Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

We thoroughly enjoyed our mother/daughter trip to North and Central Vietnam in December. Huyen was great to work with – accommodating and flexible. She provided many options, listened to our requests, and tailored our trip to suit our needs. We were able to enjoy a few days on our own exploring the cities and finding activities like temple of literature, water puppet show, tailored clothes, Hoi An at night among others to do.
Highlights of our custom itinerary included Hanoi Street food tour, a day trip to Ninh Binh, an overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay (kayaking and incredible views), cooking class, basket boat, ba na hills, etc. Our tour guides, Long (Hanoi) and Han (Hoi An) were fantastic – very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable of their cities and cultures. They gave us recommendations for the best pho, bahn mi, cafes and restaurants for an incredible dining experience. Activities like spa and lantern making were perfectly suggested for a rainy day in Hoi An. The drivers were always on time. Having KimKim take care of all the hotel reservations, airport/road transfers, some meals, domestic flights, etc. made our trip so much more enjoyable and stress free. Highly recommend that to anyone planning a vacation to a foreign country or want a worry-free experience.
There were some miscommunications about dietary restrictions which led to our guides believing we required vegetarian meals which wasn’t true. We wish we had been able to try more of the local cuisine rather than catering to something we didn’t want.
Our thanks to KimKim for so many memorable moments. We enjoyed it all!
Cecilia B.

From beginning to end TRUE excellence.

Minh and his team were extremely responsive both before and during the trip. Our son had an accident and we had to reschedule almost the whole trip, which they managed to do at no extra cost.

We had the best trip in Vietnam for two weeks with Trang's expert help and guidance. She gave us many great options and clearly understood the pace we needed and wanted while also traveling with a 6 yo and 7 yo. Our tour guides were great--Chung, Dat, and Loan. Each one had their own special personalities and interests that added to our trip in a unique way.

I'm so glad we found Trang on KimKim; I can't imagine a better trip and truly credit her with the large success of our adventure. She was so easy to communicate with and very responsive, even with our crazy 13 hour time difference! She has a real gift for suggesting an itinerary that is exciting, fresh, and seamless.

This was my first time using a travel agency and I am so glad I did!!

Hotel Reviews

San Premium Hotel

Excellent breakfast with a wide spread. The triple room was comfy and just what we needed after a 24 hour trip to get to Hanoi. The location was also very convenient and we felt comfortable walking around on our own right away. Also, this hotel had the best pricing for laundry services of all the places we stayed at. ***there is no pool here, though. It's a little hard to tell from the website but the hotel itself is perfect if you dont care about a pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hoi An Garden Palace & Spa

I loved this place!! It's so quiet and charming and a perfect place to recharge from the constant hustle and bustle of the streets of Hoi An. The beds were comfy and our kids loved the spacious pool and the plentiful breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Elios Saigon Hotel

This place is fine; it just wasn't as nice as other places we'd stayed at but it served its purpose in a clean and safe way. I did like being close to the park and being able to people watch from our triple room. It was also close to several great spots to eat and we felt safe to walk around without any issues.

Authenticity & Character

It felt pretty generic--couldve been any hotel anywhere.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bamboo Village Resort

Bamboo Village has now been added to my mental list of "happy places" when I need a break and want to picture a place I love. So much thought went into its development and the grounds and pools are gorgeous and the rooms sumptuous. The beach was also wonderful and we loved being able to play in the waves so easily. Everything smells so nice there, too. The breakfast buffet was also nothing short of fabulous; it had lots of Vietnamese options as well as Korean fare and Russian fare (Mui Ne attracts a lot of Russians, which we hadn't known).

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was close enough to Phun Thiet that we went there for Vietnamese food a couple of times.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Indochine Grand Cruise

Quang Ninh

wonderful ship! it needs more Vietnamese food but otherwise everything was great. I loved the Tai Chi on the bow in the morning.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cicilia Danang Hotel & Spa

Two pools and conveniently located to go out and get food or look around. The bed was also very comfy as were the pillows!

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was easy to get a massage or barber shop visit as well as different types of food and coffees.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ho Chi Minh City - Mui Ne Beach

Mui Ne

Quality of Experience

this was a perfect beach spot to relax and enjoy the sun and ocean.

Hanoi - Bat Trang Ceramic Village & Hanoi City Tour

Hanoi

This was an a fun excursion and I enjoyed being able to point out Bat Trang pottery on the rest of our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chung was very eager to share info with us and took us to a real authentic spot for pho when we asked to have lunch.

Transport

Explore Lan Ha Bay, Indochine Lan Ha Cruise

Vietnam

Lan Ha Bay is beautiful and going to Cat Ba Island and riding bikes was one of my favorite days there.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing Vietnam and Cambodia mother/daughter adventure. Highlights included Temple of Literature (Hanoi), kayaking and views of Ha Long Bay, our fave Hoi An (bamboo boats, best guide-Thu, Memories show, cooking class, tailored dresses in one day and more), beautiful temples at Angkor Wat & Siem Reap fun, final stop: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)-super local food tour at night on scooters with excellent guides-Phat and Nguyen. Appreciated having Huyen on the ground as a resource pre-planning and in country. Wonderful memories made-highly recommend!

Activity Review

Saigon By Night Food Tour - Experience Vietnam on Two Wheels (Small Group tour)

Ho Chi Minh City

So much fun to eat local foods (tailored to our diets/preferences) and ride on scooters at night in Saigon. Phat and Nguyen were fantastic guides, so personable and added to our experience. Fave tour of our trip-highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the best time on our trip! It was even more exceptional than we imagined. Everything ran so smoothly and we didn’t have to think about anything. Considering we saw 5 cities in 10 days we still felt relaxed and like we had a vacation because we didn’t have to worry about anything. Hoang and our driver took great care of us always making sure we were enjoying our time. We saw some of the most beautiful landscapes we’ve ever seen and met so many sweet people. We fell in love with Vietnam, thank you to the whole Kimkim team for creating a spectacular itinerary and wonderful trip.

We had a wonderful time on our 2 week tour through Vietnam. It was a well organized and thought out itinerary, with attention paid to our family dynamics (traveling with 2 young children). Trang was excellent at communicating with us, both before the trip and throughout our time in Vietnam, checking in with us via Whatsapp. She was also really helpful in arranging for luggage storage for our family (we were leaving an international post of 10 months, to return to the US, so we had lots of luggage!)

While Trang connected us with knowledgable guides at each spot, we had an exceptional time with Dat, in Central Vietnam. Some of our highlights from the trip included the day excursion from the cruise in Lan Ha Bay, exploring Hoi An and the coconut boats and relaxing at the beach in Mui Ne.

Nhung helped us create an awesome itinerary for Vietnam and Thailand. It was 17 days, all private tours/transportation, concluding with a week on the beach in Phuket. Arrangements and logistics were flawless and went without a hitch.

I can highly recommend KimKim for a custom itinerary, based on your unique interests. You won’t regret it.

Hotel Reviews

Eden Star Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Acoustic Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

The rooms are very small. Aside from that, a lovely hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paradise Elegance Cruise

Very comfortable room, and comfortable beds!!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eleven Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 11

Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mekong Lodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta, Explore Ben Tre - Transfer to Cai Be

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cai Be visit - Ho Chi Minh City

Cai Be

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh - Flight to Hanoi (without tour guide)

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi City Tour & Half-day Sightseeing by Legendary Russian Jeep GAZ69 Or USA Army Jeep (VBTJ1)

Hanoi

Going through the local market was very interesting. And the egg coffee was a nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Lo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi - Halong Bay, Overnight on Cruise

Vietnam

This was a very well organized cruise. There were plenty of things to see, and the time on the ship was maximized. Food was Varied and the staff was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bangkok – Damnoen Saduak Floating Market – Jim Thompson House Museum – Bangkok

Bangkok

It was fun to go to the markets. However, Our tour guide at the gym Thompsen house spoke with a soft voice, and was it very difficult to understand. Because of this, I found it to be mostly somewhat boring.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ashley was on top of all the details from start to finish, both before the trip and while Buthaina and I were in Vietnam. Even with some flight delays (to be expected), we were met by our drivers and guides without missing a beat. Great professional, courteous service. Accommodations were uniformly good (we especially enjoyed the Cozy an Boutique Hotel in Hoi An) and guides were very knowledgeable and friendly (especially Mr. Chung in Hanoi and Anna on the Mekong delta trip). Happy to give our highest rating.

I am dividing this review into three sections: 1. Realistic Asia and their agent Ha; 2. The tour guides and drivers who we met on our trip; 3. The KimKim web site and the information that is communicated there.

1. Realistic Asia (Ha)
We greatly appreciated Ha's hard work in customizing the trip to our requests. My wife and I have been through a hard year with many major life events and had no time to plan something ourselves. Ha provided us with a clear and thoughtful menu of options to choose from. We went through 7 or 8 versions of the itinerary and in the end, I think it was probably 85% to our liking. That is an excellent match to our desires and expectations and far better than the outcome if we had planned it ourselves. I think the areas where it could have improved include fewer destinations/more time in each location (we already did a lot of editing, but this was hard to accomplish with our time table.). More time outside of Hanoi would also have been enjoyable, but we were very jet lagged on arrival, so the time in the city was useful for recovering from travel. Nothing is perfect, but this was very close!
I think the only point where things could be improved would be in the communication. When we arrived on Cat Ba island, there was a transfer from the driver (who spoke no English) to the guide who took us on the hike in the national park. From what I could tell, this information was not in the itinerary and it was a bit worrying to be driven down back roads (damaged by the recent typhoon) without knowing where we were going and why (I thought we were headed to the hotel first.). In any case, this was minor and quickly solved once we met our guide.
2. Guides and drivers
I would rank these mostly excellent, with some variability. First the good: Hieu (Cat Ba) was great to travel with (for the hike). He was relaxed and adjusted quickly to our pace. We didn't feel like he made anything too easy for us (we like some challenge), and took us to places in the park that were quite memorable. He also provided us with good information about what to do during our day off.
I would say the same about Mr Narong (Cambodia). Although we only spent a day with him, I would recommend him to friends and family if they want to visit Siem Reap. He was informative but also easygoing. When we visited Angkor Wat at dawn, he understood that we wanted to take photos and he left us to explore, telling us where we would meet up for the next stage of the tour. The information he provided during our transfers between sites was also informative and thoughtful. We appreciated his honesty about his experiences growing up in Cambodia, which was a privilege to hear.
Finally, Thanh, our main guide in Vietnam (for the first week), was helpful, very knowledgable and took us to many places that we enjoyed. That said, I would like to offer some (hopefully) constructive feedback. It was clear to us that she had a hard time understanding what we needed and sometimes she was providing too much information. This was mostly a challenge on the first day of our tour in Hanoi, when we were still jet lagged and adjusting to the temperature and humidity. We had a feeling that she was reciting a long list of information, almost from a script, concerning the history of modern Vietnam. (I began to wonder if this information was a requirement for tour guides in Vietnam.) After the first day, we settled into a better routine and she began to understand what we wanted. My suggestion (for the future) is that she ask more questions at the outset to see how much information and talking is desirable and that she pause to allow the tourists to ask questions (or simply to look around and absorb the beauty without talking.). Not everyone wants all of the information in a constant stream; some people just want to look around and absorb the beauty of the environment.
I want to emphasize that, after the first day, she adjusted to our pace and travel style. She knows a lot about the places we visited and we enjoyed all of the people we met through her, including the local guides, the families who served the food during our hikes and the history of the various locations. She is very talented and will become, I think, much better at her job with some minor adjustments to her approach.
Finally, I want to thank all of the drivers and local guides, most of whom spoke little or no English (I wish I spoke some Vietnamese to thank them in person.). They were a wonderful group of people. In particular, our driver from Hanoi, up into the mountains and then down to Cat Ba, was exceptional at his job!
3. Some feedback about the KimKim web site. Although it is detailed and elegant, some parts did not work as I might have hoped. In particular, the exported version of the itinerary (the one I printed out and carried with us) lacked a lot of details that were present on the web site. Additionally, it would be helpful if the information could be exported as a table, not just a PDF, to make it easier to edit (to add information that is not there, like our plane reservations.) The itinerary is something that we share with family, and that was difficult (or of limited value) with the PDF from KimKim. Finally, the web site seemed to have some times that were inaccurate, including the departure times for flights. These were listed by the pick up times for the driver, not the departure or boarding time. It is confusing to know that the plane is leaving at 3:15pm, but to see that line listed at 11:30 am (the pickup time). This could be a lot clearer.

Otherwise, this was an amazing experience overall. We thank everyone involved for helping us experience both of these beautiful countries.

Hotel Reviews

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

Hanoi

Truly exceptional. Expensive, but worth it, in our opinion.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Avana Retreat

This was a wonderful experience. I would have added a day here, just to relax, if we could.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Eco Garden

This was less enjoyable. Not bad, but certainly the least enjoyable of the places we stayed.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

This was OK for one night. Clean and comfortable. Very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Perle d’Orient Cat Ba

Beautiful hotel with an incredible view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mon Cheri Cruise

Ha Long city

Clean, comfortable, well run. My only complaint was the day trip to the village on Cat Ba. The village seemed to exist only as a stopping point for tourists. That part of the day trip was not very enjoyable. However, the kayaking and boat ride itself was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Ducky, our waiter/concierge was fantastic!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Some odd flies (about the size of fruit flies) in our bedroom the first night. They didn't bight, but there were a lot of them. I believe they came from the house plant in the bathroom and disappeared when I put the plant out on the balcony.

May De Ville Luxury Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Clean, well run and good location in the old quarter.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Saem Siem Reap Hotel

Siem Reap

A truly beautiful hotel. We would have stayed an extra day if we had time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cat Ba National Park Trekking

Vietnam

Great guide! Thank you Hieu!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Complex of Angkor

Siem Reap

Mr. Narong was a wonderful guide. This is a place of exceptional beauty and he provided us with valuable information to enhance our experience. He was also responsive to our requests in real time, making it easy to modify our plans (like starting out before dawn to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, which was not in our original plans.). Thank you Mr. Narong!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore The Beauty of Hanoi - Full Day Sightseeing

Hanoi

Too much time visiting the Mausoleum. The afternoon at the Temple of Books was wonderful.!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walk The Mountain Trails in Xa Linh Village

Mai Chau

Our guide was great. He spoke no English, but he took us on a beautiful walk.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mai Chau - Pu Luong - Trekking to Kho Muong and Uoi Villages

Vietnam

Hanoi Evening Walking Street Food Tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our 2 week trip to Southeast Asia was incredible. The itinerary that Huyen set up with us met or exceeded our expectations. Our local guides and drivers took care of us completely. The 2 night Indochine cruise on HaLong Bay was beyond exceptional. The suite featured an enormous bathroom with soaker tub and the room provided a king sized bed! Service was 10+.
We REALLY enjoyed our countryside adventures in Vietnam and the 3 days in Cambodia were amazing. Our guide - Chansip - was very knowledgeable and also so accommodating to tweak our itinerary once he got to know us. Chang Mai was the highlight of our journey and the morning at the elephant sanctuary rates as one of our top lifetime experiences.
Huyen was ultra supportive throughout the trip. She always stayed connected, assisted with flight info and boarding passes and anything else we needed help with.
We would recommend KimKim and their services to travellers of all experience levels. We could just sit back and enjoy our holiday with the personalized: service that was offered.

Hotel Review

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

This hotel is perfectly located in Chiang Mai. Our room was spacious and the bed super comfy The bathroom was lovely. Lunch was one of the best meals we enjoyed while in Southeast Asia.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendly and accommodating staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arrive in Bangkok - Dinner cruise Chao Phraya Cruise (D)

Bangkok

The dinner cruise in Bangkok on the Chao Phraya was not a great experience for us. It was quite crowded with a big lineup for the buffet food. After the incredible service and smaller towns in Cambodia, the big city atmosphere in Bangkok felt like a bit of a culture shock. We would not have chosen to do this activity in hindsight.

Siem Reap - Tonle Sap lake- Kampong Khleng floating village - Crocodile Farms

Siem Reap

Visiting the floating village in Cambodia was excellent! It was such a cool and interesting experience, learning about the lifestyle of locals who switch between fishing and farming depending on the season. Being on the water was really neat, and our guide was exceptional, providing us with a lot of insightful information.

We had the most amazing experience during our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. Realistic Asia helped us plan and execute the trip with utmost care. Hien was regularly in touch with us throughout the trip to ensure that everything progressed smoothly to our full satisfaction. The drivers and guides were punctual and professional. Overall thanks to Hien and her team that we had a memorable trip.

We absolutely loved our trip to Vietnam and Long planned it perfectly. Our rides to and from airports, hotels, flights, and tours were all taken care of. Thank you, Long!! We would definitely use Kimkim again.

We had such a wonderful experience working with Minh while planning our trip to Vietnam. We traveled with a group of 11 people, and working with Minh made everything so much easier and practical. He was very patient and accomodating with us. He made sure we had the perfect itinerary for our group. During the trip itself, we had the best guide ever, Ha. Ha took such great care of us and was so kind, attentive, knowledgeable, and had the best energy. We loved our time with Ha and everything he showed and taught us during our trip. Forever grateful for all your help, it was truly a wonderful experience and would go through Kimkim to help plan future trips. Thanks a mil!

Great trip to Northern Vietnam arranged by Ashley. The KimKim system which allowed a lot of back and forth during the planning phase worked very well. We were even able to make changes to our itinerary while there in Vietnam - almost in real time. Ashley was very quick and responsive throughout the whole trip.

Everything went like clockwork, from the first pick-up at our hotel to the final drop off at the airport. We managed to cram in a whole host of things that would not have been possible had we simply been on our own. Contrary to my expectation, the car we had was really nice and spacious - perfect as we had a lot of luggage. The guide we had, Mr. Dung, was great. His English was good and he had a fount of local knowledge about the history of Vietnam, its culture and everything about daily life. The driver, "Mike", was very careful sticking to the rules and never made me nervous despite the crazy driving scene.

Highly recommended.

EGB, Washington DC

Hotel Review

Halong Aquamarine Cruise

Ha Long

Great cruising boat. Very spacious cabin with everything one needs. Excellent food. Helpful crew.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to get to the port

Staff

Tom, the trip manager was very helpful and informative.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom was big and spotless.

Activity Review

Cycling At Tho Ha Village & Visiting Galaxy Grotto ( S)

Vietnam

Nice to visit areas off the beaten path in Vietnam and experience some local culture and participate in activities such as planting rice.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip to Vietnam! Hein was amazing and very communicative. She helped us plan the perfect trip for our family of 7 (including 5 children ages 9-17) that was well within our budget. Everything was smooth and our tour guide KC was spectacular. He was kind, accommodating and knowledgeable. We loved all of the accommodations and activities. Our kids had lots of fun and we felt immersed in the local culture. I would absolutely recommend KimKim, Hein and Vietnam. We had a lovely trip.

Lucy curated the perfect tour for us and spent a long time with us getting it just right. we loved the cities we went to, the tours we went on, and our hotels. we are so grateful for being paired with Lucy. She was super responsive the entire time.

Hotel Reviews

San Grand Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gateway Inn Pu Luong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Le Chateau Hotel & Spa

Hang Thiec Street

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Saga Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anatole Hotel Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'Gloria Cruise

Ha Long

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

May De Ville Luxury Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

the bed was super firm and uncomfortable. the sheets were thick and stiff. everything else was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spatel d'Annam Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Touch the History of Former Imperial Capital - Hue Full Day Sightseeing

Hue

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Marble Mountain & Cham Museum

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On Boarding - Lan Ha Bay - Tra Bau (M'Gloria Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi Fullday City Tour with Train Track Coffee Enjoying

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

At first, we were looking at booking through GTours or Intrepid. But we didn’t like how we couldn’t choose the cities we went to or the dates. Then I found kimkim. I was hesitant at first because I hadn’t heard of them. But our experience was wonderful and I wholeheartedly recommend kimkim.

They connected us with Lucy at Realistic Asia for our trip to Vietnam. Lucy was wonderful and super responsive. She spent a long time with us crafting the perfect trip for us. During our trip, she was super responsive with contacting hotels to store our luggage, contacting tour guides to make adjustments, and helping us with overweight/excess baggage on our domestic flights.

We used Hanoi as our home base. We decide to stay at different hotels each time and I’m glad we did that to experience different hotels and different locations in the old quarter. I guess it would have been easier to stay at one hotel the whole time and just leave our bags there instead of having to pick up our suitcases from other hotels. But it was all so close that it wasn’t a problem.

We landed in Hanoi and stayed there a few days. Then we went to Ninh Binh and Pu Luong nature reserve. From there, we drove back to Hanoi and then flew to Da Lat. Then we flew to Da Nang and stayed in Hoi An, and Hue. We flew from Hue to Hanoi and that was the end of our trip. We arrived on Nov 11 and departed for home on Nov 29. We loved the places we went to.

Our tour guides were wonderful and helpful as were our drivers. We are so glad we worked with Lucy at Realistic Asia!

Hotel Reviews

San Grand Hotel

This was the first hotel we went to in Hanoi and our favorite. We liked that it was smack dab in the old quarter. It was noisy and bustling and the staff were wonderful and the breakfast buffet was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

We liked that it wasn’t with all the other big touristy hotels.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hidden Charm Ninh Binh

Ninh Thang, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh

The room was big and the breakfast buffet was too. We stayed there just one night. The view from the room was amazing and the staff were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa

Wow! Just wow! This place was a vacation within our vacation. Beautiful grounds and villas. We were upgraded to a fantastic huge suite. The food was delicious. I had one of the best salads I’ve ever had there. The staff were so friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gateway Inn Pu Luong

I can’t recommend this place enough. The staff were so wonderful and kind and helpful. We gave fond memories of here. The view was amazing and stunning and the food was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Speculator views!

Staff

The staff made it wonderful for us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Le Chateau Hotel & Spa

Hang Thiec Street

We were here briefly for one night and had a good experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Saga Hotel Hoi An

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Anatole Hotel Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spatel d'Annam Hotel

Great location in the old imperial city. We didn’t want to stay at the big skyrise hotels. This had character. The staff weren’t as friendly as everywhere else it still super friendly. The buffet wasn’t the best either but still totally good and decent. We liked the character of the place and we are glad we stayed there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M'Gloria Cruise

Ha Long

The staff were amazing! The food was so good! The room view was incredible. We had a great time on this cruise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

May De Ville Luxury Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

This was one of the bigger hotels we stayed at in Hanoi and it was on a wider street with more tourists. We liked smaller hotels more off the beaten path. We stayed here for one night. The breakfast was good. The staff were friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Fullday City Tour with Train Track Coffee Enjoying

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Trip Exploring The Natural Beauty of Trang An & Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

See

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Marble Mountain & Cham Museum

Vietnam

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Touch the History of Former Imperial Capital - Hue Full Day Sightseeing

Hue

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On Boarding - Lan Ha Bay - Tra Bau (M'Gloria Cruise)

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trang was fantastic from the planning to checking in with us and making adjustments as we went.

All the guides were good, with one exception where they didn't seem to have the knowledge or language skills.

I think for future trips, we'd forgo the big lunches for just snacks.

Hotels all good, drivers good; just a note about making sure vehicles have seat belts - one or two of them didn't.

I had a personal solo trip as I had a free week. Had a personal guide and driver for almost all the time. The experience was great. Was taken to sites and street food shops that gave a great view of Hanoi today. The guides were personable and informative. It was like traveling with friends rather than an impersonal guide. Would go on a similar trip again.