Immersion in Vietnam History, Culture and Food, Kimkim made it SO easy!

Vietnam | Feb 4 - Feb 12, 2025

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.