Excellent multi-generation family trip to Vietnam
Vietnam | Mar 29 - Apr 7, 2024

Jessica
Jessica F.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Apr 10, 2024

We had a wonderful family vacation to Vietnam. Our group was three generations and included some family members born in Vietnam, returning to the homeland for the first time! Hien was incredible! She created an itinerary for us that took into account our various needs. She included activities that the kids loved, and also made accommodations for my mother-in-law who has limited mobility.
Every time I contacted Hien with questions or changes, she was quick to reply, accommodating and helpful! She was so informative. She also responded right away with a couple confusing things that happened in the country.
Our guides were great! We particularly enjoyed our day with Susan in Bana Hills, and our time with Coung in Hanoi. Both were friendly, easygoing, accommodating, pleasant and fun!
The hotels were great and Hien chose rooms that were perfect for our family unit, always selecting adjoining or combined rooms for us and our young children. The hotels were also very posh, much nicer than anything we could afford at home. We felt like celebrities.
The cruise Hien chose for our family in Halong Bay was also great, and the kids really enjoyed the activities.
Overall, I would highly recommend Hien and Realistic Asia. We will certainly choose them again if we have another chance to do so!

Hotel Reviews
Somerset Chancellor Court Ho Chi Minh City

The hotel had everything we needed for our stay in Ho Chi Minh City. I particularly appreciated the large fresh water container they put in our room so that we could refill our water bottles. It was conveniently located and had a very nice pool that was heated. We swam in the pool every day that we were there! The breakfast was also great, and included several options to order as well as a small buffet. The service was polite and helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Le Sands Oceanfront Danang Hotel
Da Nang

This might be the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at. It was so beautiful and luxurious. The staff were polite and warm! The staff at the front door walked us across the street from the door of the hotel to the beach so that we didn't have to brave the traffic patterns alone, and they noticed us trying to get back and came to rescue us from the other side of the road when we needed to return! This was above and beyond any expectations that I have of service. Additionally, the rooftop bar and pool were extremely luxurious and posh. We didn't get a chance to swim because we had already been to the beach, but the view was spectacular. The breakfast was probably the best breakfast I have ever had at a hotel. It was an extensive buffet and every single thing was delicious. It was aided by the fact that you could see the entire 180 degree view of the beach including the giant Buddha statue from the restaurant. We also had dinner in the restaurant and it was a delicious and fabulous meal. All in all, I will remember this hotel forever!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
La Siesta Classic Ma May
Hanoi

This hotel had a beautiful colonial feel to it. The decor was beautiful, service was great, and room was excellent. The rooftop bar is like a nightclub and has fabulous wrought iron work that makes it look like a bridge. It was fun to have drinks up there and look at the city view. Our room was a suite, with two bedrooms, which worked great for us and the kids. The only down side was the lack of a pool.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Right in old town Hanoi.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tirant Hotel
Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Excellent hotel with beautiful decor. We liked the breakfast a lot and the pool was nice. Great location in the middle of old Hanoi.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Halong Capella Cruise
Halong

We had a one night cruise in Halong Bay with Capella. Our cruise director was Tom, Cruise director, which was cute! This cruise was very elegant. The decor and rooms all had that old world charm and were spotless and modern. We had three kids with us age 9, 11, and 14, and this was a great choice for our family. The activities the first day included kayaking, swimming, going down a giant slide into the ocean, and a cooking demonstration with participation from the audience. My kids took advantage of all the activities and had a great time. The second day we went on a short row boat ride through a cave. This was a good activity for the one elder in our party and we all enjoyed it. I think this cruise is a good choice for families with kids and most of the families on the cruise had kids in late elementary school through teen years. The accommodations were top notch and the activities were very fun.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Laluna Hoi An Riverside Hotel & Spa

Beautiful hotel on the banks of the river. Breakfast was lovely, the pool was lovely and the rooms were decorated in a very luxurious way.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Dark & Bright Cave - Lan Ha Bay - Tuan Chau (Capella)
Dark & Bright Cave - Lan Ha Bay - Tuan Chau (Capella)
Ha Long Bay

Out of all the activities that we did, this one was not particularly memorable. The cave was tiny. Halong bay in general was amazing and the boat driver was great, but the actual activity didn't add much to our experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Immerse yourself in the Beauty of Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu - Trang An - Mua Cave)
Immerse yourself in the Beauty of Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu - Trang An - Mua Cave)
Vietnam

We had a very memorable and fantastic day visiting Ninh Binh. Our guide, Cuong, was friendly, warm and informative. We enjoyed our time with him. We all enjoyed climbing the 550 steps to the top of the lookout, and my son and husband actually went up both peaks. We have some great pictures. The boat ride was also very memorable. It was so interesting how the boat drivers rowed with their feet. Our boats stopped and we walked up another 87 steps for a view of the rice fields. This was amazing and beautiful. Definitely recommend this excursion!

Quality of Experience
Food
The included lunch was fabulous! We all enjoyed the regional food and drinks.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Halong - Lan Ha Bay - Frog Lagoon Area (Capella)
Halong - Lan Ha Bay - Frog Lagoon Area (Capella)
Ha Long Bay

We had a great time in Frog Lagoon. Our ship was fabulous, and we parked in Frog Lagoon for kayaking, swimming and using a giant inflatable slide. These were great activities for our family, which includes three kids between the ages of 9-14. They all loved the activities and the location. I highly recommend this excursion.

Quality of Experience
Day trip to Bana Hills
Day trip to Bana Hills
Vietnam

We had a lovely day trip with Susan, our guide. She was very knowledgeable, friendly and enjoyable to be around. She picked us up in Hoian and dropped us at Danang in the late afternoon. During the day, she took us up to Bana Hills and guided us to the Golden Hands Bridge, the gardens and on a couple rides at the amusement park. We were pretty exhausted after that and opted to return to Danang to take advantage of the beach, which was fabulous. Thanks Susan for your help and flexibility in accommodating the needs of our family!

Quality of Experience
Food
We ate at a buffet at Bana Hills that was German themed, but mostly included Vietnamese food. Everything was very tasty!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hoi An Half-Day  Sightseeing
Hoi An Half-Day Sightseeing
Hoi An

James was our guide for our half day in Hoi An. Hoi An is beautiful and the old town is so quaint. First, we stopped for Bunmi, and really enjoyed the sandwiches. Then we toured around the old quarter, which has so much charm! James was very knowledgeable and is a local, so he knew many shopkeepers and sellers. He was flexible to meet the needs of our family and deposited us at our hotel. I didn't get enough of the old town, so I went back out to shop at the cute stores while my husband and kids went swimming at the hotel. I felt very safe and comfortable in this area, even as a foreign woman walking around by myself. I wish I had had a little more time in this area, it was great!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Hien Do
Hien
Hien Do
Local specialist in Vietnam | Replied on Apr 11, 2024

Dear Jessica,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We’re over the moon to hear that you’re happy about your holiday with your family!
Your feedback is highly appreciated, as it enables us to further develop our services and organize memorable trips for our future clients. I will pass your kind word to the whole team that you met in the trip.
It’s such a great honor to be a small part in your trip to the homeland. You are such a great customer , thank you again for choosing our company and we hope to see you again!
From Vietnam with love,
Hien