Hien Do

If you're considering a trip to Vietnam, choose Realistic Asia! We were so so pleased with them! This is the first time using KimKim, and we were a little bit concerned that they would create a mainstream trip plan for us, but WOW, it surpassed our expectations!!

Hien was responsive from the beginning stages of planning to the end of the trip, switching a thing or two in the itinerary as we wished, adjusting pick up times as our flight was delayed, and promptly replying to our inquiries.... read more

If you're considering a trip to Vietnam, choose Realistic Asia! We were so so pleased with them! This is the first time using KimKim, and we were a little bit concerned that they would create a mainstream trip plan for us, but WOW, it surpassed our expectations!!

Hien was responsive from the beginning stages of planning to the end of the trip, switching a thing or two in the itinerary as we wished, adjusting pick up times as our flight was delayed, and promptly replying to our inquiries. We are a family of four (parents and teenagers) wanting to focus on Vietnam's culture, (street) food, outdoors and farming traditions. We were impressed by the way she planned the attractions because they didn't feel repetitive, nor overwhelming. There was a good flow from one day to another. We went to Hanoi/outskirts, Halong Bay, Hoi An/outskirts and HCMC/Mekong.

Some of her local guide/operators were worth mentioning: Mr. Quang, in Hanoi had just the right balance of good humor, information and respect; Mrs. Ann in Hoi An was kind and a patient translator as I had many questions to the farmers at the Thanh Dong organic farm, and Nana, from Vietnam Vintage Vespa, who was gentle, fun and very personable, and provided the most memorable food tour through the alley's of HCMC (your teenagers will love this!)

The hotels all offered a wonderful breakfast spread in the morning. Del Vostro in Hanoi was our favorite, as far as quality and customer service, but I can't forget to mention that we really enjoyed the rooftop bar/sauna/amenities at the Cochin Zen, in HCMC.

I feel like this review could go on and on because this trip really crossed all the "ts" for us, but I'll list a few more highlights without giving too much away:

- Food tour with Mr. Quang in Hanoi, including a surprising need-to-know-basis home that serves as a family restaurant, where we ate at a table in someone's bedroom. We also enjoyed that he included a stop at the Vietnamese Women's Museum (yes!) in between restaurants and pagodas.
- A day trip to the Ba Vi eco village, where we visited small producers of all sorts of things. We rode bikes from one house to the next, entering their homes, seeing their crops and animals, learning about the work they do, then having a cooking class and being treated with a truly delicious lunch. Amazing!!
-Kayaking in Ha Long Bay - absolutely gorgeous!
-Hoi An Ancient City - we had no idea of how picturesque and lantern-enchanting this little gem of a city is. What a great surprise! Make sure you have space in your camera roll!
- The night Vespa food tour in HCMC (or Saigon, if you're in the South) - again, it really gave us a much better sense of the city as we moved from one district to the next quite easily.

Hotel Reviews

Dal Vostro Hotel & Spa

Hanoi

Beautiful boutique hotel in an older building. They did a good job creating charm from the entrance to the bedrooms. I confess I was hoping for more in terms of their spa area/massages but this didn't impact my rating. The cleaningness, style and functioning of the facility, the comfort of our bed (the best mattress,) the breakfast, the attention from the staff (concierge Tony was super and articulate) and the location all contributed to my rating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Renea Cruises Halong

Hon Gai, Ha Long

We had an enjoyable stay at the Renea cruise. The staff was attentive and the boat was comfortable enough. We were overjoyed by the surrounding Ha Long Bay and the amazing kayak trip/cave tour. The boat is a bit dated, but charming. The food was plenty but not the best and we found hair in it a couple of times. The guide was very sweet and eager, if not a bit too enthusiastic. It's taking a 3-star because it was decent, but a bit old.

Le Pavillon Hoi An Paradise Hotel & Spa

Hoi An

Very good hotel, spacious, clean, offering an excellent breakfast spread, a (non-heated) pool, and courteous staff. The rooms are nicely decorated, but I'm not giving them 5 stars because our bedroom had a bit of a smell. We think it came from the (beautiful spa-like) bathroom because the set up didn't exactly drain the water very well. I mean, it was a gorgeous bathroom with sliding doors, perfect wall tiling, awesome looking bathtub but a shower without doors and the water splattered everywhere. They should probably consider making it a bit more functional.

Cochin Zen Hotel

A serene boutique hotel in the busy District 1 Saigon. The moment you come into the hotel, you feel comfortable and safe - the decor, the lighting, the service (they bring you a refreshing tea.) The breakfast is excellent. The bedrooms were clean and comfortable. I wasn't impressed by the bathroom, in particular the bathtub/shower. The tub was way too high to get in, and the shower would splash water on the floor. The water pressure is fabulous, but they should consider it when designing a half-enclosed shower because it'll splash on the floor and make a mess. This hotel offered a top floor bar on a deck with a small (non-heated) pool and a nice view. A great place to relax, have a drink or dinner. I used their steam room and my family used their small efficient gym. We liked it.

Activity Review

Ho Chi Minh City Vespa Food Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

This tour was simply the highlight of Saigon for us. If you have teenagers, they will love it. Nana started the tour by assuring that we were all safe, and the four drivers were not speeding. Given that traffic in Vietnam is quite intense and...crazy for western standards, I caught myself thinking that I was being the most irresponsible and the coolest mom at the same time! Nana made us feel extremely comfortable. She is so enthusiastic and personable. "Let me tell you about my city," she started by sharing a bit of history of HCMC and about her family past generations, that was a nice touch. She created a real authentic food tour through streets and alleys of Saigon, as she likes to call it. "This is how locals eat." She took us to have some traditional food, seafood, dessert, and to have a drink at a pub and watch some live music. That was so unexpected! Oh, look forward to "happy water" in your tour! Overall excellent service. This was A++ to my kids. I felt like I was in the original Blade Runner movie, totally immersed in various streets and alleys of Saigon.

Quality of Experience

Personality, enthusiasm, eagerness to help and make us feel comfortable. She took many pictures of our family so we didn't have to spend time taking photos, but hanging out instead.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Competent drivers, courteous, excellent service.

Transport

Brand new vespas! They did a whole tutorial of how to mount/dismount the Vespas.

The collaboration between the Realistic Asia group and kimkim was perfect for our honeymoon in Thailand! We especially enjoyed all the guides we had for our adventures, especially Tanny in Bangkok! All the honeymoon surprises made our trip special and were much appreciated. All the hotels were perfect for our preferences. Pick-ups were timely. I would highly recommend utilizing Realistic Asia for anyone considering a trip to Thailand! read more

The collaboration between the Realistic Asia group and kimkim was perfect for our honeymoon in Thailand! We especially enjoyed all the guides we had for our adventures, especially Tanny in Bangkok! All the honeymoon surprises made our trip special and were much appreciated. All the hotels were perfect for our preferences. Pick-ups were timely. I would highly recommend utilizing Realistic Asia for anyone considering a trip to Thailand!

Hotel Reviews

Novotel Phuket Resort

Patong

This is a great hotel with perfect views of Patong!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bhu Nga Thani Resort

Krabi

This stay was one of many highlights for our Thailand trip! Great services, location, and staff!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ao Nang Elephant Sanctuary Half-Day Tour

Thailand

We loved this visit with the elephants! My wife would like to go back for another trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bangkok bike tour 5 hours - Joint in tour

Bangkok

This is one of many highlights from our trip to Thailand. The bike tour allowed us to see an area of Bangkok we would not have explored.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Temple City, Grand Palace & Klong Tour

Bangkok

Tanny is an amazing guide and one of the best I have ever had on a trip! This itinerary is perfect for a day around Bangkok.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great experience overall, from A to Z (with both KimKim and our local specialist from Realistic Asia).

Before the trip:

I have to say, I was not comfortable at first because I had never heard of KimKim before and reviews on Realistic Asia were good but not numerous.
For everyone reading my review and having the same lack of comfort : get over it and book with these guys without any hesitation.

Hien was my contact since the very beginning. Great and pro-active communication, she was... read more

Great experience overall, from A to Z (with both KimKim and our local specialist from Realistic Asia).

Before the trip:

I have to say, I was not comfortable at first because I had never heard of KimKim before and reviews on Realistic Asia were good but not numerous.
For everyone reading my review and having the same lack of comfort : get over it and book with these guys without any hesitation.

Hien was my contact since the very beginning. Great and pro-active communication, she was attentive to our needs and our expectations. It took time (mainly/only because of me), but she made us a tailor-made itinerary, ticking all the boxes with transparency (i.e. what was feasible or not in the given time frame, what would be a waste of time, providing alternative solutions when necessary, ... but all that always conscious of the budget and of our constraints).
We only paid when everything was confirmed and in line with what we wanted, and then again we experienced a smooth and good process through KimKim (everything was clear and user-friendly, secured paiement, no hidden fees nor other surprises, ...).
Once validated and paid, you get all the information you need about your trip on the platform, everything centralised and easy to read/access.

We were ready for an amazing 2 week trip around Vietnam.

During the trip :

Hien and her team were fantastic throughout our journey. Very friendly and always with a bright smile, every one of them made our trip special. Very knowledgeable, they shared their passion and the love about their country/region, happy to give everything they can to increase the quality of our experience.

There are countless of aspects that I could highlight, but one of them stands out : the perfect logistics.
No waste of time, no uncertainty, everything was perfectly clear and coordinated so we can make the most of our vacation. Every step was communicating on time with the relevant level of details. Airport transfers, cars, planes, trains, but also activities, visitis, bookings, ... not a thing went wrong - Bravo Hien!

After the trip :

Hien's professionalism and follow-ups carried on until the very end (sending message to make sure we went home safely, asking unofficial feedback to keep improving services, ...).
I would highly recommend Hien and Realistic Asia if you plan a trip to Vietnam, and we will definitely reach out to her to organise our upcoming trip to Laos and Cambodia in the coming months/years.

On a side note, you may find KimKim and all these services quite pricey (and they are in fairness), but you pay for high quality services and for your peace of mind above all. Totally worth the price!

Hotel Reviews

Stellar of the Seas

quảng ninh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mekong Lodge

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hanoi Vespa Tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved Sue in Hue the most. She made all of history come alive for our family. The lunch at the family home and making incense in Hue were probably the most unique experiences of the trip.

Do from Realistic Asia was a fantastic support! The itinerary and service was flawless. Thank you for the experience!! read more

We loved Sue in Hue the most. She made all of history come alive for our family. The lunch at the family home and making incense in Hue were probably the most unique experiences of the trip.

Do from Realistic Asia was a fantastic support! The itinerary and service was flawless. Thank you for the experience!!

Hotel Reviews

Tirant Hotel

Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aspira Cruises

Ha Long, Quang Ninh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eldora Hue

Hue

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Pavillon Hoi An Paradise Hotel & Spa

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Harmony Saigon

Ho Chi Minh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Thank

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day Trip to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruising & Kayaking in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hue Sightseeing Full Day

Hue

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scuba Diving in Hoi An - Joint in tour

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Hoi An City And Food Tour - Joint in tour

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour - Joint in tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mekong Delta Group Tour (My Tho) - Joint in tour

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working with Hien Do was an absolute pleasure. We only decided to go to Vietnam one month before our arrival and changed our plans almost daily, up until 3 days before arrival -Ms Hien was marvelously patient and flexible with us. She made suggestions and then worked with my queries for alternatives.

We were met at the airport by our guide Mr Quang and driver Mr Ham. While touring Northern Vietnam, they were informative, friendly, patient and simply a delight to spend time with. ... read more

Working with Hien Do was an absolute pleasure. We only decided to go to Vietnam one month before our arrival and changed our plans almost daily, up until 3 days before arrival -Ms Hien was marvelously patient and flexible with us. She made suggestions and then worked with my queries for alternatives.

We were met at the airport by our guide Mr Quang and driver Mr Ham. While touring Northern Vietnam, they were informative, friendly, patient and simply a delight to spend time with. In Da Nang, we had Ms Linh and several drivers - they also were fabulous. At all times, we felt everything was taken care of and all we needed to do was enjoy learning about Vietnam and taking in it’s beautiful sights.

Ms Hien set up some great local adventures for us - we really liked the trip to Ba Vi where we met a former Viet Cong soldier and his wife on their tea plantation, followed by cooking class with Ms Chin who adapted graciously to my gluten-free vegan diet. Our trip to Cam Tanh near Hoi An with a bike ride through the rice paddies and a bamboo boat ride was also lots of fun.

One note for those planning to go to Ha Long Bay - its marvelous - but there was a lack of Wi-Fi on the ERA boat.

We would absolutely use Realistic Asia for another trip to Vietnam. While we’ve traveled extensively in Southeast Asia without using a tour company, it felt reassuring to have the assistance and planning provided by Ms Hien and her team while in Vietnam, particularly in the areas with fewer western tourists.