable adventure.

Hoi An Countryside - Lantern Making - Gardening & Basket Boat Ride (HUT19) - Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An

The last day in Hoi An was packed with activities and utter fun. We loved the lantern-making, the countryside bike rides, and the basket boat ride. Lunch was an exceptional experience, wrapping up a day full of diverse and special adventures. It was super fun and intimate with just our small group, making it a highlight of the trip.

Fantastic trip!

Doris was great. Excellent planning for us and she checked in to see how things were going.

Guides were good. Drivers were excellent!

Hotels were excellent. Only exception was in HCMC the Muong Tranh hotel is more for business people not tourists. Should use a better more character option there.

Fantastic trip. Thank-you KimKim and Doris!

Hotel Reviews

Hoi An Delicacy Hotel & Spa

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Anam Mui Ne

Mui Ne

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Ha Long Bay - Overnight on Cruise

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi city sightseeing

Hanoi

Hue: Thuy Bieu Ecovillage, Cooking Class & Imperial Citadel

Hue

Mekong Delta - Overnight on board

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An

Sai Gon city sightseeing

Ho Chi Minh City

All local guides and drivers did a wonderful job. They work out of their way to help us. Especial Mr. Vibol in Siem Reap and Mr. Cuong in Hanoi were very accommodating.

Hotel Reviews

Shinta Mani Angkor

Siem Reap

I would give it a 5 star if it has an elevator. The floor was not very smooth and easily tripped if not paying attention. The shower door is not enclosed and it’s easily get the whole bathroom wet. We had issues with the air condition, but the problem was fixed pretty fast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Given that it does not have an elevator and the bathroom door needs to be replaced.

Almanity Hoi An Wellness Resort

Hoi An

This is the worse hotel of the whole trip. The rooms we got were at the very end of the building. They were a bit outdated and with the construction next door, and the dust around, we are happy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean but I would not say super comfy.

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tam Coc Garden Resort

Ninh Binh

This place has a lot of characters. It’s a retreat and we love to spend more time here. The only thing missing is outlets by the coffee/tea makers. It’s a little inconvenience, but we worked with it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Caravelle Saigon

This is not a five star hotel. We have seen better hotels around.

Authenticity & Character

Not a lot of character that the hotel offers.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Authentic Mekong Delta Tour By Luxury Speedboat

Ho Chi Minh City

It was good that we can see the Mekong river and the delta area, good experience visiting someone’s home and eat a home cooked meal. Visiting to the orphanage was wonderful and the small temple and the wet market we all enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Half-Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Time is never enough. Wish we could have more time to see the museums.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dining at Michelin-star restaurant - Gia Restaurant

Hanoi

Dinner takes way too long, food was not what we expected. We wanted upscale Vietnamese food, that are simple and healthy. We didn’t choose this restaurant, we went because KimKim recommended this and we thought was included in our tour. The schedule says on the last day, breakfast and dinner were included, but we had to pay for this dinner, which was too expensive and the kind of food we did not enjoy. The table next to us were loud, the music the played was not songs from the 90’s. No class!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Poor driver had to come after 3 plus hours to pick us up.

Transport

Traditional Apsara show with dinner

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

VIP Fast Track Service

Vietnam

I do not understand why we had this. It was good that we didn’t have to stand in line and got out of the airport in no time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Complex of Angkor

Siem Reap

This is what we came to see, beautiful, serene. Wished we could spend more time here.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vibol is very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Cambodia.

Transport

Driver was very attentive. Besides cold water and cold wet towels, he cleans the van every time we were sight seeing.

Phare Ponleu Selpak Circus Show

Siem Reap

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip had almost 100% success. Locations of hotels, great guides, timely transportation, tour destinations and overall quality for the money were right on. Considering the part of the world and the number of flights due to the destinations that we wanted to see, Ashley did a great job of advising and arranging suitable flights and appropriate timeframes, all of which were met with the scheduled transport services.

Each of our local Footprint guides were fantastic. John in Saigon, Tien in Hoi An and Hue, and Chuong in Hanoi. We enjoyed spending time with each of them and learned a lot about the cities we visited and Vietnam as a whole.

Hotel Reviews

Au Lac Charner Hotel

Au Lac Charner puts you right in the heart of things. You need to be prorated the chaos that is Saigon - the scooters, the blocked sidewalks, it’s amazing and terrifying. It’s not the fanciest but we enjoy it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eldora Hue

Hue

This is a beautiful hotel, like a grand old lady. Impeccable in style with a staff to match. Topped off by being in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renea Cruise

The boat and staff were very nice. Being booked in the suite (one of two in the boat) totally made our one night stay. So happy we chose a smaller boat just 30 people.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Siesta Classic Ma May

Hanoi

This is a nice hotel (the second one we stayed in while visiting HCMC). It is very “western” like so we are a bit torn in our review. Our first 3 nights were in the Babylon Premium Resort and Spa that we booked outside of KimKim. We liked the location of that hotel better but you have to prefer to be right in the mix. La Siesta was more sedate, fancier and had a lovely breakfast spread. It really depends what you are looking for.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vespa Adventure: Street food after dark

Ho Chi Minh City

This was fantastic. Our guide, Heidi, was energetic and fun! Our drivers were great and it was a fun evening. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I’m

Transport

A day trip to the fertile Mekong delta, Ben Tre

Ho Chi Minh City

This was a fun and very full day of new experiences. John did a great job!

Ancient Town Walking with Street Food Tasting

Hoi An

Tien was fabulous. We really had a good adventure and ate very well. You must try iced coconut coffee at her favorite spot!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hanoi - Arrive Halong Port– Bai Tu Long Bay - Cong Do– Cap La island (Renea Cruise)

Vietnam

A half day exploring the historic Ho Chi Minh city

Ho Chi Minh City

We had a great time with John. He shared his knowledge of the city with us and we enjoyed our time with him.

Quality of Experience

LOL

Food

The restaurant for lunch was nice and introduced us to a few local dishes. We were surprised when we had to pay the the beers we drank during lunch. Given that we had spend thousands on our tour with KimKim, it was a surprise to have to pay the equivalent of a few US dollars for our beverage of choice.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An to Hue

Vietnam

It was pouring rain this day. We had a great driver and it was wonderful to have Tien, our guide, with us for the 4 hour drive.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bai Tu Long Bay - Thien Canh Son cave – Halong Port - Hanoi (Renea)

Vietnam

The weather made the activities a bit challenging. The kayak trip was poorly supervised - not sure how just one person is supposed to take one group swimming and the other part of the group to the beach. The kayaks were wet when we got in them and we only got wetter. The hot ginger tea on the way back to the boat sure hit the spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue Heritages

Vietnam

So much to see in this city. We enjoyed it more than we were expecting. The schedule was great, a nice mix of walking and being driven (plus a dragon boat ride)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Koi

Hanoi and walking street food tour

Hanoi

This was a fun afternoon/early evening. Our guide, Chuong, was a lot of fun. He took us to some great spots we would never had dared enter to try some local (delicious) Hanoi dishes. Strange again that we had to pay $5 USD for two beers when spending thousands on our tour.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hanoi City Tour of Capital of Vietnam

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ashley did an outstanding job in putting this trip together. She was very accommodating and attentive when we were doing the initial planning for this trip and was always quick to respond back. I would definitely recommend Ashley as well as utilize her again in the future. All of the tour guides were fantastic. One of the tour guides that stuck out the most was Johnny. His knowledge and personality really made our trip that much more memorable.
Excellent trip overall!

Ashley did an outstanding job creating an itinerary that met our desires for our first trip to Vietnam. We appreciated that there was a lot of back and forth during the planning with questions which were answered promptly and effectively. From the time we arrived in Hanoi until our farewell in Da Nang, everything that was planned was carried out efficiently. Every transfer from airport to hotel, or hotel to boat or airport, happened exactly on schedule. The greatest source of stress in a trip is transfers, especially when in a country that is not familiar. KimKim (Realistic Asia) arranged everything for us, selecting local tour companies, and all went smoothly. The greatest joy of travel is to be immersed in the culture of the destination. The guides that KimKim selected for our trip were excellent and exceeded our high expectations. We were met in Hanoi Airport by Haley , who met our delayed flight with a smile and delivered us by private vehicle to Hanoi Pearl Hotel. Along the way, she helped introduce us the ways of Hanoi. Our first morning in Hanoi, we had a free day, and found a cooking class on our own. The next day, we were met by Sunny, a guide with Realistic Asia, who conducted a private tour of the Hanoi country side and farms by a 1970 Russian jeep. Ashley suggested the Water Puppet show, which was excellent. The following day, we were met by Dat, a guide of Realistic Asia, and his driver, for our trip to Ha Long Bay, first for the scenic seaplane flight (recommended by Ashley), then we boarded the Orchid Trendy cruise ship for an overnight trip to the bay and the caves at Cat Ba Island. Dat met us upon our return for a drive back to Hanoi Airport. Since we had time before our flight, Dat offered to show us an interest of our choice. We chose the Museum of Ethnology, an amazing place to learn of the 53 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Dat provided in-depth information, better than a museum tour guide. He then delivered us to Hanoi airport for our flight to Hue, where we were met by Trinh, of Realistic Asia, and her driver, who delivered us to the Pilgrimage Village resort, outside of the city. The next morning, Trinh guided us around the Citadel, the Imperial Palace the back streets of Hue, and a river tour on a Dragon Boat. That evening, we were dinner guests at Ngoc Son Residency, a special place that is not available outside of KimKim/Realistic Asia. The next day, we were met by Laura (Phuc) of Realistic Asia for our drive to Hoi An, where we spent the afternoon touring the city on foot. The next day, we enjoyed a private Vespa tour of the country side with Vespa Adventures, suggested by Ashley. In the evening, we attended the Teh Dar show in the Bamboo Theater, suggested by Ashley. It was an amazing acrobatic and musical depiction of tribal highland Vietnam birth, life and death. On our last day, the driver delivered us to Da Nang airport, where our KimKim tour was finished. In summary, KimKim/Ashley did an excellent job planning our trip, and procured the guide services that provided guides that were outstanding in every way. They adapted their tours around our requests wherever possible. They spoke excellent English, and we thoroughly enjoyed their company, in addition to their knowledge of the culture, food, and history of Vietnam overall, and specifically the locale that we experienced. The suggested extra experiences (water puppets, scenic plane, Ngoc Son dinner, Teh Dar show) added to our unique experience. We would not have been immersed in Vietnam as thoroughly as we were, if not for Ashley and KimKim. Thank you.

I had an amazing experience with all the touring. Our tour guides are very accommodating and most are on time. They respected our time and they made sure to take a photo of us, I’m guessing this is a proof that we got picked up and dropped off 😊
The only comment and recommendation I have for the tour is to let the travelers know that there are shops in the tour area and that cash must to have as there is no ATM machine or use of credit cards available in the tour area/ destination.
Overall the tour is phenomenally beautiful.

We had an incredible adventure in Cambodia and Vietnam! KimKim paired us with Hien at Realistic Asia, who organized a fantastic six day, five night customized adventure for us. In each country, we were paired with fantastic guides and drivers who took care of us from arrival to departure, and everything in between.

In Cambodia, our amazing guide, Mr. Lon Vong, walked us through Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom, Angkor Thom and the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. His knowledge about the ruins, the Cambodian people and history of this country was incredible. He was friendly, flexible, wonderful to be with and always had a smile on his face. Highly recommend him and these stops to anyone coming to this wonderful country.

In Vietnam, we were paired with Jimmy, another fantastic guide. Jimmy taught us so much about Vietnam, as we toured sites in Hanoi, Ninh Banh and Ha Long Bay. He taught us so much about the history of Vietnam and how the Vietnamese people have adapted to the present day. He was friendly, personable and a joy to be with. He even took us to one of his favorite street food restaurants in Hanoi. We are proud to now be part of the“Jimmy Family!”

Looking back, Hien at Realistic Asia put together the incredible trip for us. Hotels, Cruise, Sites and Guides were wonderful. They spent a lot of time working with us to put together the perfect itinerary. They communicated to us frequently before the trip to make sure we were prepared and all of our paperwork was in order. They even stepped in to expedite a visa as the Vietnamese government was shutting down for the Lunar New Year and we might have had issues getting into Vietnam. They also checked in with us frequently during our tour to make sure everything was going well. If you are traveling anywhere in SE Asia, I’d recommend this group to anyone. Thank you KimKim for pairing us with Realiatic Asia!

Activity Reviews

Explore the Complex of Angkor

Siem Reap

The ruins at Angkor are incredible. Recommend getting up early to see sunrise over Angkor Wat. Ta Phrom and Angkor Thom are also must visits! A fantastic tour!

Quality of Experience

Aww

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Guide, Mr. Lon Vong was amazing. Friendly, knowledgeable and taught us so much about Cambodian history. He was fantastic!

Transport

Exploring Hoa Lu - Tam Coc Boat riding - Mua Cave Full Day

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Food

Great meal, food was fantastic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jimmy was a fantastic guide. Fun to be with and he taught us so much about Vietnamese history.

Transport

Comfortable vehicle, great driver

Discover Lan Ha Bay - Viet Hai Village - Onboarding Ambassador Signature cruise

Ha Long Bay

Fantastic cruise. Great room, food and views!!!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Iconic of Hanoi- Temple of Literature

Hanoi

Explore Dark & Bright Cave - Disembarking Ambassador Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Doris provided a memorable itinerary for our trip. Guides (Brian and Toan) and drivers provided a wealth of knowledge and expertise at each site throughout the journey. We are not tour style people, however, this was well crafted to provide history, sites, landscapes, and activity. Beautiful country, rich culture , delicious food, and wonderful people.

Hotel Review

Eldora Hue

Hue

Loved this hotel. Best hotel during our trip

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hue - Thuy Bieu Eco-village, Cooking Class & Imperial Citadel

Hue

Toan was excellent guide, providing insight and knowledge to this area.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a great trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. 2 weeks was exactly the right amount of time to see everything we wanted to see. It struck the proper balance between activities every day, a variety of excursions, with the right amount of rest time in between. Transportation around town was excellent. Pickups and drop-offs at the airport were smooth, enough of the people in Indo-China spoke English to get by. The education about history was very informing. Bike rides, although challenging at my age of 73, was good exercise and allowed us to see the local people and how they lived. We saw some cultural events, some flavor of the local food. There were 3 cooking classes. We saw a variety of places in Vietnam and understand the role that Vietnam and Cambodia play in the modern world. The only negative is that we probably did not ask questions of Ashley often enough. She eventually answered them. Ashley did a great job of planning our trip. We would do it again, except Vietnam is on the other side of the world and the plane rides were exceedingly long.
Ron Goings

My favorite part of the trip was time I spent in Hanoi. I loved my Walking Food tour with Cherry. She was so informative and has a wonderful personality to make the tour so enjoyable. She was knowledgeable and fun. The Chaos of Hanoi was delightful. My jeep tour with Robin was also very good. Loved the train street and the Pagoda. Robin spent time teaching me about the experiences and seemed especially knowledgeable about the Pagoda. Halong bay was such a wonderful retreat from the city. The overnight cruise was lovely. Accommodation on the boat was very comfortable. The floating market was a marvel. The guide was terrific with bits of information about the markets and how they are diminishing. I totally enjoyed cruising the market and even getting some soup from a floating vendor. Ho Chi Min was a very different flavor than Hanoi. A bit more sophisticated. Rooftop bars and entertainment were aplenty. The war museum and tunnels were sobering. All along the trip accommodations were above my expectations and I was completely impressed with the service and punctuality of the guides. A rather pleasant surprise was all of the decorations for Luna New Year. I was unaware of the start of the celebration but was lucky enough to be there before the actual New Year. Flower markets were bursting with Orchids, Kumquat Trees and Cherry blossoms. It was very special to see.