A breathtaking two week Vacation in Vietnam
Vietnam
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Nov 29 - Dec 12, 2023
Our two week vacation in Vietnam was absolutely incredible. My husband Paul and I enjoyed going up and down Vietnam experiencing local food, culture and daily life. Each guide was so incredibly knowledgeable not only about their specific region but the entirety of Vietnam. Ms. Mai was our tour guide in Sa Pa and she was absolutely delightful. She was local to a village in Sa Pa and knew everything about the area. She spoke with us as if we were friends. I didn't care for the lunch provided in Sa Pa on the first day, but the hike through the rice terraces was an absolute delight and the lunch we had in the village was outstanding. The only think I wish we could have had more prep for was what to pack, especially for Sa Pa. We went on an 8.6 mile hike and that would have been nice to have that disclosed to us before we left the U.S. so we could make sure to pack correctly. Thankfully, my husband and I did pack correctly but we did not realize the extensive hike we would be going on. The lunch we had in Hanoi was very flavorful and delicious. It was so much food and we enjoyed every bit of it. Our coordinator Long was an absolute joy to work with. He was so responsive before and during our trip and had everything mapped out meticulously. We never had to worry about where our transfer would be or how to get ahold of our tour guide. He made any sort of anxiety of going to a brand new country wash away because of his careful planning abilities. Another thing that Paul and I would have liked to know ahead of time was the tipping expectations as well as how much cash we should anticipate to exchange. We felt a bit underprepared on that arriving in Vietnam. Nha Trang was beautiful as well, however I wish that we could have gone to a beach that was a bit more relaxing than the one we hung out at. The one we visited was a bit small and didn't have a lot of areas to relax on the actual beach. The snorkeling was amazing though, we truly enjoyed being able to explore the beautiful waters in Nha Trang. Our boat trip in Ha Long Bay was breathtaking but I would say that Ninh Binh was even more breathtaking. We did however enjoy the trip in Ha Long Bay being able to meet other travelers from other countries and enjoy some karaoke that night. For the boat trip in Ha Long Bay I would have paid more though for a five star experience. The boat we went on was nice but there were some things that I think could have been improved upon. I would also suggest a two-night trip in Ha Long Bay. There is so much to explore in Vietnam and Paul and I would definitely go back to explore more of their elephant sanctuaries and caves. Looking forward to booking another vacation with KimKim!
Hotel Reviews
Beautiful hotel to stay in while in Hanoi. The French toast they have in their breakfast buffet is absolutely incredible, best French toast I have ever had. This is centrally located next to where everything is happening in Hanoi. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Truly enjoyed this experience.
Unfortunately not the best experience at this hotel, the bed was very hard, the bath mat in the bathroom had a ton of mold on the bottom of it and the room in general was very small that we booked. The staff was mediocre, did not seem very inviting at all.
I wish we could have seen more, but the fog was so thick we couldn't see the views we paid for. I wish it was disclosed that the views would not be the same in the winter as the summer. The breakfast was ok, there were too many lunch options and not enough breakfast options. There also was not a bar area to hangout in. The actual room we stayed in was comfortable.
I wish we stayed more than one night at the Hidden Charm hotel. This was a beautiful hotel with all the amenities we were looking for. The staff was so friendly and inviting. We would love to go back and stay longer. I loved this hotel room as well, it was large and comfortable.
I wish I could write a rave review about this cruise but was mediocre. There was not enough awake time on the cruise to be able to enjoy and experience it. We hardly got any warning about any excursions that everyone was going out on and it was entirely too early to wake up and run out to an excursion, 6:50am was when the boat was leaving to go to the cave excursion and that was not fun to have to run out of bed scarf breakfast and go out. The bathroom was atrocious. I couldn't bare to go in to use it and any other bathrooms on deck were just as bad, one didn't even have a women's seat. I liked the people I met on this cruise but didn't like the cruise itself.
Five star experience at the Amiana Resort. It's not in a convenient location but you have everything you need at the resort. The staff was friendly and really enjoyed talking to us. I wish there were more food options for dinner, but the breakfast buffet was unreal. They had absolutely everything, and it was very tasty. I wish I stayed the entire time in Nha Trang at this resort.
This breakfast buffet was nothing compared to the others we had during our trip, it was almost zero breakfast food. It was centrally located which was good because I didn't want to hangout at the actual hotel.
Activity Reviews
Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as this day had a lot of walking around Ho Chi Minh. A wonderful experience and make sure to bring tissues for the Vietnam War Museam.
Visit a few historical places on this day. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as there will be a lot of walking around the city.
Incredible, amazing, breathtaking and a very difficult hike if you are not accustomed to hiking. This was 8.6 miles of hiking through hills. The beauty was unreal and amazing to see the villages.
Truly was in awe in the boat tour, just superb. I loved the lime stone rock structures, they were so beautiful. This is a two hour boat tour that was so gorgeous.
This was a nice boat cruise but I wish we would have paid more for a fancier boat. There is a 45 minute boat ride from the harbor to the boat though so make sure you prepare for a long transfer boat ride. The bathrooms were really bad on the boat though so keep that in mind too.
Visit in August if you want the best views. The fog was so thick we could hardly see any views. We loved the hike to love waterfall and that it was cooler weather though.
The wake up call for this experience was way too early at 6:50am we had to leave the main cruise boat and go out. My husband and I didn't even get to have breakfast and enjoy the scenery before we had to go out. I really wish we booked two nights to have a more relaxed time.
Enjoyed the snorkeling very much but didn't like the beach that we spent time at after the snorkeling. We were also the only ones at the restaurant. we ate at.
Self-guided walking in Ho Chi Minh is really hard when you have no idea where to walk to or what to see.
Hi Leigha,
I'm so glad you and Paul had an incredible vacation in Vietnam! Thanks for sharing all the details with me, it was a pleasure to read your insightful review. Your feedback is highly appreciated, as it enables us to further develop our services and organize memorable trips for our future clients.
Thank you so much for choosing our services. It is awesome to know that you will be using kimkim again.
Happy holidays to you🥳!
Long