Kimkim Trip Reviews for Vietnam

Just returned from an 8 day trip planned via KimKim to Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay) and could not recommend KimKim and Realistic Asia’s tours more highly. This was my husband and my first time taking an entirely “tour guided” vacation, as we typically plan and organize everything ourselves. To be honest, when researching KimKim tours, I found mixed reviews (mostly due to covid and changes it forced upon past clients), but after filling out the initial query into the trip, I felt... read more

Just returned from an 8 day trip planned via KimKim to Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay) and could not recommend KimKim and Realistic Asia’s tours more highly. This was my husband and my first time taking an entirely “tour guided” vacation, as we typically plan and organize everything ourselves. To be honest, when researching KimKim tours, I found mixed reviews (mostly due to covid and changes it forced upon past clients), but after filling out the initial query into the trip, I felt Ashley and the AI questionnaire had a great grasp on the type of travelers we were and our expectations for a private, 2 person tour that focused on nature, getting to know local people and food. When we received the final quote, the price was not much more than if we were to plan it ourselves, but allowed us to sit back and enjoy rather than deal with the stresses of booking and organizing everything before and during the trip. We did food tours, treks through rice fields, visits with local farmers, tastings of rice wine and tea, train rides, cave tours, cooking lessons, and boat cruises…all of which were scheduled exactly as promised- away from the beaten path, individualized and to our level of care and quality. Ashley checked on us throughout the trip and was prompt in replying to any questions or concerns about the trip before and while it was happening. I would definitely travel through KimKim in the future and have no problem recommending them to others who are looking for a reliable, personalized, and responsive agency to make your next dream vacation become a reality.

Hotel Reviews

Aurora Premium Hotel & Spa

Great location and very friendly, responsive staff. Comfortable rooms and a good spread of food for people of all diets for breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walkable to many restaurants, shops and local sites of interest.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Livitran Express

As far as overnight train rides go, this is one of the most comfortable I’ve been on in SE Asia. The sheets and pillows were very clean and the complimentary snacks and drinks were appreciated. The room was a bit cold in the winter months, but manageable. The rooms were very quiet and we couldn’t hear anyone once they were all in their rooms. The shared bathrooms were surprisingly clean, even at the end of the long journey and I would compare to any average airplane bathroom on a long flight. Stocked with toilet paper and soap as well.

Authenticity & Character

Cute Christmas decorations and an adjustable table lamp made for a nice ambiance at the holidays.

Staff

Great onboarding staff. Had a train staff unlock and open our door as we were about an hour into the trip which was unexpected and unexplained. He said something in Vietnamese then shut the door immediately.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean beds, sheets and fairly clean shared bathrooms

Silk Path Grand Sapa

Lao Cai

Beautiful grounds and architectural details at this hotel. Unfortunately it was extremely foggy our entire stay, but even despite that, the ambiance was incredible. Very kind and caring staff who were attentive and caring in their interactions. The room was large and the bed was a dream to sleep in. Bathroom could use some more ventilation and the drain in the bathtub was very slow. Food at breakfast was amazing and we were spoiled for choice of delicious options. The spa experience was one of a kind and we wished we had more time to enjoy the amazing facilities there- hot and cool plunge pools, sauna, herbal bath and excellent massages. We took the free shuttle into the city center, which was a short trip and always on time. Would highly recommend this hotel as a peaceful and gorgeous spot to start and end your days when exploring Sapa.

Authenticity & Character

Very nicely decorated and attention put into everything from the elevator walls to the high quality furniture.

Location

Just outside of town and up a hill for amazing views. Shuttle regularly takes you into city center if necessary.

Staff

Very attentive and friendly staff in all locations of the hotel- front desk, breakfast, Italian restaurant, spa, drivers.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All spaces were warm and cozy despite the super cold temperatures. We slept soundly and felt pampered in this hotel.

Era Cruises

Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi

A nice, medium sized boat to cruise Halong bay in. The staff were very kind and hospitable, paying attention to details and making sure each group was taken care of in a similar fashion. All activities were run to plan and on time. The boat furnishings, floors and decor were a bit run down, and some repairs and updates would be helpful, but overall a beautiful boat and setting to spend a night. Our room was by far the best part! It was HUGE for a cruise and had an amazing bathroom with large rain shower, beautiful soaking run by the window, lounge chairs on our private deck and fabulous Japanese toilets. The bed was large and comfy and the heating worked efficiently for us during the cold nights. We had a spa treatment which was nice, although the space was also a bit musty and could use some updates to decor. Food was plentiful and the staff did a great job accommodating my vegetarian needs.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Evening Street Food Tour

Hanoi

Super full after this short tour of Hanoi specialty foods. We loved the variety of spots our guide took us and how he gauged where to go next based on our preferences and thoughts. Vegetarian and non-veg options were available at all stops. Our guide was very friendly and easy to laugh with, ask questions and trust for other suggestions to check out during the rest of our stay.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking around with a local guide where we stayed was helpful in gathering our bearings for the rest of the trip.

Explore the Vietnamese Countryside on a Ba Vi Eco Tour

Hanoi

Wonderful variety of activities, scenery and authentic experiences with local people. We enjoyed tasting the rice wine, tea, and SO MUCH food local food (for vegetarians and non). While we didn’t get to ride bikes due to rain, we didn’t feel like that diluted the trip. Our guide was kind, chatty, and helped us in translating and playing games or asking questions with our hosts at each spot. We felt very welcome and while I know there are other tourists who do come to this area, we felt like we were the only ones there and only saw one other small group of expats at lunch. We are grateful for this tour and the insight it gave us into local daily life in the countryside.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day Taphin red Dao hill tribe village

Sapa

The walk was mostly on paved roads and our guide was very quiet on the first day. We were challenged to know what to ask and weren’t provided a lot of information. The walk was peaceful and we did meet some local woman artisans, but we felt like their goods were machine made, wrapped in plastic for loads of tourists, and it didn’t quite feel authentic other than seeing one of their homes briefly. We would have rather learned how to make something with them or played games with the local kids than be haggled to buy something most of the walk.

Quality of Experience

The location seemed a bit lack luster. Just walking on a road people drive on most of the time.

Food

Excellent lunch and variety of local options to try

Guides, Drivers and Staff

First day our guide was very quiet and shy. We didn’t feel her as chatty so seemed less knowledgeable than other guides we’ve had.

Transport

We were told that we didn’t have a driver to take us back to the hotel after lunch. After questioning this, we were told actually never mind and that it could be arranged, but my husband could not leave his bag in the van during lunch because our driver may change.

Sapa Trekking & Sightseeing

Sapa

A great day of trekking through the countryside and enjoying the beauty of the rice paddies. It was extremely muddy, so I appreciated our guide’s suggestion to rent rain boots for the day’s excursion. The first two villages of the hikes were east walks on paved roads and footpaths, but hardly anyone except us out walking. The walk to the last village was through the rice paddies and very challenging to navigate in the thick mud and hills. Two very capable and kind local women held my hand through much of this section of the trek and saved me many times from face-planting into the mud! Our guide seemed more relaxed than the previous day which made for a more enjoyable, fun experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Great veg and non veg options at the end of the hike to fuel us through the rest of the day

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Same driver at start and finish of day

Dining at Comet restaurant (Aurora Hanoi hotel)

Hanoi

Had NYE dinner here. Excellent views of the city. Upon entering, we were seated right next to another couple even though there were two top tables available across the room. We asked to be seated there instead for our privacy and the other couples. We were told this was not possible after much discussion. When ordering a bottle of wine, we were brought the wrong bottle that was not on the menu and told it was the only one. My husband went to ask management about it, as the service staff were not able to explain the situation. We ended up ordering beer and wine by the glass instead. The vegetarian food was extremely plentiful but it was all brought out at once so much of it was cold before I could eat it. My husband, on the other hand, was only brought one dish and a salad, which seemed miserly compared to all of the vegetarian dishes I was brought. We had to leave the table multiple times to find staff and order more drinks or ask for plates to be cleared. Overall, it was an average meal. The staff were trying but they seemed overwhelmed and inattentive for such a big night of celebrations.

Quality of Experience

Badly timed dishes, staff who were inattentive and not knowledgeable about the menu.

Food

Dark & Bright Cave - Halong Bay - Hanoi (Era)

Ha Long Bay

Beautiful but a very short experience. The “dark” cave was closed so we only toured the “light” cave which was not big. The rower was amazing and worked so hard. Despite the rain and fog, it was still peaceful and gorgeous. Our tour took us about ten minutes earlier than other boats did and it made a HUGE difference to be the first ones out on the water. When we returned, the dock was crammed with tourists. Enjoyable but i would have liked a longer ride and to have seen more than one small cave.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we had a wonderful trip to vietnam for 15 days , Our specialist Ha helped me plan the trip . we conversed many texts and she answered all my questions in detail. we first went to Hanoi, the Halong bay for overnight stay, then Hue, Hoi An, Danang , HCM city then to Siem Reap Angkor Wat . we booked our international flight ourselves, but Ha arranged all internal flights, from Hanoi to Hue , then Danang to HCM city , then HCM city to Siem Reap. the flight arrangements were very smoothly . all... read more

we had a wonderful trip to vietnam for 15 days , Our specialist Ha helped me plan the trip . we conversed many texts and she answered all my questions in detail. we first went to Hanoi, the Halong bay for overnight stay, then Hue, Hoi An, Danang , HCM city then to Siem Reap Angkor Wat . we booked our international flight ourselves, but Ha arranged all internal flights, from Hanoi to Hue , then Danang to HCM city , then HCM city to Siem Reap. the flight arrangements were very smoothly . all our guides were very attentive and all drivers drove very safely. total we had 7 guides throughout our trip , all very professional and spoke good enough English to understand

Hotel Reviews

Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Somerset Grand Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Era Cruises

Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Indochine Palace

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Pavillon Hoi An Luxury Resort & Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

not in the downtown area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Somerset Ho Chi Minh Hotel

Ho Chi Minh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Somadevi Angkor Resort & Spa

needs to update the interior

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hanoi Full day city (S) - water puppet show

Hanoi

Our guide Cheung was very attentive, answered all our questions, took us many places

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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.

We had a fantastic trip to Vietnam and really appreciated all the assistance provided by Ashley! She was very accommodating and patient as we requested a few modifications to our itinerary as we became more educated on the options.

She was extremely responsive and informative, and I would highly recommend both Ashley and Kimkim! read more

We had a fantastic trip to Vietnam and really appreciated all the assistance provided by Ashley! She was very accommodating and patient as we requested a few modifications to our itinerary as we became more educated on the options.

She was extremely responsive and informative, and I would highly recommend both Ashley and Kimkim!

On our first trip to Vietnam, we wanted to have a nice balance of nature and city trips, learn about culture and explore the cuisine - so we worked with Ashley to build a custom-made itinerary, which turned out to be an unforgettable trip. She has been most helpful to accommodate all our needs, quickly turned around every request and also supported when we had some emergencies due to a forgotten luggage while in Vietnam, always checking in to ensure we enjoy it all. Mr Tu, our tour guide... read more

On our first trip to Vietnam, we wanted to have a nice balance of nature and city trips, learn about culture and explore the cuisine - so we worked with Ashley to build a custom-made itinerary, which turned out to be an unforgettable trip. She has been most helpful to accommodate all our needs, quickly turned around every request and also supported when we had some emergencies due to a forgotten luggage while in Vietnam, always checking in to ensure we enjoy it all. Mr Tu, our tour guide took us to wonderful places and helped us experience the life of the local people in very unique ways. It was real fun travelling with Tu, he explained all we wanted to know about history and culture, and was extremely flexible when we had special requests to explore & try things outside the itinerary - all to ensure we get the most out of our trip! Highlights of our trip: Pu Loung trekking and village tour, boat rides, Hoi An trip, cooking class with Madam Ai. We highly recommend it all!

Hotel Reviews

Aira Boutique Hoi An Hotel & Villa

Hoi An

Authenticity & Character

Really nicely done design, lovely garden and pools

Location

By the most beautiful beach, close to town

Staff

Super nice & helpful staff - we left a luggage behind and they immediately sent someone with a bike to catch us at the airport, we are most grateful for their kindness!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pu Luong Retreat

Thanh Hoa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Clos Du Fil Hotel

Ninh Binh

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful design

Location

Right at the city center, but still very peaceful

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

PVT Culinary Experience With Chef

Hanoi

We started with a small tour to the local market, which was really great to learn about all the ingredients. Then Madam Ei gave us an incredible class making super yummy dishes in her own kitchen - most wonderful chef and amazing person, we are very lucky to learn from her.

Quality of Experience

Amazing menu and unforgettable cooking experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Madam Ei is the most wonderful chef

Transport

Trekking to Kho Muong and Uoi Villages

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Quality of Experience

Just the perfect length of walking in the jungle and amongst the village, also went to a cave which was truly beautiful.

Food

We had lunch in a remote village, was so yummy and collected our own oranges from a garden

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The local guide accompanied us on the trip

Transport

I worked with Long to coordinate my trip through Kim Kim and he was persistently providing me excellent customer care in adjusting the itinerary to fit my needs and checked in on me throughout the trip. It can be stressful taking an international trip but he made himself available and was responsive in a reasonable amount of time. My tour guide Ngọc Sáu was also amazing in the sense that he was knowledgeable, adaptable to my groups needs, and was the friendliest tour guide. You could tell he... read more

I worked with Long to coordinate my trip through Kim Kim and he was persistently providing me excellent customer care in adjusting the itinerary to fit my needs and checked in on me throughout the trip. It can be stressful taking an international trip but he made himself available and was responsive in a reasonable amount of time. My tour guide Ngọc Sáu was also amazing in the sense that he was knowledgeable, adaptable to my groups needs, and was the friendliest tour guide. You could tell he was sincere to looking out for us because he treated us like family. Having memorable agents and service really enhances the trip I would recommend these individuals and company to everyone and would use their services again! 10/10

Hotel Reviews

Silkotel Hoi An

We loved the layout of the room. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Would recommend this to many friends. The hotel is located right outside the main walking market

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monarque Hotel Danang

Danang

Amazing breakfast buffet, hotel is clean, and centrally located. We enjoyed our stay here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cochin Zen Hotel

Centrally located in the heart of Ho Chi Min. Great rooftop views and a short distance from the major market in town. Would recommend this to anyone visiting and I would stay here again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit Ben Thanh Market and Buu Long Pagoda

Ho Chi Minh City

Quality of Experience

Y

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Danang Half day

Da Nang

Excellent guide, interesting attraction. Worth visiting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An Lantern Workshop

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A O Traditional Vietnamese Culture Show

Ho Chi Minh City

Amazing performance! We really enjoyed this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sunset on river - The Deck Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City

Would like the cocktail bar to be somewhere that we can see the sunset..it was an Ok ambiance, but would have rather stayed on the boat. The ride in general was excellent

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Enjoy Hoi An Memories Show

Hoi An

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ms. Vy’s Cooking class - Holiday Master Class - Joint in tour

Hoi An

It was good but way TOO long. I wanted a 2 hour cooking class. We were there from 8:30am-12:30pm and it still was not done. The experience was good though

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Danang - Bana Hills - Hoi An

Da Nang

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Christmas in Vietnam! We had a WONDERFUL time as a family of 4 in Vietnam. Huyen put together an awesome 10 day itinerary that was very responsive to our interests and limitations traveling with 2 kids under 7. Each hotel was excellent, the activities were fun and interesting and the guides were very very very knowledgeable, flexible and kind. Thank you so much Huyen and the rest of the team!! read more

Christmas in Vietnam! We had a WONDERFUL time as a family of 4 in Vietnam. Huyen put together an awesome 10 day itinerary that was very responsive to our interests and limitations traveling with 2 kids under 7. Each hotel was excellent, the activities were fun and interesting and the guides were very very very knowledgeable, flexible and kind. Thank you so much Huyen and the rest of the team!!

From beginning to end, this itinerary was the perfect balance of Vietnam for the two of us! Every food tour stood out for us. We especially enjoyed riding with the women of Hue trying different food from around the city. Every guide was excellent and was knowledgeable about the area we were visiting. The travel company Mango Tiger was the best travel agency we have utilized in our travel experience! Mango Tiger was responsive and supported our daily adventures. All transportation was... read more

From beginning to end, this itinerary was the perfect balance of Vietnam for the two of us! Every food tour stood out for us. We especially enjoyed riding with the women of Hue trying different food from around the city. Every guide was excellent and was knowledgeable about the area we were visiting. The travel company Mango Tiger was the best travel agency we have utilized in our travel experience! Mango Tiger was responsive and supported our daily adventures. All transportation was seamless and comfortable throughout our stay. All hotel selections were perfect for our preferences. We are kimkim veterans and continue to explore options with this amazing company in our travels. We could not have selected a better partner to make our honeymoon amazing!

Dat was amazing and was always quick to assist in our planning and final execution of our last minute trip to Vietnam. After seeing enough videos and reading about the typical pitfalls encountered by tourists in Vietnam, we decided to go with kimkim and coordinate with Realistic Asia in planning a two week trip through the cities and rural areas of Vietnam.

Our trip began in Hanoi and ended in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), with Hoi An, Ha Long Bay and Phu Quoc as stops along the way. Our... read more

Dat was amazing and was always quick to assist in our planning and final execution of our last minute trip to Vietnam. After seeing enough videos and reading about the typical pitfalls encountered by tourists in Vietnam, we decided to go with kimkim and coordinate with Realistic Asia in planning a two week trip through the cities and rural areas of Vietnam.

Our trip began in Hanoi and ended in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), with Hoi An, Ha Long Bay and Phu Quoc as stops along the way. Our guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and gave us individual attention throughout our tours. One tour guide, Hue, should be mentioned as being particularly kind and going above and beyond what we expected. He was funny, quick with information and connected with us in a way that made us feel comfortable. He shared his personal experiences and gave us a guided tour that felt authentic and gave us insight into a country that has always fascinated us.

During one part of our trip, we discovered that the bicycles were not the type that my wife was comfortable with and Dat was able to change our itinerary at the last minute and adjusted that day to accommodate. While this change could have incurred additional fees to our trip, Dat and his company made the changes without any further charges. We were grateful and surprised by their generosity.

All the hotels we stayed in were beautiful and luxurious in their accommodations. The one hotel, La Siesta Group, deserves special mention for their friendly and professional staff. Ms. Ngoc in the La Siesta Hotel was particularly helpful in getting a last minute birthday cake ready for my wife and with her help, capped off a great day, better with her coordination of the birthday cake.

Dat checked in with us during the entire trip and made sure that we were taken care of and answered all my questions before and during the trip. We were sure we would enjoy our trip, but with his planning, it was just a great experience with all the drivers and the tour guides taking us everywhere and making sure our experience was seamless and memorable.

We're grateful for Realistic Asia and Dat for making this last minute trip a reality and will definitely consider another trip with them, if we make plan another trip into this beautiful country.

Thank you Dat and Realistic Asia!

All of our guides were excellent. Very informative, personable and helpful. Their English was good.

Would definitely use again and would recommend to others

We had not done personalized private tours before and the experience overall was better than expected. You will need to budget quite a bit more for this kind of service to start with, and in the end you will get the quality of local tour guides if you had diligently selected your own tours separately.

We wound up selecting kimkim as the main contact for setting up our private tour. It turned out however, that they worked with another private tour company Odynovo that specializes in the... read more

We had not done personalized private tours before and the experience overall was better than expected. You will need to budget quite a bit more for this kind of service to start with, and in the end you will get the quality of local tour guides if you had diligently selected your own tours separately.

We wound up selecting kimkim as the main contact for setting up our private tour. It turned out however, that they worked with another private tour company Odynovo that specializes in the Asia countries. They, in turn, hire local freelance tour guides. Odynovo itself didn’t offer tours that cover Vietnam and KL together, so it took kimkim to step in and manage multiple country tours. Kimkim only calls you up at the start and asks for your budget for hotels, travel preferences, and food allergies. After that they step aside and provides the online platform to share itineraries with fellow travelers and provide point of contact if any issues come up during the trip. So basically this review is of Tom (our local contact) and Odynovo who I give 5 stars. Tom worked with us to tweak the itinerary to our liking and even accommodated our request to limit tourist shops. He was very responsive throughout our trip. For kimkim, the user interface is nice and easy to navigate but I would dock off a star or two since there is no transparency in pricing the trip, which kimkim may be involved with.

A e-visa is needed to travel to Vietnam. Although they say it is easy to apply, in reality it takes a bit of wrangling to get the right credit card to be accepted.

In Hanoi, our first tour guide Mr Le Thien was available as soon as we arrived in Hanoi (in fact all the guides are there during the Vietnam part of the tour). During the first full day tour he was thorough in explaining the impact Ho Chi Minh had in Vietnam history and explaining the migration path of the Vietnamese people and surrounding villages to the south. I had some trouble understanding his English in some parts but could manage overall. The tour offered lunch at a local restaurant but the food was not traditional Vietnamese food aside from the spring rolls. The food quality was good but I would prefer more local varieties in the preset meal. Mr Le made up for this by going out of his way to show us local restaurants that served dishes like Cha Ca, Banh cuon, banh mi, etc. after the tour. The hotel accommodations was good since it was within walking distance of the old town and lake. The next day at Ha Long Bay was perhaps the best part of the trip. Note that between destinations, stops are made at various demonstrations and government price shops so you can buy souvenirs. Sometimes it is better to stop at these and not have to haggle with prices, while other times the stops seem a distraction.

In Hoi An/Danang, Mr. Bui Anh Tuan was our guide. He was very knowledgeable about the My Son Holy Land and Hoi An ancient town, both of which were highlights. He provided a lot of insight in Vietnamese life and culture and was humorous which was a plus. The second tour at Ba Na hills is more like a Disneyland like resort. The hotel location and tour lunches were pretty good, with a good selection of Vietnamese dishes to sample. This was the next best spot in Vietnam as there are less motor bikes zooming around and the area is close to the coast so we were able to try the fresh fish for dinner.

In Ho Chi Minch city, Mr. Victor was our tour guide. Compared to the other cities and guides, the intensity was ramped up a level. A sheet with over 20 or so bullet items is handed to you to watch for scams, stolen phones, rude locals, and a bunch of other things to watch for. This might be useful if you started the tour in Saigon, but we had already been seasoned in Vietnam customs up to that point, so it just raised anxiety unnecessarily. The guide was prepared with plenty of background material in several notebook binders and YouTube-like videos from his phone. The material could get overwhelming presented in this fashion, but you have to appreciate the level of energy the guide provided to present it. The hotel was a little older than other hotels we stayed at and located in a similar hectic part of the city. The hotel selection was perhaps the worst of the trip. The Mekong delta tour was not quite as impressive as it did not include any visit to floating markets. It seemed more geared toward providing monetary support to the locals than providing a memorable experience. The lunch was very good. The next day tours at the Cu Chi tunnels and city tour were better as they provided in depth content about the war. But the lunch option was very poor as the Vietnamese dishes had no flavor.

Finally, in KL, there was no tour guide to greet us at the airport. You can tell the discontinuity of the different country tours. The hotel accommodations were good.

Hotel Reviews

Bhaya Classic

Quang Ninh

Friendly staff. Food options good. Rooms were clean and had good character. Definitely best part of the trip including visit to caves, beach and kayaking activities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lasenta

Hoi An

Within walking distance to the ancient town. Good breakfast options especially the Vietnamese coffee. Friendly staff gives good restaurant recommendations

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alagon D'antique Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

On the old side. Tiny, slow elevators. Tub with shower affixed to it was awkward. Bed is firm. Located in a busy area so not relaxing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur

Good breakfast options. Friendly staff. Location within walking distance to street markets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Lapis Hotel

Good location. Clean. Not much of a view. Breakfast options ok. Elevator touch buttons hard to activate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to old town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Hanoi City Tour with Old Quarter Rickshaw Ride

Hanoi

The morning visit to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and residence was a highlight. You have to get in 2 lines before entering the mausoleum. Once inside, you get to see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh in a glass case. It’s a little cold inside so wear long sleeve shirt if possible. In another part of the park, you get to see where Ho Chi Minh resided. No outlandish buildings but modest and simple structures. We also visited a museum which introduced us to the mixed ethnicity of people occupying the area in the past. Outside the museum, you get to enter in replicas of structures (mostly bamboo?) that local villagers lived or gathered in. The visit to Hanoi Hilton prison was also interesting. You get up close to the difficult conditions the prisoners were in. The puppet show towards the end of the tour was ok since there was no translation available. Finally the rickshaw tour of the old town was neat. It gives you a front row view of how to navigate through people, motor bikes, and cars all at once. The locals will tell you the rickshaw drivers will try to rip off tourists, so you feel obliged to tip them (it’s a hard way to earn a living..)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Vietnam

The stop to the government priced souvenir store was good. It gave you a chance to buy stuff without the haggling. The stop to the pearl store seemed unnecessary.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bhaya Classic Cruise -Day 2

Ha Long Bay

In the morning, you can join the Tai Chi exercises on the upper deck. The exercises are quite refreshing with the surrounding. Following that, we visited one of the large caves in the bay. This requires you to go up and down a number of stairs, but nothing strenuous. Most of the caves are well lit so you get to see a lot of the structure and colors.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bhaya Classic Cruise -Day 1

Ha Long Bay

After a long drive, you see references to the King Kong movie shot around the area, so right off you can expect a touristy area. After checking in and a short wait, we are escorted to the cruise where the staff greet you warmly. Once onboard, you check into the rooms which have a unique charm to them. You can hang out in the patio area of your room or wander around the different decks of the boat. The views of Ha Long Bay are spectacular as the boat travels through the various shaped rocks. During the afternoon, you get to spend a few hours kayaking and/or hanging out on a small beach in the bay. There’s some amount of garbage in the waters, but not too bad, The preset dinner on the third deck was good. At night the ship anchors in the peaceful calm waters. If the weather is good you can get nice sunsets or sunrises.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day My Son Holy Land and Hoi An Highlights Tour

Hoi An

The tour takes you to old ruins of Hindu temples in the morning. After a drive, you hop onboard an open seat electric cart that has several rows of seats. The ride itself is swift and has a theme park feel to it before you get to the remnants of ruins that survived the bombings (you get to walk by one of the bomb craters). There are several different sites but each show the same symbolism (Lingam and yoni mainly). In the main site, you can walk inside and around the ruins before joining a regularly scheduled cultural dance show. There is a museum on the way back from the returning cart ride that has some interesting displays worth checking out. Back to Hoi An, you get to walk around the ancient town. There you can see a 17th century Japanese bridge still intact. You can also see old Chinese merchant houses. The lunch there featured some good Vietnamese cuisine. At night the town lights up with red and other colored lanterns along the river and not to be missed. The street market becomes very vibrant as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive to Da Nang with the visit to Golden Bridge

Vietnam

Ok, maybe it is not surprising that there is a theme park in Vietnam. But this park has some historical context. The morning drive takes you through a few local towns until you reach the foothills. After winding up the hills you reach a large parking area leading to the park. There you pass through a large gate and line up to enter the park. The resort is at the top of the hills so you take the cable cars up. The first stop takes you to the golden bridge where giant stone hands seemingly hold up a pedestrian bridge. Then you pass through a French village, complete with wine cellars. The buildings were built during French occupation of Vietnam. We ate at a buffet restaurant which served a wide range of Asian food. The next cable car takes you to Buddhist temples and other resort buildings (you can see construction for further expansion). This is the highest point on the mountain so on a good day you can see Hoi An/ Da Nang and the ocean. On the return trip there is a drive though the city and a stop at one of Da Nang’s beaches.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Da Nang to Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City

After arriving to Saigon, Mr Victor took us several blocks to the van. Mr Victor then played a pre-recorded tape of how not to get in trouble in Saigon. The level of anxiety surely increased unnecessarily. After checking in the hotel, we were taken through a hot building with a bunch of merchants and street vendors. Not the greatest environment to shop around. In the evening we had free time to check out the local cuisine (and try not to get run over)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Mekong Delta Tour (My Tho)

Ho Chi Minh City

The drive out of Saigon didn’t show anything worth remembering. Mr Victor gave a pretty thorough background of Vietnam and the Mekong delta in his presentation. After arriving at the port, we boarded a motorized boat and shuffled through fairly strong currents of the river. We were then taken through a family owned coconut candy shop. Next we found another local willing to give us a ride on a horse drawn cart. This led us to a family restaurant that served us various local fruits and even performed some traditional music and dance. Finally, we were led to a stream where a lady and her daughter tried rowing us to the delta to our original motor boat (she and her daughter ditched that boat and took a motorized version back). We travelled further along the delta to a restaurant for seafood lunch. After lunch we took the same motor boat back to the original port and drove back to Saigon.

Quality of Experience

The different modes of transportation may be interesting for the first time but it kind of felt like an unnecessary way to help the locals out given the labor provided

Food

May have got sick from food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cu Chi Tunnels Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

The tour gives you a first hand look at the Vietnam (or American) war. You can actually fire some live ammunition for a fee. There is about an hour or two drive to the site where the Vietcong dug an elaborate maze of tunnels. The site consists of bomb craters, damaged tanks and armored vehicles, and various carved out areas of underground tunnels and rooms and traps. If you don’t mind the sweat and darkness, you can walk through short tunnel segments. After returning to Saigon, after lunch the tour takes you through a war museum. The effects of the war are in full display with unique photos.

Quality of Experience

Better food would make this 5 star

Food

No taste. We had to request the fish sauce?

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Ho Chi Minh City Tour with Dong Khoi Street

Ho Chi Minh City

We visit a palace where the south president gets overthrown by the communist north. We also get to see other historical buildings (mainly French influenced)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kuala Lumpur City Tour

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia is a strong contrast to Vietnam. There’s more order on the streets despite the much larger population. We get to drive through the city to see various historical sites which can be seen for free. The main highlight is the Petronas tower which requires a fee to take the elevator to the viewing areas like the tower bridge and near the top floor. The view at the top is not part of the tour so we had change the original lunch plan, but the tour guide was accommodating. We chose to eat in the food court area in the towers where there is a wide selection to choose from.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Malacca Tour From Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

It is fairly lengthy ride to Malacca, but definitely worth it. There is a pit stop midway to the ancient city. Once in Malacca we visited ruins of an old church, then proceeded to the old town. There we entered or passed by local shops and various historical buildings (mainly Chinese)

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

The guides and drivers were helpful and accommodating.

In Hanoi, Mr. Le “Leo” was kind enough to take us to some restaurants to taste some food we wanted to try.

In Hoi An and Da Nang, Mr. Tuan allowed us to stop by a tailor to get some custom clothes.

In Saigon, Victor helped us negotiate the chaotic Saigon traffic. One suggestion is that he should provide links to the videos he showed rather than showing them during the drives. It can be difficult to watch videos while in a... read more

The guides and drivers were helpful and accommodating.

In Hanoi, Mr. Le “Leo” was kind enough to take us to some restaurants to taste some food we wanted to try.

In Hoi An and Da Nang, Mr. Tuan allowed us to stop by a tailor to get some custom clothes.

In Saigon, Victor helped us negotiate the chaotic Saigon traffic. One suggestion is that he should provide links to the videos he showed rather than showing them during the drives. It can be difficult to watch videos while in a car.

In KL, Suzi and Mr. Wong were particularly accommodating. We were able to go to the observation deck of the Petronas twin towers, despite that not being on the schedule. Mr. Wong’s driving through a flash flood thunderstorm on the way back from Melacca was quite impressive.

Activity Reviews

Bhaya Classic Cruise -Day 1

Ha Long Bay

The sights are gorgeous

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Kuala Lumpur City Tour

Kuala Lumpur

We were able to change plans and go to the Petronas twin towers observation deck

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Huyen was very responsive and was very adept at answering our questions regarding our trip, but I felt the trip activities were very repetitive, subpar, and had poor time management in which we had hours between activities or didn't have enough time.

Day 1- Hanoi
The first day we had a great time with the photographer in the morning time at the hotel taking glamour shots. However, the cooking class/market was incredibly disappointing. The "bustling" market had no people walking around due... read more

Huyen was very responsive and was very adept at answering our questions regarding our trip, but I felt the trip activities were very repetitive, subpar, and had poor time management in which we had hours between activities or didn't have enough time.

Day 1- Hanoi
The first day we had a great time with the photographer in the morning time at the hotel taking glamour shots. However, the cooking class/market was incredibly disappointing. The "bustling" market had no people walking around due to the time. The market is busy during the early morning, but we got there around 10am. The cooking class itself was the main disappointment. We made 3 separate dishes. The first dish was making steamed rice crepes and then hand wrapping them with premade filling. Making one or 2 is fine, but I didn't see the value in us making 30+ when we didn't want to eat that many. The second dish was basically wrapping tacos also with premade fillings with fried egg and rice paper. It was very very oiley. Also made a lot of them for no reason. Then we had an intermission where we made vegetable garnishes. It was fun, but very time consuming and also something we can do anywhere. The third dish we didn't even cook, we just watched her make a noodle soup and then ate it. Due to the time needed for the cooking class, we had very limited time for the rest of the day which we were supposed to have the photographer. The temple of literature was fun, but we didn't get any time to walk the old quarter and were very rushed while visiting the sword lake which was very picturesque before we had to go to the water puppet show.

Day 2-3 Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay was beautiful. I had initially questioned whether it was worth it to drive 3.5 hours there and then 3.5 hours back for an overnight stay, but the beautiful sights changed my mind. We took the ship Victory Star. The ship was clean although a bit rusty on the outside. Food was very mediocre. English speaking guide was ok. It was a bit difficult to understand him. The squid fishing and karaoke that was on the itinerary did not happen. The Me Cung Cave and climbing up for panoramic views were incredible. On the second day we were picked up from the boat and headed to the airport. We had over an hour before we needed to check in at the airport and we had to ask and get approval to have them take us to a restaurant before then heading to the airport. We were not checked in advance so we sat very far back in the airplane

Day 4-5 - Hoian
Hoian had the best hotel. The hotel staff was wonderful, the food very good and the itinerary was largely very good. The bike ride through the old quarters in Hoian, the Japanese covered bridge, Ancient house, Chinese temple and old house was very scenic and I really enjoyed the architecture. We then took a very long motor boat "cruise" along the river which didn't contribute much value in my opinion. The coconut village was fun though. We cast a net although no fish was ever caught. My sister was able to do the swirling coconut ride where the fisherman would basically rock the boat, but we didn't get that option (don't know why). Then we took a very long bike ride to the herb garden for lunch. We put on farmers clothes and took pictures and that was interesting, but the food was not great. I would have picked a different place for lunch if taking pictures was the draw. Day 5 - we had our own free time.

Day 6-8 Ho Chi Minh/Saigon
The flight that was scheduled for us was in the afternoon so by the time we landed it was past 2pm and half the day was gone. Again, we were not checked in in advance so we sat at the end of the end of the plane.
We were supposed to go check in the hotel first, but due to the time constraints we immediately had to go from the airport to driving around the city despite not feeling very well. We were also short of VND and wanted to exchange money at the airport, but wasn't given the time. We could feel how the guide felt immensely rushed from the speed of his walking and we were left with 2 hours to travel to 6 different places, before everything closed and the driver was off. Unfortunately, due to the illness of one of the travelers, after the first stop, we wanted to drop off the one traveler at the hotel (5 minutes away) before resuming the tour. Unfortunately, the driver left after dropping us off at the hotel before his time was up.

Day 7 we were scheduled to go to the Mekong delta/Ben Tre and then the Cu Chi Tunnels. The problem is that it would have had 5.5 hours of travel. We chose to only do the Ben Tre and then do Cu Chi the next day. Ben Tre was ok. It was a 2 hour trip to get there. While we were there, we took another really long motor boat ride that again didn't really provide much value. We had a very short display of how they made coconut candy, watched someone make straw mats, and then took a motor cart to lunch. Lunch was at Green Coconut. Presentation was nice, but food again was very mediocre. I would definitely have chosen to eat someplace else. Then another boat ride before going to the hotel.

Day 8 - we chose to explore HCM that we had planned for the prior day instead of doing the Cu Chi tunnels. It was a lot of fun and I wish we had spent more time exploring HCM instead of spending 4 hours of driving the day prior.

Huyen was very responsive and very nice, but I wish we were given more options and we could have picked what sounded interesting versus just being given a plan and then objecting to parts of it. We unfortunately didn't know what else there was to pick from.

In regards to exchanging money, I did not know that the crispness of the bills were of importance and it would have been immensely useful to know that.

Overall KimKim was flexible, but we found the planning to be not great. One of the things that could have helped would be an itinerary broken down with times and flight numbers. That way we would be able to tell the guide what we want to spend more time on or whether we want to spend 6 hours of the day in a car. In many days I felt rushed and also my time wasted due to the inefficiencies of the trip. I would have much more enjoyed having more time taking pictures and having more time to explore the city vs spending so much time seeing pheasant activities. I really don't see a value in seeing multiple farmers markets in the afternoon when no one is there and it's not even open. I don't see a value in taking so many boat rides. I also see no value in watching someone cook. It would have also been nice if there were restaurant recommendations for our down time.

Hotel Reviews

The Oriental Jade Hotel

Hanoi

Nice hotel, but the views are a bit lacking. Food is pretty good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Allegro Hoian

The best breakfast buffet of my whole stay in Vietnam. Very clean and the staff was nice. Close to the night market and walking distance to almost everything I wanted to do.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Star Hotel & Spa

Ho Chi Minh City

Amazing location. Hotel felt a little dated. Food was mediocre.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victory Star Cruise

Hanoi

The boat was clean if a bit rusty. Food was very mediocre and I had trouble finishing it. The tour was fun if a bit rushed. Tour guide was a bit hard to understand. Not all activities on the itinerary set by the boat was done.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Cooking Class & City Tour

Hanoi

The first day we had a great time with the photographer in the morning time at the hotel taking glamour shots. However, the cooking class/market was incredibly disappointing. The "bustling" market had no people walking around due to the time. The market is busy during the early morning, but we got there around 10am. The cooking class itself was the main disappointment. We made 3 separate dishes. The first dish was making steamed rice crepes and then hand wrapping them with premade filling. Making one or 2 is fine, but I didn't see the value in us making 30+ when we didn't want to eat that many. The second dish was basically wrapping tacos also with premade fillings with fried egg and rice paper. It was very very oiley. Also made a lot of them for no reason. Then we had an intermission where we made vegetable garnishes. It was fun, but very time consuming and also something we can do anywhere. The third dish we didn't even cook, we just watched her make a noodle soup and then ate it. Due to the time needed for the cooking class, we had very limited time for the rest of the day which we were supposed to have the photographer. The temple of literature was fun, but we didn't get any time to walk the old quarter and were very rushed while visiting the sword lake which was very picturesque before we had to go to the water puppet show.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoi An - Tra Que Village & Hoi An Ancient Town Tour

Hoi An

The bike ride through the old quarters in Hoian, the Japanese covered bridge, Ancient house, Chinese temple and old house was very scenic and I really enjoyed the architecture. We then took a very long motor boat "cruise" along the river which didn't contribute much value in my opinion. The coconut village was fun though. We cast a net although no fish was ever caught. My sister was able to do the swirling coconut ride where the fisherman would basically rock the boat, but we didn't get that option (don't know why). Then we took a very long bike ride to the herb garden for lunch. We put on farmers clothes and took pictures and that was interesting, but the food was not great. I would have picked a different place for lunch if taking pictures was the draw.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ho Chi Minh - Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh (2,5 hours transfer)

Ho Chi Minh City

It was not worth the 5 hour round trip drive. We drove all the way there, watched them make some coconut candy, straw mats, took a motor car ride, and then had a mediocre lunch. Redundant boat rides

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ha Long Bay Overnight Cruise

Ha Long Bay

Food not great, but the scenes were very nice. Tour of the cave was fun as well as the hike up the mountain for views.

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 enjoyed our hotels and guides very much. Every guide and driver was timely, which can be a real worry when you are traveling in a country where you don't speak the language. The hotels were nicer than we anticipated, particularly the Myst in Ho Chi Minh. The cruise in HaLong was alot of fun and worth the time it took (we only had 4 days in VietNam). The only part of our trip I wouldn't recommend was the Mekong delta trip. We felt it was took too long to reach the starting destination and lasted too long.
Otherwise, would use KimKim again to plan future trips.

The trip was great. It was easy to plan and Ashley was very prompt in making the changes we asked for. We had a few hiccups along the way which Ashley sorted out.

Highly recommend using KimKim. read more

The trip was great. It was easy to plan and Ashley was very prompt in making the changes we asked for. We had a few hiccups along the way which Ashley sorted out.

Highly recommend using KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Apricot Hotel

Hanoi

Beautiful hotel. We had a suite with a large balcony overlooking the lake. Best hotel of our two week trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stellar of the Seas

quảng ninh

Really top notch!

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Vespa Tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Vietnamese Countryside on a Ba Vi Eco Tour

Hanoi

Really great tour!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fantastic trip!! We originally planned this trip to take place in March 2020 . Obviously that did not happen and we ended up rescheduling multiple times as we waited for travel to be safe again. Huyen Nghiem and the entire team stayed in contact with us (over the course of 2.5 years!) to make sure we had the best possible support both during planning and the trip itself. We were finally able to take the trip in October 2022 and it was 100% worth the wait. Vietnam is a stunning country filled with wonderful people, delicious food, and beautiful landscapes.

We had a blast on our trip in Vietnam. Camilla was very helpful with the overall planning and the local agency she linked us with in Vietnam was perfect! read more

We had a blast on our trip in Vietnam. Camilla was very helpful with the overall planning and the local agency she linked us with in Vietnam was perfect!

Hotel Reviews

Hoang Ngan hotel

Ho Chi Minh City

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swan Cruise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kim An Hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hanoi and walking street food tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hanoi goodmorning tour - Free at your leisure in Hanoi

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We booked a 10 day tour with Realistic Asia thru KimKim. We are two travelers from the US and neither of us had been to Vietnam before. Long was our local specialist and after a little back and forth we landed on an itinerary that fit our travel needs perfectly. We wanted some guided tours but also plenty of free time to explore on our own. We wanted the comfort of knowing we had in-country transportation assistance, guides to ask questions of, and all the logistics planned for us.... read more

We booked a 10 day tour with Realistic Asia thru KimKim. We are two travelers from the US and neither of us had been to Vietnam before. Long was our local specialist and after a little back and forth we landed on an itinerary that fit our travel needs perfectly. We wanted some guided tours but also plenty of free time to explore on our own. We wanted the comfort of knowing we had in-country transportation assistance, guides to ask questions of, and all the logistics planned for us. Everything worked out very smoothly, no hiccups!

Our local guides and drivers, Quyen in Hanoi and Tony in Hoi An, were excellent! They were so dependable, knowledgeable, and fun to spend time with. We would never have learned so much about the country had we not traveled around with the local guides.

Some highlights were the Ba Vi Eco Tour, our 2-day Ha Long Bay cruise, bike riding in Hoi An, and the Vespa city tour with Navi from Female Vespa City Tours in Ho Chi Minh City. We also enjoyed all of the street food and bia (beer) we sampled! A truly memorable trip.

I wasn't sure how booking thru KimKim would go. We are so happy with our experience with KimKim, Realistic Asia and the support from Long, and all the guides and people of Vietnam we met along the way.

Hotel Reviews

La Sinfonía del Rey Hotel & Spa

Great location near Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Easy to walk to many coffee shops and street food vendors. The rooftop bar at the hotel is also a great spot for a drink with a view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Era Cruises

Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi

The cabins were very grand - we had a terrace double suite. The staff on board were incredibly kind and accommodating (despite some very difficult guests on board). The food was delicious, and views couldn't be beat!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We loved Lee (the cruise director) and some of the other more junior staff. They were eager to learn about what brought us to Vietnam and tell us a little bit about themselves and the area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Pavillon Hoi An Luxury Resort & Spa

The hotel was very nice, I just wish it was slightly closer to downtown. There were not many other guests staying when we were, so it seemed like we had the place to ourselves!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cochin Zen Hotel

Very good location downtown. Room was quite small, but that is ok since we didn't spend much time at the hotel. The rooftop bar was lovely!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vespa Insider Tour - Half Day

Ho Chi Minh City

Navi our guide was excellent! So fun to end the trip with a motorbike tour since we had been surrounded by them for days! We enjoyed getting to see a residential neighborhood and got to walk around a typical apartment building. Also enjoyed our coffee stop and lunch. Navi shared so much information with us about the city and Vietnam and it was great to talk with her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore the Vietnamese Countryside on a Ba Vi Eco Tour

Hanoi

This tour was a great way to get into the countryside and see how Vietnamese in more rural areas live. I will never think about soy milk and tofu production or conical hat making without thinking of the women we met in the village. Some of the stops could have been eliminated or shortened, but all in all it was a great day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruising & Kayaking in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

Once in a lifetime experience! I had read some negative reviews about other cruise lines so didn't know what to expect but Era was wonderful! Truely amazing views - don't miss the kayaking or cave tour. The staff on board couldn't have been more gracious and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The time we had in Vietnam was unforgettable and full of fun and well feeling. We spent 2 weeks around the whole country without any troubles and darkening the mood. The reason is the the help and organisation by KIMKIM travel agency and especially by the personal attitude of Ms. Trang. The preliminary preparation went smoothly and all the sights we targeted were well organised and booked. The hotels proposed by Ms. Trang were at the perfect location and amenities. The food places with local... read more

The time we had in Vietnam was unforgettable and full of fun and well feeling. We spent 2 weeks around the whole country without any troubles and darkening the mood. The reason is the the help and organisation by KIMKIM travel agency and especially by the personal attitude of Ms. Trang. The preliminary preparation went smoothly and all the sights we targeted were well organised and booked. The hotels proposed by Ms. Trang were at the perfect location and amenities. The food places with local cuisine were clean, comfortable and delicious. The whole logistics – private guides, drivers and vehicles were also excellent. Ms. Trang was following the trip very carefully and any time we had a need she responded immediately and in the best way. During the flood in Hue we received from early morning, advices and proposals how to continue the trip and our stay in the town. We are very thankful for effective rescheduling the program and rendered compensation for the lost time in Hue. Ms. Trang is a proof that professionalism and personal approach to customers is vital for current and future success. We will recommend her services to our friends who want to visit Vietnam and neighboring countries.
sincerely,

Georgi Belovski and Mariana Strahinova

Huyen did an amazing job planning our trip. It was incredibly affordable considering everything we were able to do. She connected us with highly qualified drivers and guides, it made our trip so easy and seamless. We were busy almost everyday from 7am to 9pm, seeing sights, trekking, trying food and learning about culture and history. We were able to travel to multiple cities and rural areas that were absolutely incredible. We definitely recommend! Also, we went for our honeymoon and every... read more

Huyen did an amazing job planning our trip. It was incredibly affordable considering everything we were able to do. She connected us with highly qualified drivers and guides, it made our trip so easy and seamless. We were busy almost everyday from 7am to 9pm, seeing sights, trekking, trying food and learning about culture and history. We were able to travel to multiple cities and rural areas that were absolutely incredible. We definitely recommend! Also, we went for our honeymoon and every hotel decorated our room with flower pedals and towel swans, it was so sweet! The Vietnamese culture was so warm and welcoming, can't say enough about how wonderful our trip was! Thank you Huyen!

Thank you Ashley, Bobby and Tony for your help during our vietnam trip. Ashley was quick in making alternate plans when our Danang / Hoi An plan was foiled due to bad weather. Our son got sick and both Tony and Ashley showed they really care by helping us out both in tending to him as well as in making alternate plans and food arrangements. Not our ideal vacation but this team ensured it was not a bad one despite adversities. Thank you Bobby for the warm greeting at Hanoi and being so... read more

Thank you Ashley, Bobby and Tony for your help during our vietnam trip. Ashley was quick in making alternate plans when our Danang / Hoi An plan was foiled due to bad weather. Our son got sick and both Tony and Ashley showed they really care by helping us out both in tending to him as well as in making alternate plans and food arrangements. Not our ideal vacation but this team ensured it was not a bad one despite adversities. Thank you Bobby for the warm greeting at Hanoi and being so friendly with our kids.

What would have helped is transparency on the pricing. Since our plans changed so much and we did not cover Hoi An, Ba Na Hills etc, there would have been cost savings which uou could have passed on. I do agree there were changes made to the plan and there is a cost to that but transparency always helps. We understand the value you offer and are ready to pay for it but breakdown would help. Hope you can take this feedback.

Well thought out travel itinerary with lots of variety, a few minor mistakes in the detail, however the organisation, the tour guides and the activities were all outstanding!
Loves Hanoi, Pu Long, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An. Ho Chi Minh City was a very different experience and a great place to be as well.

Overall our trip was amazing. Huyen provided a fantastic itinerary, & our guide Trung went above & beyond. They all went out of their way to ensure our trip lived up to expectations, and it certainly did. We were particularly fond of Ha Long bay & our overnight boat experience, we also loved the activities set up for us in Hanoi.
Our only negative is we would have preferred to have stayed in some more accessible locations when staying outside of the major cities (with walking access to... read more

Overall our trip was amazing. Huyen provided a fantastic itinerary, & our guide Trung went above & beyond. They all went out of their way to ensure our trip lived up to expectations, and it certainly did. We were particularly fond of Ha Long bay & our overnight boat experience, we also loved the activities set up for us in Hanoi.
Our only negative is we would have preferred to have stayed in some more accessible locations when staying outside of the major cities (with walking access to shops, restaurants etc., rather than just the resort). However, this may have been our error as we were unsure of exactly what we were looking for when booking.
All in all, we absolutely loved this experience & would not hesitate to book again with Huyen.

We had an amazing trip to Vietnam! Long was an incredible help with planning our trip - he listened to our feedback, made adjustments quickly, and checked in on us regularly during the trip to make sure everything went smoothly and we were enjoying ourselves. Most notably, when we had an issue with one of our visas, he stepped in to help us expedite the process and quite literally saved the whole vacation!

Some of the highlights included a vespa tour in Hanoi, a food tasting tour in Hoi... read more

We had an amazing trip to Vietnam! Long was an incredible help with planning our trip - he listened to our feedback, made adjustments quickly, and checked in on us regularly during the trip to make sure everything went smoothly and we were enjoying ourselves. Most notably, when we had an issue with one of our visas, he stepped in to help us expedite the process and quite literally saved the whole vacation!

Some of the highlights included a vespa tour in Hanoi, a food tasting tour in Hoi An, and the cruise in Halong Bay. Most of our guides were fantastic - going above and beyond to give us an experience we wouldn't forget.

Overall, we highly recommend KimKim, Long, and Vietnam for your next trip! Make sure to leave time to spend in Hoi An, as this was one of our favorite places.

Hotel Reviews

Phu Thinh Boutique Hotel & Spa

This was a lovely hotel in a really nice location. The room was spacious and had a really nice bathroom. It was clean and the breakfast was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful. Helped make my friend's birthday special. Also helped arrange a massage at a local spa.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Journey Halong Cruise

The bay cruises are very touristy, but it was still unbelievably beautiful to be in this location. The room was sufficient and we had a small balcony that was nice. LOTS of food at meals and all very tasty. The only complaint is that most of the staff didn't speak English, so it made asking for an extra towel/asking for a drink difficult.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

This hotel was totally adequate for the two nights we spent here. The room was small, but clean. The breakfast was nice and the staff very friendly. Totally fine for a quick stop!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Prague Hotel

This hotel was nice, but in a noisy part of town. The glass between the bathroom and the bedroom was not frosted, so there was no privacy when using the toilet or shower - a little awkward with it being my friend and I sharing the room and not a married couple. The location was close to a lot of nightlife, though, and the breakfast was the best we had experienced. The pool was nothing to write home about.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Noisy - some people want to be so central to the bars, but we were not really those kind of people.

Staff

Many staff didn't speak English at all. It seemed like there was one or two people on staff that spoke any - even at the front desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean, but the door to the bathroom needs to be frosted glass for privacy!

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Vespa Tour

Hanoi

This was one of our favorite things we did on our trip. It was a perfect way to see the city and a little thrilling with all the traffic. Our guide was amazing, and we had some incredible food. Overall 10/10!

Quality of Experience

Food

The Bun Cha was amazing.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruising & Kayaking in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

This place was naturally just an incredibly beautiful place. The activities were definitely very touristy, but it was not something we would ever want to remove from the trip. We enjoyed the views the most, but kayaking and the cave were also fun. The beach was not much to write home about, but it was still nice to have time to cool off in the water.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cam Thanh Village

Hoi An

We really enjoyed the bike ride into the village to see the local farms, get a coffee, and see the rice fields. Our guide was amazing - great English, super knowledgeable, and knew all the best places for photos. She was truly a gem. It was a great way to see the city and get a cool breeze while doing it. The lunch was delicious and the boat ride was also very fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so nice! Loved her!

Transport

Hoi An City And Food Tour

Hoi An

Our guide was the same who provided the biking tour on the first day. She was so nice. We tried a ton of food. We didn't have breakfast at the hotel because we had a miscommunication about whether it was included, but are glad we didn't, because she brought us to a restaurant that had some of the best food on our trip. We tried so much on the tour, but my only issue was that we became quite full, but felt the pressure to finish our plates so as to not offend the cooks. I assumed all the food was safe to eat, but I did get sick the day after this tour (though who knows what it was that actually made me sick- it could have been anything). Overall, I would still do it again - we loved every minute!

Quality of Experience

Food

Mi Bo at Mi92- So good! Also the white rose dumplings.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide really went above and beyond for us. Even offered to come back to have dinner with us since we were too full to try all the food from the tour during the day.

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City Tour

Ho Chi Minh City

This tour was fine, but not at the same level as our tour in Hanoi and Hoi An. The guide was less personable and chatty. He showed us things at the market, but didn't let us try anything. There wasn't a lot of information before we went places as to what we were doing - i.e. do we need an umbrella, do we need a mask, are we going to be inside or out, are we eating here? We had landed at the airport and immediately went on this tour so we were hungry. We stopped someplace to eat at the market, and ended up paying for his food too. It just seemed unprofessional. We also sat there in silence while we ate - the guide didn't talk to us much. It was fine, but just not a super great experience. The guide honestly seemed bored.

Quality of Experience

Let us experience and taste more. If we are in a market, can we try some things? Or can we touch anything? Tell us what to expect from the tour before we begin it.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was nice enough, but seemed bored. Just such a stark contract to our other guides!

Transport

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

Ho Chi Minh City

This was fun, but we can confirmed that we would see the floating markets, but were told at the outset of the trip that we were not seeing them. This was highly disappointing, as it was the main reason we wanted to go to the Mekong Delta. Other tour companies seem to do a 1 day tour to the markets, so I would try to book one of those. The tour we did have was fine - touristy, but fine. We had nice guides, had a nice lunch, and had fun on the short paddle down the delta in the reeds.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best for people who are looking for customized services, but dont want to search through endless booking portals.
(But of course you pay for that. I had the feeling that most the trips could´ve been arranged by yourself through tripadvisor, but that might be just my case, as I booked only 10 days ahead and its impressive what they put together in that small amount of time.) You still will have plenty of time to do some exploring yourself, which was great. Regarding the Vietnam: the pictures... read more

Best for people who are looking for customized services, but dont want to search through endless booking portals.
(But of course you pay for that. I had the feeling that most the trips could´ve been arranged by yourself through tripadvisor, but that might be just my case, as I booked only 10 days ahead and its impressive what they put together in that small amount of time.) You still will have plenty of time to do some exploring yourself, which was great. Regarding the Vietnam: the pictures and offers may vary from the reality as it includes many extern partners, but I had a great time.

Hotel Reviews

Hanoi Boutique Hotel

Hanoi

Loved the overall vibe. Had some minor hiccups (light was damaged in the first room). Bathroom leaked in the second room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very friendly!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Halong Le Journey

Authenticity & Character

Activity Reviews

Hanoi Street food walking tour (N)

Hanoi

Linh and her partner were amazing. You see places you would probably not find as a toruist!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Hoa Lu & Tam Coc

Hanoi

I am not sure that our trip lastes 10.5 hours. But because of the rain we couldnt go on a hike or biking either. But Ninh Binh is certainly beautiful and worth a visit! The boat trip was nice, even if it meant sitting in the rain for 1.5 hr. Hoa Lu was also impressive. Only for stars for me, as I would not recommend the included restaurant. Kinda cold food and very touristy. Would recommend looking around for lunch.

Hanoi Sightseeing - Join in tour

Hanoi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cruising & Kayaking in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay

You will be fine, if you know beforehand that it is very touristy! You will have quite the schedule.

Quality of Experience

Food

Really amazing food.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dont sit in the back seats. Its not made for people with long legs.

Halong Bay on cruise - day 2

Ha Long Bay

There was no Tai Chi as promised. Also be prepared to check out the room at 10 am (kind of a shame, if you ask me.) Would have loved to stay a little longer to simply relax.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Same bus issue.

Such an amazing trip to Thailand and Cambodia. Camellia picked awesome activities, mixed of adventure and local culture. Local restaurant recommendations helped us discover the wonderful thai cuisine. Thank you so much for everything.

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!!