Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

Hien helped us plan an epic SE Asia adventure. Throughout the planning process she had helpful suggestions and recommendations for unique tours based on our interests. All of the hotels recommended were excellent. The communication throughout our trip was prompt and she alerted us right away with any changes. This was the first time using a service like Kim Kim to plan our trip and having everything taken care of truly helped us enjoy our vacation to the fullest without having to worry about logistics. Thank you again Hien for everything!

Hien from Realistic Asia helped my wife and I plan the trip of a lifetime to Vietnam and Cambodia. This was our first trip to Southeast Asia and we were blown away by the experience. Although we had limited time for our trip - only 10 days - Hien helped us make the most of it.

We appreciated the amount of flexibility planning our trip and felt like the trip was personalized just for us. My wife and I love to immerse ourselves in the local life and culture of different places, and this trip checked all of those boxes. All of our tour guides were fantastic. Linh from Saigon Food Tour was amazing whisking my wife from spot to spot through traffic on her scooter. Linh and Hao also surprised me with a special birthday BBQ dinner. Highly recommended way to start off the trip!

David from Hanoi Food Tour and Sen Soeu - our local guide in Siem Reap - also gave us very personalized and intimate tastes of the sites and food. In fact, we returned to the same Pho spot in Hanoi 3 times! We also loved the overnight cruise in Halong Bay! This taste of luxury on a smaller cruise ship was exactly what we were after. And words cannot really describe the incredible temples of Angkor Wat! While some of the sites were busy with other tourists, we always felt like we had one-on-one attention during our various private tours.

I would highly recommend Realistic Asia if you're looking for a personalized, luxury adventure to Southeast Asia on a reasonable budget. While we didn't have time to do everything on our list, we feel like the tours Hien helped us arrange and the food was top-notch! I should also mention the hotel accommodations and locations were just right.

We only wish we had more time and cannot wait to return to Vietnam for our next culinary adventure. (And we may consider a slightly cooler time of year to revisit Cambodia.) This trip was the perfect taste of both countries, and now we are hungry for more!

First time using a platform like this, or a travel agent of any kind, and it worked out well. Dat was a very responsive travel planner who provided us with lots of ideas and options for tours, day trips, activities, hotels, everything. Overall everything went incredibly smoothly and was a lot of fun! The airport transfers, random pickups and drives were all very timely and comfortable. We focused on food and did a lot of related activities, the standout being Chef Ai's cooking class in her home kitchen in Hanoi, which started with a morning market walk and included plenty of cooking and eating but also really good discussion about Vietnamese food, culture, history, and the future! We also had city-specific guides with us for multiple days and I have to give kudos to Cuong (our honest and incredibly informative guide in Hanoi and Ninh Binh), Trinh (our foodie guide in Hue) and Nam (our comical and friendly guide in Saigon). They were full of information and insight, spoke English very well, provided us with great recommendations for things to do when we had free time, and were just pleasant people to spend time and chat with.

If I have anything critical to say it's that we spent too much time in Hoi An (4 days) and not enough in Hue (1 full day), but that's personal preference. Overall we hit many of the main sights and cities of Vietnam and for our first visit to the country it was a great introduction and overview. I want to return to spend more time in the mountains and do some trekking.

Overall highly recommended!

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Evening Walking Street Food Tour

Hanoi

Our guide Cuong walked us around the old quarter for various dishes, snacks, and drinks. It was pleasant, well-paced, and delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

The banh cuon and beef pho were standout but it was all good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Home Cooking Class with Chef Ai & Local Market Experience

Hanoi

One of our best experiences in Vietnam! Chef Ai and her niece were engaging, pleasant, and skillful. From the market walk to food prep to sharing a meal together, it was a really special and comfortable experience in Chef Ai's home.

Quality of Experience

Food

The flambeed shrimp and pomelo salad was excellent, the fried fish was perfect, and the fish sauce pyramid was educational in the best way!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Real Taste of Hue food

Hue

Trinh guided us around her hometown of Hue for an amazing night of food. She's a foodie herself so it was fun to chat, ask all sorts of questions about how central Vietnamese food differs from the rest of the country, and to learn about the history of the area at the same time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trinh was a truly amazing guide, in all aspects, but particularly for this food tour.

Transport

The cyclo drivers were professional and pleasant.

Hoi An Local Market, Basket Boat, Fishing & Cooking Experience

Hoi An

This tour is interesting but felt a bit rushed and ultimately very touristy. The cooking experience was actually really well-done and interactive, but the rest of it was not our cup of tea in that it was very touristy. Chef Hai, our guide for the day works hard and was at his best in the kitchen, he made the experience better in every way.

Quality of Experience

Food

Cooking experience and Chef Hai were the highlight of this actvity/tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chef Hai is working hard and made the cooking experience a lot of fun!

Transport

Hoi An Sightseeing and Food Tour

Hoi An

Hoi An is a cute town and seeing it in the morning was a very different (and pleasant) experience compared to the chaos of the evening. Our guide however seemed mostly disinterested and didn't volunteer much info, preferring to walk hastily from place to place and look at his phone while we were eating.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food, as always, was good, particularly the cau lo and banh mi.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide James seemed disinterested an distracted.

Transport

One of our guides Mr. Hiu (I don’t know the correct spelling) in Saigon was the best guide along with Lu from Sapa. The most memorable places were Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta (with Hiu) and Motorbike food tour in Saigon, the drivers were super nice, knowledgeable, skilled and with very good English; In Hanoi is highly recommended to visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, the train rail cafes, the Temple of Literature and take the overnight train to Sapa on the Chapa Express which was also an interesting trip. We enjoyed trekking the rice terraces and bamboo forest; as well as Cat Cat Village. In general Vietnam is a must visit country.

Hein is amazing. Patient, detail oriented and always available and responsive before, during and after the trip. We made several last minute itinerary changes; Hein masterfully kept up with us! Guides Quang (Hanoi) and Ron (Bangkok) are especially talented.

Trip was absolutely amazing! Perfect coordination with the guides, hotels, driver!
Our tour guides Quang, Sunny (in Ha Long Bay) and Mr. Hai our driver, GREAT people, and very good at what they do!
Hotels were perfect!

Hotel Reviews

GM Premium Hotel Hanoi

Great service. Spotless! Excellent food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Great staff members!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Valley Home

Thanh Hoa

Very relaxing place! Great services! Amazing view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

An's Eco Garden Resort

Beautiful and very relaxing place. Great service. Delicious food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renea Cruise

I would love to back to this place, in the same boat, same room ;) and with the same tour guide (Sunny) Amazing experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Bicycle Tour of Rural Villages - Cultural Tour of Hanoi

Hanoi

Very interesting, different, beautiful! We loved the show!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The quality of the guides were mixed, but always very lovely people, who tried hard, who loved being guides, and ambassadors of their country. Often difficult to understand (like guides in most SE Asia countries) - not from their lack of a command of the English language, but from their Vietamese accent.

The Realistic Asia team are really great. Email responses done in a timely manner. There was great care to ensure all arrangements were to our satisfaction. Most of our guides were terrific! Big shout out to Cuong, Victor and Tommy!! thank you for being great guides - you made us feel like family. The excursions were terrific in the countryside. We loved the Eco tour outside of Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ho Ch Minh day on the Mekong, visiting coconut plantations, brick factory with 100 year old kiln! The Mekong was beautiful The only disappointments which had nothing to do with Realistic Asia were Sapa. We found it was very commercial and Halong bay quite dirty with garbage.
I highly recommend Hien at RA! So kind, caring and professional. You can’t go wrong with this great team. Thank you Thank you! Joy and Richard

I usually try to book our trips on my own, but I stumbled across KimKim while searching online and the rest was easy! Our special thanks to Huyen for putting together a few different options to choose from. Every step of the way there was communication to keep us posted as to who was picking us up and when. Always clean air-conditioned private cars with friendly drivers, guides, and water waiting for us. One of the highlights was the Saigon by Night street food tour. We spent 3 1/2 hours touring around and enjoying the local food, our guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and informative. I would recommend this tour to everyone who visits. The rooftop pool at La Vela Saigon was beautiful day and night! If you are staying at, or even close to La Vela you MUST try the seafood buffet, it was incredible. Bamboo Village in MuiNe was fantastic. The staff were very helpful and attentive and the grounds were beautifully kept. At any time during the trip, if we had a question or even just wanted a restaurant suggestion, Huyen was quick to reply. Thanks again, we will be back next year to try the northern part of your beautiful country.

All guides were amazing. Zoom (Daniel ) Ken amd Liam were all above and beyond expectations. Suggestes itinerary was busy but allowed us to.see a whole lot of the country in 12 days. The one negative was the boat trip Ha Long Bay. The rooms all smell like mildew. We talked with 3 other couples on the.boat who all had the same complaint. Boat staff was nice but not enough to make my rating of the overall boat cruise better

We were really happy with this trip and very pleased with how everything went. Every guide and driver was terrific. Huyen was responsive and helpful at every turn. She made the logistics anxiety-free.
In Vietnam, Binh was wonderful. He worked very hard to ensure that we got to do everything we wanted. Our driver was also friendly and helpful. We appreciated that they had water for us at all times. We loved the restaurant where we had lunch. the first day. The whole itinerary was great. We can't wait to return to Vietnam.
I loved our time in Cambodia. Breeya was a fantastic guide and very responsive to our needs. The driver had not only cold water, but chilled washcloths for us every time we returned to the van. What a lifesaver in the heat! The lunch was again outstanding., and the entire visit was amazing. We really loved the Won Residence Hotel. Definitely want to return to Cambodia, too.
We had a lot of fun in Thailand.. It would be great if the guides/drivers there would have water and cold cloths. Palm and Nan both were friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable guides. The Bhodi Serene was a very nice hotel in Chiang Mai. The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary was a highlight of the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Won Residence Hotel

We all loved this intimate boutique hotel. They greeted us with delicious watermelon juice. Dinner at the rooftop restaurant was bliss., and breakfast by the pool was lovely. The housemade pineapple marmalade was fantastic. Every single staff member was friendly, helpful, and a pleasure to interact with. Our only regret was that we didn't have more time to spend at this lovely hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Intimate and serene.

Location

Not quite sure how easy it is to walk from there. We were only at the hotel at night.

Staff

The manager who greeted us and took care of. Also, the restaurant staffs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great bed!

MK Premier Boutique hotel

Hanoi

I stayed at the MK Premier Boutique Hotel in Hanoi for three nights, and it was a great experience. The location in the Old Quarter was fantastic as we could easily walk out and find food at night. The room was nice and met our expectations. Breakfast being included was a big plus, and the spacious rooms were comfortable. Overall, a satisfying stay.

Location

Novo City Bangkok Hotel

During my two-night stay at the Novo City Bangkok Hotel, I found it to be a comfortable accommodation. The hotel was great, and the location was convenient for exploring the city. The rooms were spacious, and having breakfast included was a bonus. Overall, a pleasant experience.

Location

Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai Hotel (SHA Extra Plus)

Chiang Mai

My one-night stay at the Bodhi Serene Hotel in Chiang Mai was delightful. The hotel had a serene ambiance, and the staff took good care of us. The room was comfortable, and we enjoyed our time there. It was a peaceful retreat before departing.

Activity Reviews

Chiang Mai - Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

Chiang Mai

Mai exceeded our expectations. The sanctuary focused on conservation efforts and treated the elephants with care and respect. We had the opportunity to shower the elephants and even apply mud on them, which they enjoyed. The experience was hands-on and educational, allowing us to spend quality time with the elephants in a responsible manner. It was a fun and heartwarming experience that I would highly recommend to others.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Bangkok

During our time in Bangkok, we had the opportunity to experience a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River. The dinner cruise was a memorable experience. However, it was quite crowded and we stood for a long time in queue due to the high season. Overall, it was a fantastic way to enjoy the city lights and indulge in a delicious meal.

Bangkok - Visit the floating markets - half-day city tour (B)

Bangkok

While on our way to the floating markets outside Bangkok, our tour made a stop at a place where we could see elephants and even ride them if we wanted. However, our daughter was uncomfortable with the idea of seeing animals perform tricks, so we decided to skip that part of the tour. Despite this, the conservation efforts and care for the animals at the sanctuary were commendable, and we appreciated the positive environment. It was a good experience overall, but we chose to opt-out of certain activities based on our values.

Quality of Experience

I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Ashley listened to exactly what I wanted and what I didn't want. All four of my guides were reliable and spoke great English. They were real pros, yet at the same time were able to convey the beauty of their people. This area of the world is brimming with history, culture, art, nature, and culinary delights. I was able to accomplish everything I had set out to do and more in the comfort of reasonably-priced hotels, and never felt rushed! Thanks again Kimkim; as a multiple-time repeat customer, you never disappoint!

I received very quick and detailed information from Doris the local specialist during the planning phase of our trip. She planned out a few different options for us to choose. She connected with me several times before and during trip to make sure that everything was going smoothly.
Han was a great local guide. We learned so much from her during our tour around the Mekong delta. She has great knowledge about Vietnam. We totally enjoyed learning about the plant life, food and culture. Each one of our experiences were very well organized and enjoyable.

Trang was very helpful and thoughtful, while guiding us through the trip planning process. We appreciate the way she took the lead and built a thorough itinerary with limited information around our expectations for the trip.

This was our first time traveling to this part of the world and my first time traveling internationally, but we felt very comfortable and confident throughout the trip. Each hotel was informed of our honeymoon ahead of our stay. Each room we entered was decorated with rose petals, decorations, cake, etc. The atmosphere was romantic and inviting. Our guides were very knowledgeable and personable. They arranged many of our meals with delicious fixed menus and provided us with immersive activities, including a truly special bike tour in which we visited local residents of Hoi An and learned more about their daily lives. We felt truly moved by the kindness, humility, resilience, and grace of the people we met in Vietnam.

The accommodations were luxurious, but exciting. The drivers expertly navigated difficult traffic and terrain to ensure we made it to all of our destinations on schedule. I think the greatest compliment I can pay to the kimkim team is to say that we already miss this place! We'll be sharing our experience with our friends/family and encouraging them to use kimkim for similar trips.

Activity Reviews

Hanoi - Halong Bay Cruise - Overnight on boat

Ha Long Bay

We had a great time on this cruise and were truly blown away by the incredible landscape of Halong Bay. It was a cruise, meaning the events and activities were very tightly structured. But we still felt the staff were very courteous and respectful of our space. We had plenty of downtime too. We enjoyed the excursions and would do this cruise again in a heartbeat!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An biking thru country side + visit ancient town

Hoi An

This was by far our favorite tour of the trip! We enjoyed the freedom of seeing the town on bike, and we felt a special connection to the local residents. Our guide was very respectful and accommodating of the people we visited. We felt encouraged by these positive interactions.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really enjoyed our trip to Vietnam. Our favorite experiences were ha long bay, our bike trip through hoi an, and our stay in nha Trang. Both Ky and A were amazing, friendly, and knowledgeable guides.

Activity Review

Hoi An biking thru country side + visit ancient town

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Long did a great job in organising my solo Vietnam adventure. The trip was seamless, everything was perfect. The accommodation was great, tours as advertised and drivers to collect me when required. I want to return to Vietnam to see more. I would highly recommend KimKim

Our entire trip was amazing. Our guides were wonderful and gave us a lot of information and answered our questions. They were always helpful at every location. Our driver was excellent and skilled. The most memorable part for us was the overnight cruise on Ha Long. These cruise ships are small with only about 25 passengers. Our quarters were spacious and beautiful. The food was gourmet. In addition, every place we visited was interesting. One place where we did a river tout, many of the rowers, rowed using their feet. This was in Ninh Binh. With the help of the guides, we learned a lot about Vietnamese culture and religions. Their religious practices were particularly interesting to me. Our only issue was the weather and I would have rather gone in another season, not winter.

Doris planned a great trip for me and my son. We booked at the last minute and worked with Doris to plan a trip that included our main interests. She always responded promptly and made any changes we requested. When a last minute problem came up at the airport with my son's visa to Vietnam, she dropped everything and helped us get things worked out without any interruption to the trip. We walked through the Hill Tribe country near Sapa in awe of its beauty. Went to a jaw dropping (for Americans) traditional market in Bac Ha. We saw cultural sites in Hanoi that helped to gain a bit of understanding of the Vietnam culture. All the hotels and home stay she booked were excellent. The hotel in Hanoi was in a prominent location within easy walking distance from food and entertainment. It would have taken weeks to plan a trip like this on our own but working with Doris really made it easy.
Doris even met us at the hotel when we arrived to be sure things worked out and continued to check on us during the trip. I would recommend her to anyone wanting to travel to Vietnam.

Hotel Reviews

Cong Fu Hotel

Local Homestay in Ta Van Village

Sapa

Our stay at the Local Homestay in Ta Van Village was a unique and memorable experience. The host prepared a delicious dinner for us and ate with us, offering an authentic cultural exchange. The view from the homestay was breathtaking, and interacting with the locals added to the charm of the visit. It was a beautiful and enriching stay that I would recommend to others.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Sapa Relax Hotel & Spa

Lao Cai

Hong Ngoc Dynastie Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

I stayed at Hanoi La Siesta Trendy Hotel & Spa in Hanoi, which was centrally located. The hotel was excellent, but it would have been helpful to receive clearer directions on navigating the busy traffic in Hanoi. Once we settled in, we found the location perfect for exploring the city. The hotel staff were helpful, and we enjoyed some evening activities we found online. Overall, a comfortable and convenient stay.

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

Bac Ha Ethnic Market- Hanoi

Vietnam

Visiting the Bac Ha Ethnic Market was an extraordinary experience. The market was unlike any other I had seen, filled with vibrant colors and a rich display of culture and tradition. The textiles and handicrafts were exceptional, and the opportunity to engage with the local people was a highlight of the trip. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sapa - Hiking to visit local villages (Y Linh Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van)- Explore weaving craft of Black H'mong people

Sapa

The trekking experience to local villages in Sapa was perfect for me. Despite being a bit strenuous, the local guides were helpful, and the scenic views were worth the effort. Interacting with the villagers and purchasing textiles from them added to the authenticity of the experience. It was a fantastic introduction to the hill tribe areas of Vietnam.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ha Noi- HaLong Bay day cruise - Ha Noi

Vietnam

The Halong Bay day cruise was a delightful experience. The stunning landscapes and limestone karsts were mesmerizing. The boat cruise allowed us to explore the beauty of Halong Bay and enjoy the serene surroundings. It was a relaxing and scenic day that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My local guides were amazing and very knowledgeable... My family had a very comfortable trip, very well curated by my consultant Doris.

She took care of everything leaving nothing for us to worry about. I had to make a lot of changes to my plan due to unforseen things and doris embraced everything with a smile.

I will highly recommend their service if you want a no hassle trip. Enjoy...

Camellia did a nice job planning and executing our trip. Here are a few comments about the itinerary and overall experience of our time in Vietnam.

The eight day trip gave us a great sense of the northern regions of Vietnam. Four destinations in eight days was a bit more ambitious than we might have liked. Since we spent so much time in the van en route to Mai Chau, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay, and back to Hanoi, perhaps three destinations rather than four would have been a bit better. The hotels were all nice with pleasant service.

Our guide Hiep was a lot of fun and shared interesting information about the country. Our driver, Mr. Hong, was also very good and helpful. I would say that Hiep tended to be a bit more reactive than proactive in terms of telling us about the culture and history of the country. That said, we enjoyed our time with him.

We found that a couple of the activities didn't quite map to the description. The "food tour" in Hanoi as described didn't happen. We sat down to eat at one location for Bun Cha, then walked around the neighborhood without stopping to taste or learn about different kinds of foods. By the end, we had a chance to have Bahn Mi, but were tired and by that point and just returned to the hotel after coffee (and didn't learn anything about egg coffee, as an example of something that was described in the write up, but never happened). By comparison, a food tour we did through Kim Kim in the Netherlands included about seven different spots to try seven different dishes and learn about them. Also, the bike rides were more challenging than expected so Carla didn't have a good experience. I have more experience cycling so they were fun for me.

The food was all good and we particularly enjoyed the opportunity to make spring rolls in a home in Hanoi. We appreciate Camellia's and Hiep's efforts to explain Carla's food allergies at all of the meals to keep her safe.

Overall, we enjoyed our time in Vietnam and are grateful for the different experiences that were organized for us.