Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

A luxury hotel right in the middle of the Old Quarter Hanoi. The food, service and amenities (pool, bar) were first rate. The rooms were quiet and dark with mini-fridge, two bathrooms, and comfortable bed.

We were looking forward to our trip to Ha Long bay but were disappointed in the number of ships in our area and the boat staff trying to squeeze us for more money. The cocktails were weak and overpriced and the wine likewise. I asked for a cafe latte for breakfast and was told that would be an additional cost. Tried going to the upper deck for the sunset and cocktails but their was blaring thumbing techno music that totally ruined the experience. I complained to the bartender/DJ but nothing was done. Left after 15 minutes. Our second floor room with balcony was nice and quiet respite from the rest of the boat. We went kayaking and swimming off the back of the boat. We would have done better with a smaller boat and more sedate, refined feel to it. We were fed like hogs but I didn't go to Ha Long bay to just eat all the time. Seeking a beautiful, quiet and reflecting natural experience not a techno music festival.

One of our favorite hotels on the trip. Staff very welcoming and helpful. Our room was nice and quiet with a room overlooking the beautiful pool which we swam in every day. The bed was comfortable and the room had a minibar with sink and coffee maker. The breakfast buffet was great and the staff even brought out a small birthday cake for me accompanied by a Happy Birthday chorus one morning! the hotel had bikes to use and we rode to the beach one morning. Good location to the historic area also with just a few blocks to walk. We had one hour of free massage available per day but we only used it once.

Also one of our favorite hotels of the trip. Beautiful wood furniture in the room with a balcony from which we could see the Saigon river. The rooftop pool and bar were very cool and we went swimming every afternoon. Good location for shopping and helpful staff.

This was our least favorite hotel of our trip. We were expecting a quiet rural setting i.e. "Retreat", but what we got was a frustrating and aggravating room (306) located at the perimeter of the resort next door to a loud noisy bar/restaurant playing thumping techno music all Saturday night and even Sunday morning! Also our balcony view included a new resort down the hill with bright Christmas lights shining in our room all night. Our room was furthest from the restaurant and bar and the wet, poorly lit sidewalk and bridges presented a challenge for this 70-year old couple. The rain made the up and down sidewalks quite slippery and we worried about falling. Our room was also close to the main road and we could hear trucks and traffic all day and night. The restaurant asked that you give them one hour notice for grilled fish or chicken which seemed unreasonable. We went to a next door restaurant the second night and had a delicious meal at half the price. Dac San Pu Luong. We could hear the frogs croaking and the insects singing minus the techno music. When we went on a hike with Peter we passed a very nice hotel (Homestay Anh Bong) off the main road with a nice pool and restaurant that looked far better.

Long drive to Pu Luong Reserve (>4 hours) but interesting stops along the way. Peter was very helpful showing us around the Pom Coong village. Big lunch there. Enjoyed watching the native weavers at work and bought a couple of weavings. Walked around the rice fields and saw the village folks going about their business.

Mildly challenging hike on mostly developed roads seeing mountains, rural areas and villages. Some good overlooks. Saw a snake that was both venomous and poisonous. Visited with an elderly woman weaving and bought a couple of weavings. Ate big lunch at a villager's home. Peter was quite helpful and patient with us old folks.

more scenic drive back to Hanoi than on the way to Pu Luong. Stopped at an elementary school and were swarmed by 5th graders eager to try out their English. Stopped and saw some water mills. Stopped for coffee and pho for lunch.

We were really looking forward to our visit to Ha Long Bay but were disappointed in the number of large boats in our area, the overpriced, weak cocktails and drinks, and the loud techno music blaring on the rooftop bar when were hoping to have a peaceful sunset experience. The food was plentiful and tasty and the service first rate. Our room was quite nice with a balcony after we paid for an upgrade. We went kayaking but the crew staff made us take off our water shoes so we couldn't get out on barnacled shore to swim. We were able to swim from the boat in the bay and we made the crew staff nervous swimming too far from the boat. We did use the boat pool to relax in after our bay swim. I think we may have misled Minh when we mentioned swimming as a priority in our trip to Ha Long Bay. She probably thought we meant an onboard swimming pool when we meant open water swimming. A smaller cruise boat without a pool would have provided a more intimate experience and perhaps get us away from all the crowds of large boats. I was irritated when I asked for a cafe latte for breakfast and was told it would cost extra. The row boat trip to the caves were interesting.

Enjoyed the rowboat visit to the caves in the morning.

We skipped the vegetable village and only did the Hoian walking tour. It was okay but our guide was not very inspiring and we had tired of looking at pagodas and old shrines. Probably more about us than her. She took us to a few of her favorite shops..a tailor, lantern maker, and clothing. No real deals to be made. We had a coffee together and she took a photo of us on the bridge. We had another big lunch which was excellent. Spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and went home for a late afternoon swim at the hotel.

Loved this activity! Our drivers and guides Vic and Kim (?) spoke English quite well and seemed to enjoy showing us all the different foods and places. Fun diving into all the motorcycle traffic on the back of a Vespa and flowing along.

We first met Peter our guide and he was amazing. We visited a small village outside Hanoi and met Dr. Du a retired orthopedic surgeon at his home. We talked for quite a while using Peter as our interpreter. My wife and I are both physicians and found him interesting. He had been a physician in the North Vietnamese Army during the American War and had been shot in the head by an American soldier. It left him unable to perform as an orthopedic surgeon but he continued to work as a physician and teacher in Vietnam after the war. He had no animosity toward Americans and was happy we had come to visit Vietnam. We took a walking tour of his village (it was lightly raining and not good for bicycle riding. We enjoyed visiting the marketplace and temple but were less interesting in seeing some of the homes of famous leaders and soldiers. We helped prepare pork spring rolls with his wife and daughter and ate Bun cha for lunch. That was a fun and hands on experience. We also did a few shots of rice wine. :) In the afternoon we toured the Literature Temple and Tran Quoc pagoda with Peter. That was interesting and beautiful. We saw the John McCain memorial at a nearby lake. Peter stopped at a shop where disabled folks made and sold weavings and other products. We bought a few souvenirs and drank egg coffee for the first time. Saw a water puppet show at the end of the day that was entertaining. it was a great day that exhausted us with all the walking (we were still jet lagged ) but we could have skipped all the historical sights in the outlying village.

Our guide Mr. Nam spoke very good English and provided good historical information as we toured the tunnels, Liberation Palace, and the War Remnants Museum. Seeing the elaborate tunnels and traps the Viet Cong had built during the American War showed how resilient and innovative the Vietnamese fighters were and brought home the stark harshness and cruelty of war. Touring the War Remnants Museum showing horrifying photos of massacred and mutilated VC soldiers , women and children, all reportedly at the hands of American soldiers and bombs, made me feel shameful as an American. Definitely a one sided view of the war but there was enough cruelty to go around for both sides. Visiting the Liberation Palace refreshed my memory of the end of the South Vietnam regime.

Great experience!!

Over this hotel, wish all lodging were to this standards, most were.

Issues with restaurant. Gluten free and menu issues with lack of understanding regarding our questions about the food. Language issue primarily.

This hotel was not a good fit at all for us. We request king beds or 2 beds throughout our trip - this was neither. It was not central air, bathroom outside. I have breathing issues and we never assumed this would be an issues. Kimkim could not help us with a different property so we found our own property and transferred the next night. The toll away bed they brought in at a different villa was not suitable for my husbands back. This was a total disappointment. We loved where we transferred to and we’re able to solve our own issue .

This was amazing due to our guide which was different than planned, thank good ness we had a different guide. Only wished we had been able to switch to him for that day on. His name was: Hiep Nguyen +84 98 671 02 34

This was truly a one of a kind experience! They exceeded all of our expectations from the food to all activities. I am only filling out this one with pictures to be all inclusive of all activities❤️

This day I did the mud baths while Bob did scuba so both were great experiences!

The laundry needs improvement. But other then that five stars.

It was ok. The ship needs a little bit of maintenance. The food was ok, nothing special.

The cooking class if very shallow. We were expecting some more in depth. We basically build the spring rolls.

Great service! Rooms were a bit small.

Cruise ship rooms were in poor shape and food was mediocre. Activities on-board were just okay.

We enjoyed seeing the temples and market but didn't care for the local factory tours.

This was one of our favorite parts of the trip! Our guide Jade did an amazing job.

Great hospitality, very clean, food fantastic and scenery was stunning. Our host Mike was fun and interactive.

Mr Long made our tour interesting and engaged really well with our children. Was more than happy to adapt plans as required. Thank you Mr Long

The locals know best and we were in Mr Long’s very capable hands. This was a fun and interactive tour

Thoroughly enjoyed our day, including a hike up many stairs to a stunning view, fabulous lunch off the beaten track and a 1.5 hour boat trip which was pleasant and fairly peaceful.

Such stunning scenery apart from the hazy skies that are prevalent in winter. We went to a quieter part of the bay so there was a cap on the number of boats in the area. The kayaking was fun and took us to a small beach. We stopped at a cave too which was interesting. It’s a truly outstanding area of natural beauty but there is sadly a lot of rubbish in the sea and on the beaches which is a real shame. Swan cruises were really great - a small ship.

We did the 2 night cruise with Hermes for our honeymoon and had a great experience. We stayed in the presidents suite and had a semi private balcony and jacuzzi. The room was beautiful and roomy as was the rest of the boat. Note that the jacuzzi though heated was too cold to get in during the winter. Also note that the wifi was extremely spotty. The guides and staff on the boat were very welcoming and entertaining. The food and cocktails were decent for a cruise. We particularly liked the departure brunch. We did hiking, swimming, and kayaking excursions across the 3 days. Since we had a full day on the second day, we were able to cruise out to a neighboring bay and do a beautiful kayaking trip where it was less crowded. I’d highly recommend this tour to experience Ha Long Bay!

We came to Hoi An during rainy season so unfortunately we didn’t get to experience some of the hotels amenities to their fullest. This hotel had several pools that would have been nice in the summer. Our honeymoon suite was beautiful ans had a private tub and sauna. It was nice, though the layout might seem a bit awkward to people used to staying in more traditional hotels. Our favorite part about this hotel was the spa. La Spa at the hotel gave us the best massages we’ve ever gotten. The entire experience was thoughtfully curated, and we would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of whether or not you’re staying at the hotel.

We loved this tour and Daniel was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable about Hanoi and the village he was taking us to. With his knowledge, he crafted us a very intimate tour with the community. We biked to a food market, temple, and made bun cha at a villager’s house. He told us a really interesting backstory about the owner of the house we were at. We also visited a flower farm and a lady who makes tofu out of her house (so delicious!). We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hanoi!

This tour felt a bit cookie cutter and we just went to sights that were on TripAdvisor’s top 10 list, which we felt like we could have done ourselves.

We went on a jeep foodie tour with Jenny and had an awesome experience. Jenny curated several food stops for us, including seafood, local dishes, and desserts. We went to several districts during our couple hours on this tour. Jenny was really entertaining and energetic and planned very memorable stops. We had a lot of fun driving through the city in the open air. We were not bored because we went from restaurant to restaurant at a fast pace with our tiredly guide throughout. We would highly recommend this tour!

The ship was clean and the rooms were beautiful. The staff was amazing and I am so glad that my family and I were able to stay on this cruise. I highly recommend, 10/10!

We loved our time on the beach at Thanh Kieu Beach Resort. We were there for Christmas, and really appreciated the holiday spirit created by the staff. The bungalows were very clean and nice, the breakfast was our favourite, the large beach with chairs and the pool area were great, and all the staff was very friendly. We didn't love the town area that is walkable, but otherwise thought the location was good.

Aluna Ben Thanh Hotel was good...not great...not bad. The location to everything in the city was great. The rooms were comfortable enough. The bathrooms were nice. Our only complaint was with the breakfast room, which is quite small and was usually full when we arrived. The food was okay.

We loved our time at Silkhotel. The staff was amazing, and the rooms were very nice. We even used the pool and the gym at the hotel. The breakfast buffet was huge and delicious. And, the location was ideal. Couldn't have been better!

We only stayed at San Boutique for one night. We stayed at San Premium for the other two. Overall, the staff was wonderful, but the rooms were a bit shabby. The location of San Boutique was good as it is near the lake and walkable to most things.

We really enjoyed our time on the La Pandora Cruise. The staff was wonderful, and the boat was nice. I thought our rooms were comfortable and the bathroom was nice. There was an upper deck for happy hour at night and the dining room was nice. The food was just okay, but there was a lot of it! There were definitely much nicer boats around us, but I thought everything about this boat was good.

This tour wasn't great for our family. We have two kids, 7 & 11, and a 10 hour day was just not something they could do. We stayed for the first half of the tour in town, then the kids and I went back to the hotel while my husband went on the hours long drive to the Cu Chi tunnels. I should have separated the tour into two days to make it better for my children. The Ho Chi Minh tour was good for the adults, but didn't really capture the interest of my children. We were first taken to a post office and a church that was under construction. I'm not really sure what we were supposed to do there. Being with a group is always a little harder with children, and this was no exception.

We actually asked to leave this tour early. We were excited for a lot of snorkeling, which is what was described. Instead, after being taken to the pearl factory for the first hour, we were taken to an island where we were told we could swim or have our pictures taken. We decided we would swim, but when we got to the island, the water in the bay was filled with trash. We spent an hour watching our guide take fabricated drone footage of people on the beach. Then we went snorkeling...for 20 minutes. They didn't have any equipment for kids, so my 7 year old, who was VERY excited to go snorkeling, had a leaky mask much of the time because it was too big. We then went to an island with about 60 other boats and hundreds of other tourists to have lunch and again get a fabricated drone video laying on a paddle board...but didn't actually get to do any paddle boarding. We decided the swimming at the beach of our resort was way better than anything we had experienced on the tour and asked to go back.

We had rain the whole time in Hoi An, but we still enjoyed our time there. John, our tour guide for this tour, was really wonderful. He was so optimistic and accommodating. We walked through old town, and even took a boat ride to release our wish boat. That was all fine, but our favorite part was the street food tour. We went to a few great places, one of which we went to the next night as well.

We started the day at the market, which was fun to see. The basket boat was a total "only for tourists" type of activity, but our kids enjoyed it. "Fishing" was a bit of a stretch. They gave a little stick with a string to the kids to catch crabs. It definitely wasn't a bit part of the overall activity. The definite highlight was the cooking class, which was one of the best we have done in six months of travel. The kids really got to engage in making the food, and everything was delicious.

This tour included a tour of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (although the actual Mausoleum was closed) and the Temple of Literature. Dicky, our tour guide, did a good job of relaying a lot of information about what we were seeing. It was nice to have a private tour.

We loved kayaking around the bay, and our highlight of our time in Ha Long Bay was swimming. It was beautiful and unique. I think we would have liked it more if there hadn't been 10 other boats doing the exact same thing, but such is the nature of the beast.

We woke up very early to get to the cave before all the other boats. In the description of this tour, it shows kayakers going into a cave. As it turns out, that cave has been closed for a number years. So, we just got onto a boat that someone rowed and went through a large tunnel to a type of inlet...then rowed back. It was maybe a one hour excursion and I didn't feel as though we were able to see much. We had a very rushed breakfast before heading out in the morning, so much suggestion is to save breakfast until after the tour.

We were incredibly impressed! The rooms were spacious and had stunning views. We stayed mid-week so we had the place nearly to ourselves and the full attention of the staff. We hear it gets busy on weekends with Vietnamese visitors coming from Hanoi. The food was some of the best we had in Vietnam.

Our ~10 mile hike was the absolute highlight of our entire trip to Vietnam. Our guide, Hien, helped us navigate places we would never have considered going on our own including walking on mud walls between rice paddies through a gorgeous valley. Hien arranged for our youngest daughter to be picked up by motorbike mid way through to meet us after the harder part of the hike. An incredible adventure for all!

We went on a 3 day tour of Bai Tu Long Bay (close to Ha Long Bay, but more remote and less busy) on the Prince Junk with company Indochina Junks. Just wow! Such a beautiful area. The crew took excellent care of us and our girls LOVED kayaking and fishing for squid at night.

Terrible experience. Staff was not prepare to handle the NYE. Food was average. The mood of the dinner was quite sad.

Extremely sad party we left before midnight. I think the hotel is not really prepared for such initiatives

Nice but short walk. Not much to see, just a nice waterfall.

We enjoyed the thai chi session but it really was too much short

The resort provided a top notch activity. Great great experience!