Kimkim Trip Reviews for Thailand

Bangkok: Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside = great, modern highrise hotel, excellent breakfast buffet.
Guide for Bangkok and River Kwai (4 days) = Chanphen ("Toon") was EXCELLENT.
Favourite Bangkok sites = ride in Bangkok Canal and Night Food tour by TukTuk. The food and flower markets were very interesting. The palaces and temples were beautiful BUT were maybe too much to see in 2 days.
Less favourite things = Asiatique Shopping Complex was disappointing as many shops had not reopened after... read more

Bangkok: Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside = great, modern highrise hotel, excellent breakfast buffet.
Guide for Bangkok and River Kwai (4 days) = Chanphen ("Toon") was EXCELLENT.
Favourite Bangkok sites = ride in Bangkok Canal and Night Food tour by TukTuk. The food and flower markets were very interesting. The palaces and temples were beautiful BUT were maybe too much to see in 2 days.
Less favourite things = Asiatique Shopping Complex was disappointing as many shops had not reopened after the pandemic. The weekend market is definitely not something I would recommend. The items were junky and the shops were all repetitive. We WERE lucky to have lunch at Guay New Kua Gai restaurant - Michelin star!

Rom Hub Train Market was interesting to see but the Taka Floating Market was even better!
The long tail boat ride to the River Kwai Jungle Rafts Floating Hotel was very scenic.
River Kwai: The Floating Hotel was rustic, quiet and good for a short stay. Not much to do there. We were there 2 nights. Our visit to the lava cave was a welcome activity away from the resort.
The food was very good.
Returning to Bangkok - The Bridge, museum , and cemetery on the River Kwai were "must see" historical sites.

Chiang Mai: Rimping Village Hotel (3 nights) had wonderful rooms and breakfast buffet.
Our very best excursion was to the elephant sanctuary. We did not want to leave!
The white water rafting that followed was a fun adventure. It was not a physical challenge yet had some thrilling moments.
Our guide for our remaining time in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai was Jeda. She was also EXCELLENT.
Doi Inthanon National Park was not a "must see". It was not a hike but a stroll and rather unremarkable.
The pagodas and gardens were lovely but it was a long way to go for just that.

The Thai cooking class at Bann Hong Nual was a highlight. Even the two males in our group had fun. Umporn, our instructor, was very lovely and engaging. We would do this again.

Chiang Rai: Imperial River House (2 nights) = very nice rooms and great buffet breakfast.
We stopped at more temples and pagodas on our drive to Chiang Rai. Our interest was waining by then...until we visited Was Wrong Khun (aka The White Temple) was absolutely stunning. It was a "must see".
The visit to the tea plantation was interesting. The visit to Doi Mae Salong , Chiang Saen, and The Golden Triangle were unremarkable.

Krabi: Peace Laguna Resort (4 nights) = a rather run-down hotel. The rooms were not clean and the linens were stained and old. The most disappointing accommodation in all. Fortunately, the breakfast buffet was good.
Phi Phi Island Excursion was not good. Hoards of people in the water and on the island "walk". We would not recommend this.
The Rain Forest Discovery Tour did not meet our expectation. The rainforest, pools and waterfalls were not much to see. The Tiger Cave Temple on our way back to the hotel was ok but not a highlight.
Krabi was a busy beach resort city which is great if you simply want to sit by a pool or go to the beach. Many good restaurants.
We had a great mix of activities and thoroughly enjoyed Thailand.

Our trip to Thailand was excellent! We did everything we wanted... started off at Bangkok with our guide Jack, ver attentive and nice, gave us all the must do's in the city and during our visit to the grand palace, floating and train markets he gave us all the history of each place and took a lot of pictures for us. In Cambodia we were with Vannak, who was also excellent, smiling all the time, we learned a lot about Cambodia during our time with him, very caring. Ankor thom and ankor wat are... read more

Our trip to Thailand was excellent! We did everything we wanted... started off at Bangkok with our guide Jack, ver attentive and nice, gave us all the must do's in the city and during our visit to the grand palace, floating and train markets he gave us all the history of each place and took a lot of pictures for us. In Cambodia we were with Vannak, who was also excellent, smiling all the time, we learned a lot about Cambodia during our time with him, very caring. Ankor thom and ankor wat are a must.
Sutheeporn in Phuket, we did day trip tour to Khao Sok national park, experience was very good as well. We are very great full for choosing KimKim to plan our trip.

Activity Reviews

Full day Khao Sok safari (private trasfer and private activity) with lunch from Phuket

Phuket

Our visit to Khao Sok was a bit different than what we thought it would be. Early morning they took us to the Tsunami memorial which was nice, then they had told us that we would do a 1h hike along with elephants and the took us to Wassana Elephant park... there was no hike, it was a place with 2 elephants tied up with chains to palm trees, they were skinny and dehydrated, a guy with a pointy spear made him do tricks like playing the harmonica, dancing and kicking coconuts. I had read al over the internet that if you were going to see elephants you should go to a sanctuary . I would've thought Kim Kim would know something like this. I strongly recommend to stop taking your customers to Wassana. Otherwise the monkey cave and bamboo rafting were really nice and fun. All pictures of khao sok on the internet show off the Damn, I thought we would see it.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides were a little lost, the had to stop to ask for directions for almost every spot we went

Transport

Full Day Tour to Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

Siem Reap

We really enjoyed our trip to Angkor. Mr Vannak gave us a great tour. I would recommend every one who visits Cambodia to make this stop in siem reap.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Bangkok

Our visit to the train market and floating markets were great and very fun. They did a stop at a sugar factory in between markets and we learned about the process of how they make sugar off coconuts. We ate at the floating markets and it was very tasty! Most shops had the same tourist market typical stuff.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We used Kimkim to help us with a guide for our few days in Bangkok. Our guide "Jack" was most informative. We covered all the Bangkok highlights, Jim Thompson house, Flower Market, Grand Palace, Long tail boat ride, Wat Arun; Evening Tuk tuk food tour, Maeklong Railway and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
I thought Jack did a great job. He and the driver even took us to the airport and Jack made sure we got checked in and showed us where to go.
My ONLY suggestion would be, I would have preferred a different service provider for the Food Tour. Otherwise, I thought it was all great.

What a great trip! After three years of COVID lockdown, this was our first vacation. We spent 18 days in Thailand and Cambodia. It was an outstanding experience. We couldn't believe how smoothly things ran. Pickups were on time, the accommodations were great and the guides knowledgeable and funny. Being the independent travel sort in the past, we have planned most trips ourselves but figured after three years we would be rusty and we had never been to this part of the world before. Emilie... read more

What a great trip! After three years of COVID lockdown, this was our first vacation. We spent 18 days in Thailand and Cambodia. It was an outstanding experience. We couldn't believe how smoothly things ran. Pickups were on time, the accommodations were great and the guides knowledgeable and funny. Being the independent travel sort in the past, we have planned most trips ourselves but figured after three years we would be rusty and we had never been to this part of the world before. Emilie Khautisen, our KimKim trip planner did an outstanding job of arranging transfers, hotels and guides. It's easy to forget how important this is. For example, in many popular areas, there was no parking available. Our driver would drop us and the guide off and pickup us up later - no hassles. In Thailand, our guide, Tui stayed with us until we got on the overnight train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai. It was late - 10PM and the train only stops at the station about 5 minutes. The train car numbers were in Thai. We would never have figured it out fast enough to avoid missing our ride. As it was, we had to run to the end of the train. Tui grabbed a bag and ran with us. This kind of help is invaluable. Local knowledge is priceless. We also had the flexibility to change the itinerary on the fly since it was just us, our guide and a driver most of the time.
We would highly recommend KimKim to anyone who wants a great travel adventure with minimum hassle!

Hotel Reviews

The FloatHouse River Kwai I Floating Villas

Chang Wat Kanchanaburi

What an incredible place! We wish we had more time there. you get to the hotel by boat and are greeted with a cool drink upon arrival. The floathouses are tethered to the bank and to each other in the fast flowing river. They go up and down a bit when a boat passes by and there is just slight movement that gently rocks you to sleep. The restaurant was also excellent. What a nice place for a tropical vacation!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aonang Princeville Villa Resort and Spa

Krabi

The hotel location is outstanding, right across the street from the beach and all scheduling for tourist attractions. It's very busy here, being a tourist town. The lobby, pool and restaurant are clean and inviting. The was even a complimentary afternoon Thai pancake bar available. That said, the hotel has seen better days. Our room on the third floor (no elevator) was comfortable and had a nice view of the pool but the housekeeping service left a lot to be desired. The shower was dirty, the shower drain was clogged, the toilet seat didn't fit the toilet and in the morning, if you like to take showers then, it's a challenge as the water turns off and on in spurts. The water pressure gets better in the afternoon. The most frustrating part though was getting the hotel to replace towels. We started out with two bath towels and two hand towels. We were there for four nights and each day, we had one less towel even though we went to the front desk about this several times. By the last day, we had one bath towel between us. Only on our last night did we get back to 4 towels.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping

Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom, an IHG Hotel

Bangkok

Comfortable room and great breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff stored our luggage for two days while we were in Cambodia.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Treeline Urban Resort

Siem Reap

This is truly a five-star hotel. Outstanding comfort and a great cooked to order breakfast each morning. Beautiful swimming pool.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rimping Village Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Very clean and comfortable and the staff was extremely helpful. The location is just across the river from the night market and there is another market nearby. Lots of street food available. There are even bicycles to check out if you wish.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chanalai Romantica Resort

Phuket

This place has a gorgeous, big crystal clear pool. The water was nice and cool. Important, given that Phuket can be very hot. It provides a nice respite from the bustle of the Pata Beach area which is very crowded. Our room was spacious and very comfortable. We were greeted with a welcome drink and ice cream and the staff arranged a city tour for us. This would make a great honeymoon place! This place was the best thing about Phuket for us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa

Chieng Rai

This is very large. Clean and quiet and the breakfast is great with an overview of the garden and river. There are even chairs to sit on by the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya Historical City / Overnight train to Chiang Mai

Thailand

There is a lot to see in Kanchanaburi and thanks to Tui, our guide, we got to see a good portion of it. Loved Erawan NP. The falls are gorgeous and the water felt great! The fish like to nibble at your toes. We visited the JEATH Museum and walked over the Bridge on the River Kwai and stood back as a train went by. We then drove to Hellfire Pass and visited the museum and the took the trail to the rock cut where the prisoners worked in horrific conditions. After that we stayed the night at the Floathouse Hotel which you get to by longtail boat. We also visited the jewelry and food markets. In the morning we got to visit a cave with a Buddhist shrine before setting out for Ayutthaya. In Ayutthaya, Tui explained the history of many of the temples and took us to a great street market. Later we shared a beer with her and our driver at a nice restaurant before heading off to the train station for our overnight train to Chiang Mai. She stay with us the whole time. Good thing she did as the train was an hour late (apparently this is common) and only stops for 5 minutes at the station. Our tickets listed the car numbers but unfortunately for us, they were written in Thai on the cars. Tui got us on the right car before the train left (it took some running with her grabbing one of our bags). We couldn't have done it without her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an excellent 6 day trip to Bangkok. I was able to chose my budget, choose from 1/2 day & day tours, have transportation to & from the hotel & the assurance that Emilie would be able to answer any questions.
I enjoyed my stay at the Grand Sathorn, nice big room with bathtub, lovely staff, lots of choices at breakfast and wonderful rooftop pool.
I liked that I had a free day to orientate myself on arrival. I then enjoyed 3 tours. My tour guides Ping & Nana were kind, knowledgeable &... read more

I had an excellent 6 day trip to Bangkok. I was able to chose my budget, choose from 1/2 day & day tours, have transportation to & from the hotel & the assurance that Emilie would be able to answer any questions.
I enjoyed my stay at the Grand Sathorn, nice big room with bathtub, lovely staff, lots of choices at breakfast and wonderful rooftop pool.
I liked that I had a free day to orientate myself on arrival. I then enjoyed 3 tours. My tour guides Ping & Nana were kind, knowledgeable & took my wishes into consideration- I like to take lots of photos & they were very accommodating.
I would recommend Kimkim to anyone wanting to do a semi independent tour.

Hotel Review

The Grand Sathorn

Bangkok

I liked this hotel- I had a big room with a fridge & bathtub-bottled water was supplied daily. The breakfast buffet was diverse & the staff were very accommodating. The neighbourhood is relatively safe with local shops, laundry, massage places & a 7-11. The rooftop pool & patio were great. My only complaint was the smoking- one day there were people at the 4 corners of the pool on chaise loungers all smoking. I think there should be no smoking at poolside & maybe a dedicated area i a far corner of the patio.

Authenticity & Character

Big rooms

Location

Safe neighbourhood & near the river & the metro

Staff

Very cheerful & accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping was efficient

Activity Reviews

Mahachai and Mae Klong Markets Trainspotting & Amphawa Floating Markt

Bangkok

Fabulous trip-8 modes of transportation!! My tour guide Ping was excellent & knowledgeable & a delight to be with- the Amphawa market with the lifting of the awnings to let the train go by was the highlight! Lunch at the floating market was really good!

Quality of Experience

Knowledgeable guide

Food

Pad Thai & papaya salad! Very good!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As above

Transport

Diverse-8 different transportation vehicles!

Canals of Bangkok & Temple Delight

Bangkok

Loved this tour on the river & into the canals. Liked the temple we visited & the artists colony. Lunch was good & the the tour went to the reclining Buddha & the Grand palace-both are amazing!

Quality of Experience

Loved it- learned a lot!

Food

Good lunch

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nana was excellent- knowledgeable, kind & accommodating

Transport

Long tail boat was great!

Flavors of Chinatown by Night

Bangkok

Loved this tour- was not sure what to expect. As it was so close to Chinese New Year there was lots of celebrations in the street. Food tasting was good- lived the soup!

Quality of Experience

Variety of sights seen

Quality of Experience

Variety of sights seen

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ping was excellent & knowledgeable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ping was excellent & knowledgeable

Transport

Tuk tuk to Chinatown

Transport

Til tuk to Chinatown

amazing trip! 10/10
Our guides Lee and Tar were fantastic! They were both very knowledgeable. When our flights were changed Ashley are travel agent made the necessary changes quickly. Ashley checked on regularly via whatsapp to make sure our trip was smooth. Our guides would remind us of what was appropriate clothing to wear the next day, and when possible gave is your options. This trip was tailored to is perfectly, I only wish we could have stayed longer. read more

amazing trip! 10/10
Our guides Lee and Tar were fantastic! They were both very knowledgeable. When our flights were changed Ashley are travel agent made the necessary changes quickly. Ashley checked on regularly via whatsapp to make sure our trip was smooth. Our guides would remind us of what was appropriate clothing to wear the next day, and when possible gave is your options. This trip was tailored to is perfectly, I only wish we could have stayed longer.

Hotel Reviews

De Charme Hotel

Amphoe Muang, Si Phum, Chiang Mai

This was a great hotel. Very close to attractions and very walkable. The staff was very helpful and made fantastic dinner recommendations. The breakfast was good every morning, the pool really was spectacular and I enjoyed sitting in the library just to unwind.

Authenticity & Character

Felt very Colonial with the pool and library

Location

walkability to Watts and Gates

Staff

great restaurant recommendations, arranged cab rides

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great room, always clean and a turn down cookie on New Years Eve

True Siam Rangnam Hotel

Phayathai, Rajthevee, Province

Great little botique hotel in the heart of bangkok. Good breakfast, excellent staff but does require cash deposit for incidentals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Had a minor mechanical issue with our room, staff handled it quickly and professionally

Activity Reviews

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Half Day Tour

Bangkok

We were able to add in the train market (based on timing) which was fantastic, Loved the floating market, we did some shopping via boat and land. Our guide (Tar) made suggestions as to what was a good price for goods.

Quality of Experience

Food

everywhere we went the food was amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

everyone was very helpful and worked with our mobility issues

Transport

clean well kept vans everyday

Half day cooking class at Sompong - Joint in tour (N)

Bangkok

This was a great class. We made 4 dishes that were excellent. They also made sure there were no issues with the shellfish allergy our party has. Ashley had communicated it to the in advance and there we no problems. Loved the tiny recipe book to take home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thailand was absolutely the highlight of our multi-country honeymoon experience. Every single day was unforgettable. The elephant sanctuary in Krabi is something I relive every day and need to go back to someday!! Railay Beach is absolutely breathtaking. It was such a cool experience riding up on the longtail boat! The Phi Phi Islands live up their expectation. And Patong was so much fun. Bangkok was a great way to end it! Seriously, best trip ever!!! read more

Thailand was absolutely the highlight of our multi-country honeymoon experience. Every single day was unforgettable. The elephant sanctuary in Krabi is something I relive every day and need to go back to someday!! Railay Beach is absolutely breathtaking. It was such a cool experience riding up on the longtail boat! The Phi Phi Islands live up their expectation. And Patong was so much fun. Bangkok was a great way to end it! Seriously, best trip ever!!!

Hotel Reviews

Twin Lotus Resort and Spa

Ko Lanta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Phuket Resort

Patong

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Century Park Hotel

Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bhu Nga Thani Resort

Krabi

This hotel was everything. At first, after you ride up on the long tail boat, you don't know what to expect. But once you spend time on Railay, it exceeds expectations. It was a highlight of my trip. The surrounding areas and beaches are just incredible.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bangkok bike tour 5 hours - Joint in tour

Bangkok

Great way to see parts of the city you would have never otherwise explored! And the boat rides were an added bonus!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Speedboat Day Trip to the Phi Phi Islands

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phuket - Phang Nga Bay round trip with Jame Bond Island

Phuket

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Island Hopping Tour

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ao Nang Elephant Sanctuary Half-Day Tour

Thailand

I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. The elephants are so warm and friendly. I just wanted to play with them all day. The mud bath is so fun! I cannot believe we got to bathe them. Best day ever!!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Temple City, Grand Palace & Klong Tour

Bangkok

Our guide, Tanny, was the best!!!! We loved her. She is so knowledgeable, fun, and the best person. She made the tour!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The planning of the trip with Ashley was superb and very easy. Ashley was responsive to all of our questions. Our local guides (Lee in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai area) and Tar (in and around Bangkok) were excellent. The guides were very knowledgeable of Thai history and very solicitous to our needs. They reacted well to slight changes we made in our itineraries (less shopping and more museum/sites). The boat ride on the Mekong River at the Golden Triangle, Thai Cooking Class in Bangkok, and... read more

The planning of the trip with Ashley was superb and very easy. Ashley was responsive to all of our questions. Our local guides (Lee in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai area) and Tar (in and around Bangkok) were excellent. The guides were very knowledgeable of Thai history and very solicitous to our needs. They reacted well to slight changes we made in our itineraries (less shopping and more museum/sites). The boat ride on the Mekong River at the Golden Triangle, Thai Cooking Class in Bangkok, and the Floating Market (near Bangkok) were the highlights of the trip for me.

KimKim worked with me to build the perfect family vacation to Thailand. We refined based on our interests and needs, and ultimately, KimKim built a trip with amazing cultural experiences. Our specialist checked on us throughout the trip and was able to help schedule a new flight as needed. If you’re traveling somewhere you are unfamiliar with or you just want to hit the “easy” button, don’t hesitate to use KimKim. read more

KimKim worked with me to build the perfect family vacation to Thailand. We refined based on our interests and needs, and ultimately, KimKim built a trip with amazing cultural experiences. Our specialist checked on us throughout the trip and was able to help schedule a new flight as needed. If you’re traveling somewhere you are unfamiliar with or you just want to hit the “easy” button, don’t hesitate to use KimKim.

Activity Review

Chiang Mai – Half day Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (L)

Chiang Mai

A must add to any northern Thailand vacation

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I can't say enough about the KimKim process and their team. Our first trip with them was a family trip to Italy in July 2022, and everything that they either arranged or suggested was perfect for us and our expectations. Immediately following our family time in Italy, our kids (19 and 21 years old) traveled by themselves for a week under a KimKim arranged itinerary, and most recently, our kids just came back from a trip to Thailand, also coordinated through KimKim. They have proved... read more

I can't say enough about the KimKim process and their team. Our first trip with them was a family trip to Italy in July 2022, and everything that they either arranged or suggested was perfect for us and our expectations. Immediately following our family time in Italy, our kids (19 and 21 years old) traveled by themselves for a week under a KimKim arranged itinerary, and most recently, our kids just came back from a trip to Thailand, also coordinated through KimKim. They have proved themselves to be responsive, flexible, and reliable for each of our trips, and we have since recommended them to others.

The activities and planning provided by Martin were fantastic - we couldn't have asked for a better combination of places within the 11 days we were honeymooning in Thailand.

Having KimKim book all of these locally and provide transportation to and from was much easier than us managing it ourselves.

That being said, there were some hiccups that I think Kim Kim can improve on. It should be clear what level of service the local specialist is obligated to provide while on the trip -- as... read more

The activities and planning provided by Martin were fantastic - we couldn't have asked for a better combination of places within the 11 days we were honeymooning in Thailand.

Having KimKim book all of these locally and provide transportation to and from was much easier than us managing it ourselves.

That being said, there were some hiccups that I think Kim Kim can improve on. It should be clear what level of service the local specialist is obligated to provide while on the trip -- as certain activities got delayed because of transportation issues. One clear example is when we landed in Surat Thani to go on a night safari in Khao Sok, we were severely delayed (1+ hour) because our driver incorrectly took another passenger! When we faced this issue, we tried communicating with Martin to fix things, but ultimately had to call multiple different kimkim lines to get the driver -- and they ultimately called a taxi to get us there. It would probably make it way easier if they just directly connected us with each local transportation driver.

I also think the digital organization of the trip on kimkim.com could benefit from having a mobile app or some place to clearly attach all of the invoices within a singular trip itinerary. Mobile App makes sense given that you are traveling but always have your phone on you. I had to get around that by uploading this all to my iCloud and managing through folders. It could also make it easier to communicate with local service providers (like drivers).

Hotel Reviews

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

Amazing hotel - we had a lot of fun here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

So central to everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bodhi Serene Hotel

Chiang Mai

Good location, needs some renovation in the rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our Jungle Camp - Eco Resort

Tambon Klongsok, Ampur Panom, Suratthani

Staff were amazing and very helpful. Food was great, and I wish we got to stay longer!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Spend a Day with Elephants in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ancient & Hidden Ayutthaya by Bike

Bangkok

Great for people wanting to learn about Thai history!

Canals of Bangkok & Temple Delight

Bangkok

Loved this to kick off our trip!

Take a Thai Cooking Class

Chiang Mai

Amazing to see that we could make thai dishes ourselves!

This is our first time using kimkim for our travel. We were a little hesitant to go with travel agencies but wanted try it out on this trip since we could not find any local specialists for our Thailand visit. Kimkim and our local specialist Dat came through and made this trip a memorable one. We enjoyed the trip and Dat was just a WhatsApp call away through our entire trip. We were able to reach him any time of the day and he was ready to help us right away. Thanks Dat for that. It made us... read more

This is our first time using kimkim for our travel. We were a little hesitant to go with travel agencies but wanted try it out on this trip since we could not find any local specialists for our Thailand visit. Kimkim and our local specialist Dat came through and made this trip a memorable one. We enjoyed the trip and Dat was just a WhatsApp call away through our entire trip. We were able to reach him any time of the day and he was ready to help us right away. Thanks Dat for that. It made us feel safe and secure while traveling without having to worry about where to go, who to meet and what our next destination would be.
We were in Bangkok for 2 days, Chiang Mai for 2 days and Koh Yao Yai for 3 days. The itinerary was just right. Not too full and not too empty. We all enjoyed the visit to the Doi Inthanon National park and the elephant sanctuary the most. The local guides in Bangkok and Chiang Mai were very knowledgeable and were able to guide us to all places and explain the history and provide context. If only we were able to secure our overnight train tickets to Chaing Mai from Bangkok, it would have been a perfect visit for us.
After Bangkok and Chiang Mai, our expectations were raised for the relaxing visit to Koh Yao Yai but was a little underwhelmed. We shared our thoughts on this to Dat and he immediately contacted the resort and did his best to make our stay as comfortable as possible. Thanks again for your prompt action on this Dat. Much appreciated.
Overall we enjoyed this trip to Thailand and we will be recommending Kimkim and Dat to our friends and families.
Some recommendations for future travelers to Thailand:
1. It would be good to have some input before the travel on what type of dress to pack. Especially if we are visiting temples, we need to get long pants for women.
2. Bangkok traffic is notorious. We felt that we spent a lot of time in traffic going to various places.
3. Flying between destinations takes away nearly half day in each airport visit. Overnight trains preferable where possible.

Hotel Reviews

Century Park Hotel

Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

White Boutique Hotel and Spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Baan Taranya Resort, Koh Yao Yai

Authenticity & Character

Location

There were boats moored at the beaches. The beaches had low tide every single day of our visit making playing the beach for kids next to impossible.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Tour (join-in) - Doi Suthep Hill (N)

Chiang Mai

It's a family experience not to be missed. The elephants were super friendly and the staff were very knowledgeable and accommodative.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Ayutthaya (N)

Bangkok

The guide was very knowledgeable and patiently explained the history behind the palace, ruins and temple in Ayutthaya. The trip back to and from Bangkok was very long. We felt that we spent more time on the road than actually visiting places in Ayutthaya.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Damnern Saduak Floating Market - City tour (N)

Bangkok

The long tail boat ride to this market was fun. The market itself was very vibrant and one of a kind.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Doi Inthanon Hill (N)

Chiang Mai

The hike in the national forest was a highlight of this trip. We all enjoyed it the most. The weather was also perfect. Visit to the waterfall and the temple was also very good.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Ms. Jina and Ms. Yaya were great guides. The overall experience and everyone we had contact with was professional, helpful, and extremely welcoming. read more

Ms. Jina and Ms. Yaya were great guides. The overall experience and everyone we had contact with was professional, helpful, and extremely welcoming.

Hotel Review

Smile Lanna Hotel Chiang Mai

Authenticity & Character

The interior design and little unique things in the room . Many breakfast options

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Bangkok City Tour With Grand Palace and Long-Tail Boat Ride

Bangkok

I like the personalized/private experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Night Food tour with Tuk Tuk with guide

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

We’re pescatarians so limited food experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Got to experience a Tuk tuk ride

Drive to Kanchanaburi with Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Thailand

Bright and colorful day. Lots to ser

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Kanchanaburi Tour

Kanchanaburi

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Chiang Mai Temple Hopping with Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Elephants Day Care at Baan Chang Elephant Park

Chiang Mai

Great experience. Let guest know about the cats before arrival. Make it a shorter day or private transportation option.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

Such a rich, beautiful experience

Quality of Experience

Everything

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phi Phi Island

Phuket

Beautiful island . A lot of the time was spent traveling in the boat

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moo Ban Dek tour

Kanchanaburi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time doing a vacation through a travel agency, and KimKim made it very easy to get in touch with a local agency specializing in Thailand trips, and the agent they connected us with was incredibly responsive! The only issues we had during planning were with the platform -- we encountered some trouble uploading and updating our passport information (my wife's last name was recently changed), which caused some confusion during the booking process and resulted in us needing to... read more

This was our first time doing a vacation through a travel agency, and KimKim made it very easy to get in touch with a local agency specializing in Thailand trips, and the agent they connected us with was incredibly responsive! The only issues we had during planning were with the platform -- we encountered some trouble uploading and updating our passport information (my wife's last name was recently changed), which caused some confusion during the booking process and resulted in us needing to buy a new ticket in her new name right before one of our in-country flights. It would've also been nice to have an app version of the portal to make it easier to look at and respond to things on our phones.

Our trip itself was fantastic. Honestly a 9/10 and one of the most memorable experiences we have ever done! Thailand is an amazingly exotic place with incredible food, architecture, and friendly people. Bruce's itinerary made it so at the end of the trip, we felt like we truly got to experience all aspects of the country. The only change I would have made was to add a full free day to our stay in Bangkok and Chang Mai. There is so much to do in both places, it almost felt like we just got a slice of what they had to offer, even though our schedules were full of sight seeing and other activities! Some of the highlights of our activities were the bicycle tour in Chang Mai, walking around Ayutthaya, seeing the many beautiful temples (everywhere), the imperial palace in Bangkok, the two restaurants we went to in Bangkok (rooftop bar with view of the city skyline and river and one local place that had some of the best authentic Thai food we've ever eaten), cooking with a local family in Chang Mai, and snorkeling off Monkey Island in Phuket.

A few experiences did feel a bit "touristy," although we enjoyed them nonetheless. For example, zip-lining wasn't actually in our itinerary, and exists in other places we've been. The 3-hr round trip drive to get to the mountain took up a lot of that day.

Having personal guides and drivers in each location was absolutely crucial. We didn't have to worry at all about transportation and there wasn't much "down time" waiting to be picked up. For some activities farther from the city center (Ayutthaya, elephant care center, zip-lining), I'm really not sure how we would've gotten back to the hotel if we were relying on taxis!

Our guides were very efficient, friendly, and spoke almost fluent English. They were very responsive to questions and changes in schedules, so we always knew when to be were. Mike (our Bangkok guide) was fantastic. Great sense of humor, really knew the history of the city, and took us to some attractions and AMAZING restaurants off the beaten path that were some of the highlights of our entire trip. Ming (our guide in Chang Mai) was super friendly, and we appreciated her taking pictures of us during some of our activities so we could simply enjoy being in the moment and not feel like we were missing out documenting our experience to look back fondly on later.

All of the hotels we stayed at were fantastic. As cost of high-end of hotels in Thailand are relatively affordable for the outside traveler, I encourage everyone to splurge and enjoy the great food, service, and atmosphere that come with them. (Granted, you will pay higher prices for food, drink, and spa services at them!).

In conclusion, even though we might have changed a few things in retrospect, we are overall very happy and satisfied with our trip and would like to thank everyone involved.

Hotel Reviews

Lancaster Bangkok Hotel

Bankok

Fantastic hotel with a great included breakfast and accommodations. Staff was friendly and helpful. The only downside to this hotel is most things are not within walking distance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

RatiLanna Riverside Spa Resort

Very calm atmosphere - perfect "river spa" feel. Great included breakfast, and fantastic (if pricey) spa experiences. A little far from the city center, but close enough that they are a very cheap taxi ride away.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

COMO Point Yamu

One of the most unique hotels I've stayed at in my life. Fantastic character, stunning views. Very much worth splurging on a room with a personal pool. Every morning and night we would just stare out at our surroundings and marvel that we were there. The Thai restaurant inside the hotel is only open a few days per week, but was one of the culinary highlights of our trip. Mouth-watering dishes for a reasonable price. Service could be a little slow at times, but everything else more than made up for it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Night Food tour with Tuk Tuk with guide

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Bangkok City Tour With Grand Palace and Long-Tail Boat Ride

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Historical Ayutthaya Tour From Bangkok

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Fun Cooking Experience With a Local Lanna Family

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Explore Doi Inthanon National Park Tour

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Elephants Day Care at Baan Chang Elephant Park

Chiang Mai

It was amazing to see elephants up close and to touch them! It became clear the elephants were very well cared for, but at first we were a bit nervous because the elephant camp we went to was a different one than was in our itinerary and the facilities were all very VERY new, so it seemed like this camp was recently built (keeping in mind that exploitation of these gentle giants is still alive and well). The English language staff member named Ice was very friendly and supplied us with many interesting elephant facts. Some other staff members felt a bit pushy when it came to engaging with the elephants -- i.e., do this pose for the photos now. Lunch was an interesting affair, as some of the staff didn't seem to know how to cook the dishes properly as they were guiding us through the recipes. Overall a good and memorable experience, but I think this camp needs to polish up some of the rough edges.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Chiang Mai Countryside Exploration by Bicycle (Join-in)

Chiang Mai

Our guide for this tour was one of our favorite locals we met on our trip. Super friendly and genuine, didn't rush us anywhere, and seemed so easygoing. He showed us some amazing local spots that we would've never seen otherwise! Was great to get a feel for the local area and how Thai people live. We regret not getting a photo with him!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Phi Phi Island

Phuket

It was magical to see all the incredible islands up close and for the most part, snorkeling and swimming were fantastic. Quite an experience to swim in a cove surrounded by massive jungle rock walls. The boat staff were fun, and we appreciated the big cooler full of free drinks to keep us hydrated! Monkey island was kind of a disappointment, although the snorkeling around it was amazing. Very crowded and we only saw one monkey "in the wild." There were more on the edge of the beach, but they were all in cages, apparently because they were sick? It wasn't clear. The food was okay, as it was a buffet of spaghetti, chicken wings, and watermelon that hundreds of people were eating. I would've preferred to pay extra to go to a local restaurant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working with Ashley at Kim Kim was a fantastic experience that led to a fantastic trip.

It was a last minute decision to go to Thailand and Ashley at Kim Kim made it come to life. It was so easy and quick, within 3 days, Ashley had created the perfect itinerary for me. She had provided a great itinerary originally and answered my questions in a timely fashion so that I felt really good about booking the trip.

The trip itself was fantastic because of all of the work Ashley had done... read more

Working with Ashley at Kim Kim was a fantastic experience that led to a fantastic trip.

It was a last minute decision to go to Thailand and Ashley at Kim Kim made it come to life. It was so easy and quick, within 3 days, Ashley had created the perfect itinerary for me. She had provided a great itinerary originally and answered my questions in a timely fashion so that I felt really good about booking the trip.

The trip itself was fantastic because of all of the work Ashley had done and the great guides Kim Kim provided. At every destination, the guides and drivers were there to greet me. The hotels met or exceeded my standards. The amount of time I spent in each destination was "just right".

Both of my guides in Bangkok (Tanny) & Chiang Mai (Rung) made my visit to both places very special. They taught me about the culture, introduced me to new foods, and shared with me the history of their cities.

The entire trip was memorable, but some of the highlights were:
-evening food tour in Bangkok
-floating market & railroad market
-feeding & cleaning the elephants at an elephant sanctuary
-relaxing on a beautiful beach

I highly recommend using Kim Kim for traveling to Thailand.

I have travelled a lot, with the Can military for 23 years and personally. Without any doubt, the professionalism and courtesy that my daughter and I experienced from Emilie of kimkim was the most helpful ever. Thank you Emilie! You were marvellous and we want you to know how much we appreciated your attention to every detail, and your availability to assure us of worry-free travel every step of the way. The three days of trekking with Joe and Robert were remarkable. Such care,... read more

I have travelled a lot, with the Can military for 23 years and personally. Without any doubt, the professionalism and courtesy that my daughter and I experienced from Emilie of kimkim was the most helpful ever. Thank you Emilie! You were marvellous and we want you to know how much we appreciated your attention to every detail, and your availability to assure us of worry-free travel every step of the way. The three days of trekking with Joe and Robert were remarkable. Such care, appropriate attention to our needs, always responsive to our own curiosity, and such teaching! We enjoyed every minute. For our final day in Chiang Mai the city guide was Bab - there could be none better. We were so blessed with her generous spirit and her willingness to make our tour tailored to our interests. Each hotel was ideally chosen, and the hotel staff was friendly, courteous and helpful in every way.
The only glitch in the entire trip was the final pick-up from the hotel to the Bangkok airport. The driver was forty minutes late and unapologetic. The only stressful moment of our brilliant trip!
Thank you again, and again!

Activity Reviews

Bangkok - Wat Pho & Grand Palace – Klong Tour and Wat Arun

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ayutthaya Historical City

Bangkok

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Highlights of Chiang Rai and transfer to Chiang Mai

Chiang Rai

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Trekking - Day 1/3

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Trekking - Day 2/3

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jungle Trekking - Day 3/3

Thailand

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City, Temple Tour & Doi Suthep Viewpoint

Chiang Mai

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family of four visited Thailand over the first two weeks of August. It was my fourth visit, my husband's second, and the kids' first time. Thailand is always a great experience period. This trip was rather last minute with about 1.5 months to plan given that the country had just fully relaxed all COVID restrictions in July or so and therefore, I decided to call up on kimkim to assist. and Martin and KimKim came through. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, but... read more

Our family of four visited Thailand over the first two weeks of August. It was my fourth visit, my husband's second, and the kids' first time. Thailand is always a great experience period. This trip was rather last minute with about 1.5 months to plan given that the country had just fully relaxed all COVID restrictions in July or so and therefore, I decided to call up on kimkim to assist. and Martin and KimKim came through. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, but it was great to know the ins and outs from Martin as a local expert. There was plenty of back and forth between us, but it was to ensure the itinerary was tight and things go smoothly from day 1. And Martin was always accessible and responsive. I think the most I appreciated using KimKim was relying on them to arrange all the transportation without lifting a finger. :)

Bangkok was our command central while we would pack light for 2-3day excursions off to Koh Samui and Kanchanaburi to enjoy everything that each place had to offer. We would return to Bangkok between excursions. Koh Samui is captivating where we stayed at Chaweng Garden Hotel and joined a full day tour to Ang Thong Marine Park. In Kanchanaburi, it was amazing to stay at the River Kwai FloatHouse and visit the beautiful Erawan Waterfalls - these two are a must and worthy to be on anyone's bucket list!

Then there is Bangkok - the city that never sleeps. It's all about shopping and eating. We stayed near MBK and the various shopping malls making it easy to get around especially since the National Stadium BTS station was right near us. One of the major highlight and not planned was riding the Chao Praya River Ferry from the Sathorn Taksin Pier all the way to the end where we visited Nonthaburi, a city very much off the beaten path.

So Thailand was a success! We enjoyed a combination of tours arranged by KimKim and our own free time to discover. I would definitely enlist KimKim's help again and definitely when I return to Thailand in the near future. Thanks Martin!

Hotel Reviews

Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Siam

Conveniently located near MBK, BTS, and other malls and therefore, in the heart of where all the traffic bottlenecks. Rooms were clean and staff was helpful. Complimentary breakfast was doable. The hotel offered connecting rooms which is great for a family of four. Will probably stay again for the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chaweng Garden

Hotel was unique and had a lot of character. It has a pool that starts out like a lazy river and ends with a swim up bar. Complimentary breakfast was good. It is located alongside the Chaweng Beach and the water is just beautiful. It's also located on the main street with all the shopping and eateries you can imagine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The FloatHouse River Kwai I Floating Villas

Chang Wat Kanchanaburi

This is a must do if you are visiting Kanchanaburi. The whole experience that comes with Kanchanaburi to stay on the River Kwai and luckily, we were able to grab the FloatHouse for a couple of nights. When you are here, you truly forget the stress of your daily life back home. The complimentary breakfast is okay. We added on dinner with our hotel package and it was alot of food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Erawan Waterfalls

Thailand

I discovered Erawan Waterfalls from YouTube. It is amazing and you are truly in awe with Mother Nature! The waters are a beautiful glassy blue. If I had known about Erawan a long time ago, it would have been on my bucket list!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I personally want to thank Kimkim and Martin for having organized this wonderful honeymoon trip to Thailand ! We got everything we asked for in the short time span of the trip, and we have great memories of the main places in Thailand. We were active and moving the whole time, local guides and activities were simply amazing, and this really allowed us to go with the flow and discover in a really relaxed way. All the connexions were neatly set up so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Thai... read more

I personally want to thank Kimkim and Martin for having organized this wonderful honeymoon trip to Thailand ! We got everything we asked for in the short time span of the trip, and we have great memories of the main places in Thailand. We were active and moving the whole time, local guides and activities were simply amazing, and this really allowed us to go with the flow and discover in a really relaxed way. All the connexions were neatly set up so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Thai culture, cuisine, it’s people, beaches, natural parks, everything was there. Thanks for your service and your great know-how in creating great trips !

We had the best trip to Thailand! It couldn’t have been better. Martin planned a trip for our family that was perfectly suited to us and the ages and interests of our 3 kids. It allowed us to experience so many different areas and aspects of Thailand. We toured markets by tuk tuk, temples by boat, had an incredible experience with elephants and heaps of fun in a cooking class. We did a night tour in the jungle and stayed in a unbelievable raft hotel in the middle of an beautiful lake.... read more

We had the best trip to Thailand! It couldn’t have been better. Martin planned a trip for our family that was perfectly suited to us and the ages and interests of our 3 kids. It allowed us to experience so many different areas and aspects of Thailand. We toured markets by tuk tuk, temples by boat, had an incredible experience with elephants and heaps of fun in a cooking class. We did a night tour in the jungle and stayed in a unbelievable raft hotel in the middle of an beautiful lake. Everything was made easy and the whole trip went smoothly. All of the tours we had planned and all of our transfers happened seamlessly. I couldn’t recommend Martin and Kim Kim and all of the tour operators we encountered highly enough.

We worked with Martin to book our July 2022 trip for 7 persons (5 adults and 2 teenagers) to Thailand. We were able to see 4 cities in ~10 days so it was a fast paced trip but we enjoyed all of the different experiences and new places. The highlights of the trip included visiting Happy Elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, staying in a tree house and on the lake in Khao Sak national park, and enjoying a day at the beach in Koh Samui. When we arrived in Bangkok we were grateful to check into our... read more

We worked with Martin to book our July 2022 trip for 7 persons (5 adults and 2 teenagers) to Thailand. We were able to see 4 cities in ~10 days so it was a fast paced trip but we enjoyed all of the different experiences and new places. The highlights of the trip included visiting Happy Elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, staying in a tree house and on the lake in Khao Sak national park, and enjoying a day at the beach in Koh Samui. When we arrived in Bangkok we were grateful to check into our hotel right away so we could recharge after the long journey and really enjoyed the Tuk Tuk tour to see Bangkok by night and enjoy some local cuisine. We also really enjoyed our night time hike and river cruises in the Khao Sak national park. Martin was our local expert and helped plan our trip and answer all of our questions. All of our transfers and travel went flawlessly and we were very happy with the trip overall.

Hotel Reviews

Bodhi Serene Hotel

Chiang Mai

This hotel is located within walking distance to several temples and the Sunday night market in Chiang Mai. It has a very boutique feel with friendly staff, a wonderful pool, and a great breakfast buffet. Our room was upgraded to include a balcony and was very nicely furnished. Would definitely recommend this hotel and stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very central location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

Bangkok

This hotel is exactly what you would expect from a big city 5 star hotel with an exceptional breakfast buffet. The location is good (keeping in mind Bangkok is a very big city) and the hotel is within walking distance to a 7/11 store. The pool was very large and well kept. The rooms are very spacious with every amenity you could need and are well cleaned and updated. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cheow Lan Lake Explorer

Khao Sok

Our guide for Cheow Lan Lake was Liam and we loved the two days we spent with him. He was very knowledgeable about the plants and animals of the jungle and helped reassure us when we were nervous on our expeditions and answered all of our questions. We really enjoyed the lake cruises and walking trek we did with him to the Pakarang Cave. Would highly recommend him to other travelers.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spend a Day with Elephants in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

We enjoyed our day playing with the elephants at Happy Elephant and learning about them from our friendly and knowledgeable guides. The best part of the day was playing with the elephants in the river and watching them give themselves a mud bath. The lunch provided was Pad Thai and it was very delicious however the down time afterward felt too long, we would have preferred to skip it entirely or just have 30 minutes for resting. The only part we did not enjoy was cutting down the grasses for the elephants, we understood it is a necessary part of the upkeep for elephants however we did not have proper attire (long pants/long sleeves) and those that did participate got many scratches and cuts from the sharp grasses.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hoa Tran was AMAZING! super helpful, took her time to understand my preferences, flexed the itinerary accordingly, provided on the spot support, her availability was remarkable.. the list goes on of her off the chart service!
And The local guides.. super kind people and very helpful!
Just trust her and the team, and you go enjoy yourself with a memorable vacation..

From when I was first connected with Tha until even during the trip when I contacted her for a couple of questions she was very good. Answered all my many questions and organized an amazing trip while in Thailand. Thank you Tha we have a wonderful time .

Ha was awesome from the start! She offered a lot of great initial options, and we worked together over a few weeks to make this vacation everything we wanted it to be. We were spoiled from the moment we met Mr. Sauce and his driver at the Bangkok airport, when we met Ms. Mew and her driver at the Chiang Mai train station, and until our last driver dropped us off at the Bangkok airport at the end of our vacation. And Ha was in constant contact with me the entire time to make sure everything was perfect. I would highly recommend Ha and her team!

We decided to create our own "excursions" while traveling through Asia on a cruise. Linh helped us plan activities for three of the ports we visited. We gave her our destinations and she gave us various options to pick and choose from. Our first port was in Koh Sumai, Thailand, where Mr. Sonthaya gave us a great tour of all the island highlights and brought us to a beautiful beach side restaurant to enjoy the view and some local food.
Our second stop was in Laem Chabang, the port south... read more

We decided to create our own "excursions" while traveling through Asia on a cruise. Linh helped us plan activities for three of the ports we visited. We gave her our destinations and she gave us various options to pick and choose from. Our first port was in Koh Sumai, Thailand, where Mr. Sonthaya gave us a great tour of all the island highlights and brought us to a beautiful beach side restaurant to enjoy the view and some local food.
Our second stop was in Laem Chabang, the port south of Bangkok. Ms. Angie and a driver picked us up from the port and drove us west of Bangkok, to ride a river boat that brought us to her favorite floating market, Don Wei Market. It did not disappoint, as it was a fascinating market filled with the smells, sounds and tastes of Thailand. We were truly immersed in the wonderful culture. We enjoyed tasting some foods while wandering and then ate a delicious lunch in a restaurant on the water. We boarded another boat and were taken to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), a tower on the Chao Phra river bank built in Khmer architectural style. It is the tallest temple in Thailand, decorated in beautiful ceramic pieces. We finished our afternoon in Chinatown, one of the largest in the world, then headed back to the ship in the evening.
Our third adventure was in beautiful Halong Bay in northern Vietnam. Our guide, Mr. Sam, met us early at the pier and brought us to a favorite coffee shop to have authentic Vietnamese, drip into your own cup, coffee. It has just a touch of sweetness from some added condensed milk and is the smoothest, non-bitter coffee! So enjoyable. Next we were brought to a pearl factory to learn and watch how oysters are inseminated, farmed, harvested, and pearls sorted for size and quality. We were then brought to Halong Bay, where we were given a private boat tour of the beautiful bay, filled with 1000's of islands. It was so relaxing and fascinating! We were brought to Sung Sot Cave (Surprise or Amazing Cave). Found by the French in 1901, this is one of the largest and most beautiful caves in the area! Be ready to do some walking! It truly was amazing! Back on the boat, we were served an amazing lunch of freshly steamed prawns, squid salad, stuffed crab and other delicious delicacies that had been caught by the captain and his first mate! It was too cold for kayaking that day, but that would have been a great option as well.
We were very please with Linh's help in finding us very informed and interesting guides. Every "excursion" went off without a hitch. I would highly recommend KimKim and their local guides next time you plan a trip or just plan excursions while on a cruise!

My wife and I had a great time in Thailand! Ha was a great planner who set up awesome tours and guides who were thoughtful, friendly and fun. All of transfers were well handled and right on schedule. Never having been to Thailand before it was an amazing trip and based on our experience would recommend to everyone.

The first time using KimKim for mine & my Mum’s 10 day trip to Thailand. I had visited the country a few times but it was a first for my Mum & therefore I wanted to incorporate places that I had been to that I thought Mum should experience as a first-timer, with places that I hadn’t been. We only had 10 days but decided to cover 3 areas, Bangkok (city life), Chang Mai (Countryside) & Koh Samui (beach). We went with the recommendations from Suwanna for accommodation & activities & she did a... read more

The first time using KimKim for mine & my Mum’s 10 day trip to Thailand. I had visited the country a few times but it was a first for my Mum & therefore I wanted to incorporate places that I had been to that I thought Mum should experience as a first-timer, with places that I hadn’t been. We only had 10 days but decided to cover 3 areas, Bangkok (city life), Chang Mai (Countryside) & Koh Samui (beach). We went with the recommendations from Suwanna for accommodation & activities & she did a great job with all of them, the only thing we had to organise was our flights. It was also lovely to have everything organised from the get-go so we didn’t have to think about transfers or activities on arrival. The vehicles were of a much higher standard than expected & our guides were really friendly, knowledgeable & always on time. Our highlights were the 60k bike ride in Chang Mai & the cookery course in Koh Samui - fantastic! I would highly recommend KimKim & will definately use them again in the future.

My daughter and I used Kim Kim on our recent trip to Thailand which was fantastic. They took care of all our needs whilst we were there booking trips, transfers, hotels etc.. Everything worked like clockwork. The hotels were perfect and the guides very informative and all spoke English. We did a three centre trip taking in Bangkok, Chiang mai and Ko samui. The highlight for us both was completing the 60km cycle trip in Chiang mai. Having said that all the trips we booked were excellent giving... read more

My daughter and I used Kim Kim on our recent trip to Thailand which was fantastic. They took care of all our needs whilst we were there booking trips, transfers, hotels etc.. Everything worked like clockwork. The hotels were perfect and the guides very informative and all spoke English. We did a three centre trip taking in Bangkok, Chiang mai and Ko samui. The highlight for us both was completing the 60km cycle trip in Chiang mai. Having said that all the trips we booked were excellent giving us a great experience. These included a day tour in Bangkok, foodie tour at night by tuk tuk, traditional Thai dance night, trekking, cookery class, snorkelling, kayaking and Island hopping by speedboat. We would highly recommend Kim Kim.

Ha planned an unbelievable trip for us! She’s great!

We enjoyed so many experiences: elephant visit, hiking through the jungle, kayaking around the floating village, cycling round Angkor Wat, butterfly farm, night markets, temple visits, Aspara dance show, all smoothly organised by our guides. It was so nice to be chauffeured from airport to hotel to the visits for the day.

Fantastic trip for everyone in our family!

Tuk tuk tour was great. Chiang Mai hike was nice, guide there Danny was the best. Cooking class was really good. Krabi was our favorite. Snorkeling on Bali was excellent

We had a wonderful time in Thailand thanks to Suwanna, Tha, and all the local guides in the country! Royal Silk made us feel like lux travelers with airport pickups seamless transfers and kind and courteous service from all.

Some of our wonderful guides included:
Jungkey - The Tuk-tuk foodie tour was great and Jungkey kept us moving, eating, and enjoying.

Amy - Our private guide on our Bangkok tour made sure we saw much of the city beautiful sights, while being so pleasant to talk with,... read more

We had a wonderful time in Thailand thanks to Suwanna, Tha, and all the local guides in the country! Royal Silk made us feel like lux travelers with airport pickups seamless transfers and kind and courteous service from all.

Some of our wonderful guides included:
Jungkey - The Tuk-tuk foodie tour was great and Jungkey kept us moving, eating, and enjoying.

Amy - Our private guide on our Bangkok tour made sure we saw much of the city beautiful sights, while being so pleasant to talk with, and had a great feel for the pace of the tour and where to take us. Excellent!

Roon - We loved Roon's quiet charm and sense of humor. He showed us many spots in Chiang-Mai and took his time to make sure we enjoyed as much as we could possibly.

Pom - Pom was so great! She took us on the hiking tour of Doi Inthanon. You could tell she had a lot of experience on the mountain and she was a wonderful guide with a warm heart and a great sense of pride in the mountain and it's surroundings. She was wonderful!

Tha was really responsive along our entire trip and we felt comfortable knowing she would always be available to help if needed. Su the local representative in Phuket was also amazing as she immediately reached out to us upon our arrival and helped us with our transfer and booking a dinner reservation and spa reservation. The recommendations by all were also wonderful.

We don't think we would have had nearly as good a time in Thailand had we not used KimKim to plug us into all the wonderful people at Royal Silk. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience and thank you to all the great guides throughout!

We had a great Thailand trip this past December. Working with Linh and her team was relatively easy and where able to customize the experience to our needs. Overall a positive experience for my husband and I, we had private tours and our guides were very professional and helpful. There were minor issues we faced (we were asked for tickets for transportation by the drivers, which were not given to us) but where addressed by the local KimKim team. I would strongly recommend to get a local SIM... read more

We had a great Thailand trip this past December. Working with Linh and her team was relatively easy and where able to customize the experience to our needs. Overall a positive experience for my husband and I, we had private tours and our guides were very professional and helpful. There were minor issues we faced (we were asked for tickets for transportation by the drivers, which were not given to us) but where addressed by the local KimKim team. I would strongly recommend to get a local SIM card on your mobile device, so that you can call/connect with other services as needed. Thank you Linh! We had an unforgettable trip :)

We had a superb experience with every detail custom-fitted so that we got to see as much as we wanted in the way that we wanted. Perfect in every respect.

Mr. Sauce was my tour guide while in Bangkok, he was extraordinary. He was very knowledgeable, kind and complacent. I loved the floating market, never seen anything like it. Miu was my tour guide while in Chiang Mai and she was awesome, my most memorable experience from Chiang Mai are the temples. Phi Phi islands is like being in fantasy island! I loved my entire trip, thank you so much for putting it together.

Supi did a great job putting together this trip. He was helpful and resolved any issues we had immediately. Planning is sometimes the hardest part of vacationing but he made it very easy and stress free for us. I would recommend Kim Kim in our future travels. The tours were very nice and we had a lot of fun. Everything was set up from Bangkok to Phuket and then from Phuket to Krabi. Thanks again Supi!

Our 10 day trip to Thailand was amazing. Suwanna, our Bangkok travel agent was brilliant. She organized two airport pick-ups, eliminating the stress of finding a cab, she connected us with some interesting joined group tours, and there were some individual tours with a tour guide. My husband and I really enjoyed the personalized tours as they provided rich opportunities to connect with local people and develop an understanding of the people and culture of Thailand. Most memorable was a... read more

Our 10 day trip to Thailand was amazing. Suwanna, our Bangkok travel agent was brilliant. She organized two airport pick-ups, eliminating the stress of finding a cab, she connected us with some interesting joined group tours, and there were some individual tours with a tour guide. My husband and I really enjoyed the personalized tours as they provided rich opportunities to connect with local people and develop an understanding of the people and culture of Thailand. Most memorable was a Bangkok foodie tour in a tuktuk. We ate food that we would not have dared sample without guidance. Our guide was a young recent university graduate. She was delightful - charming and satirical and a lot of fun. Another highlight was a trip two hous north of Chaing Mai to an elephant sanctuary in a small Karen village in the middle of nowhere. We stopped at a village market to buy food four our lunch and for the elephant. We spent time feeding the elephant and washing him in the river.

Highly recommend KimKim and will use them again on my next big adventure! The travel company with whom KimKim matched us, Royal Silk Holidays was fantastic! Our main travel planners, Suwanna and Supi were great during the planning phase. Great communicators and truly tailored our trip for our interests and budget, making as many changes as we required. Our Thailand private tour guide, Niracha Saksopin (Pom) was fantastic! She and her driver were a huge part of our excellent experience. We... read more

Highly recommend KimKim and will use them again on my next big adventure! The travel company with whom KimKim matched us, Royal Silk Holidays was fantastic! Our main travel planners, Suwanna and Supi were great during the planning phase. Great communicators and truly tailored our trip for our interests and budget, making as many changes as we required. Our Thailand private tour guide, Niracha Saksopin (Pom) was fantastic! She and her driver were a huge part of our excellent experience. We will request her on our next visit.
Our outdoor "adventure" experience with 8 Adventures was phenomenal! Highly recommend them! Our guides, were top notch! Our 4-wheeler guide was kind, fun and attentive. Our hiking and home-stay guides, Oat and Jafu were terrific! The Lahu home-owner for our village home stay, Pim Weda, was so very nice and hospitable.
Our "Elephant Owner for a Day" experience at Patara Elephant Farm was even better than expected! Highly recommend!
Finally, the beautiful boutique hotel, Yaangcome Village was absolutely wonderful! Highly recommend!

Ha was great ! She responded fast and put together a greet trip for Thailand! We had tour guides and just drivers on our trip ! Everyone was on time and everything went as planned we had no issues , the hotels were great especially cape panwa was amazing !! The best one tour guide we had was in Chiang Mai he really went above and beyond and made the elephant day so great ! I would def book a trip with Kim Kim again!

Overall our experience in North Thailand was more than amazing. Our moments with my (private) group members were irreplaceable and we highly recommend Kimkim for adventure and extreme destinations. The places we visited were really difficult to reach them without a local guide being comfortable and familiar with the people and the place. Every single day was unique and different. We were able not only to experience for a few hours some villages in the jungle but also to stay for some nights... read more

Overall our experience in North Thailand was more than amazing. Our moments with my (private) group members were irreplaceable and we highly recommend Kimkim for adventure and extreme destinations. The places we visited were really difficult to reach them without a local guide being comfortable and familiar with the people and the place. Every single day was unique and different. We were able not only to experience for a few hours some villages in the jungle but also to stay for some nights and live the local and simple life. Kimkim is a really trustful company with many advantages and will definitely choose them again for our next destinations.

This was one of the most memorable trips my family ever had. Guides were really great and we felt taken care of the whole trip. Food was amazing and schedule ran very smoothly.
Thank you to kimkim and its amazing team!!

loved it

We had a wonderful time with our guide Watermelon. She was fun and informative. Our coordinator Ha was very helpful in planning our day before we arrived. We would recommend both of them to anyone!

Ms Nit in Bangkok was great. The itinerary day were we went to the floating markets, Grand Palace and then were suppose to go to China Town for dinner was too busy. Given that it was early in the itinerary we were still jet lagged and there was no way we had energy to go to out at night. We skipped the china town food tour because we were exhausted even though it sounded great.

Ms Nook in Chiang Mai was equally great. All experiences were great. The elephant tour day could have used some... read more

Ms Nit in Bangkok was great. The itinerary day were we went to the floating markets, Grand Palace and then were suppose to go to China Town for dinner was too busy. Given that it was early in the itinerary we were still jet lagged and there was no way we had energy to go to out at night. We skipped the china town food tour because we were exhausted even though it sounded great.

Ms Nook in Chiang Mai was equally great. All experiences were great. The elephant tour day could have used some preparation. We had no idea the transportation was so long and in the back of a truck. Our son got motion sick and vomited in the back of the truck on the way there which was a bit of a struggle and rough start to the day. With some warning the night before we could have prepared and given him something for motion sickness. Also it would be nice to have clear direction to bring bathing suits for the swimming part. Overall the elephant tour was very memorable and a highlight of our trip.

Both dinner shows were great too.

I enjoyed the whole trip and the guides most of them were very knowledgeable. I saw a lot and learned a lot and I feel like I saw the most important places in Thailand and
learned a lot about the culture . I would highly recommend this trip it was wonderful!
Thank you so much 😊

I had done some web research on trips in SE Asia, and was hesitant to use a travel booking service like kimkim; however, I quickly leaned on kimkim to find the right trip for me. I was looking for a trip that would provide a challenge, but not an overwhelming one, and that would expose me to places and people I wouldn't meet otherwise. Through guided questions and back and forth questions, kimkim nailed it. I also appreciate the assistance with some last minute Visa issues.

Both the one day tour and the longer tour were very good. The one day tour suffered from going to two very touristy spots with a long drive for one day. I think it would be more advisable to recommend closer experiences if possible for a one day trip. The guide Bom was excellent.
The guide for the longer trip Apple was very personable, friendly and helpful but we did feel at times that her English language skills were below par particularly in vocabulary and fluency in passing on information... read more

Both the one day tour and the longer tour were very good. The one day tour suffered from going to two very touristy spots with a long drive for one day. I think it would be more advisable to recommend closer experiences if possible for a one day trip. The guide Bom was excellent.
The guide for the longer trip Apple was very personable, friendly and helpful but we did feel at times that her English language skills were below par particularly in vocabulary and fluency in passing on information eg the history of an area. The content of the trip was on the whole very good though could have been a little more imaginative in some areas - we found that we consulted our Lonely Planet guidebook regularly eg for hints on good museums, other sites not on the itinerary. For instance the Sukhothai Museum turned out to be excellent for those interested in the local history , we also found a very interesting ceramic workshop which ran interesting tours . A range of additional things should be able to be suggested by a good guide. Sukhothai was a highlight for us particularly as the Loy Krathong festival was so brilliant with the illuminated historical site - a piece of info which was not included in our itinerary nor particularly emphasised by the guide. The Loy Krathong dinner which we attended in Chiang Mai hotel was fine though somewhat overrated (and artificial compared to Sukhothai event) . It would have be useful to know we were paying such a large amount for that particular event - the buffet food was definitely not memorable.
Also I may have missed it in info provided but it would be good to have some guidance on tipping (for guides/drivers) in Thailand as each country has been different approach to this.

The rep greeting us at the airport was courteous.

Our guide Richard was very knowledgeable. He even bought us some delicious food treats. We had the best experience with him.

The Siam Niramit Show was great. But we wished the audience could be warned ahead of time about the "Hell" scene. Little children could have been scared.

The Food Tour on the last day was not very special, unfortunately.

We were so pleased we chose to use your services. Andy, our local specialist, was very attentive right from the beginning of planning our trip. We were undecided about the various places to travel while in Thailand, but knew we were flying into and out of Bangkok and knew we, at a minimum, would want to spend a day or two to visit the Grand Palace and other temples. Both my daughter and I agreed that had we not had a guide to go through the Temples we would not have benefited as much... read more

We were so pleased we chose to use your services. Andy, our local specialist, was very attentive right from the beginning of planning our trip. We were undecided about the various places to travel while in Thailand, but knew we were flying into and out of Bangkok and knew we, at a minimum, would want to spend a day or two to visit the Grand Palace and other temples. Both my daughter and I agreed that had we not had a guide to go through the Temples we would not have benefited as much visiting them. Andy employed Mr. Peak to be our guide. Mr. Peak was wonderful! He was not only such a pleasant person, but was knowledgeable about the Temples and River, but also was hospitable and offered so many times to take our pictures at the various places that I believe he knew would capture in a picture wonderful memories for us. We are home and still saying to each other how lucky we were to have a guide, and that our guide was Mr. Peak!

Our transports to/from hotel and airports were punctual and easy to find and the instructions Andy gave us to do so were spot on!

Thanks for your assistance in our journey to Thailand!

After coming off a great trip with you guys in Myanmar I had the same expectations for the trip to Thailand but it couldn't be further from the truth. The biggest issue that I had was not having the items included in the list available upon arrival. The hotel was changed lat minute and when I arrived they had a sign out front that said cheap rooms with the price. Fair enough I went into the room and there was a sewage issue that made the room smell constantly. There was a gap under the... read more

After coming off a great trip with you guys in Myanmar I had the same expectations for the trip to Thailand but it couldn't be further from the truth. The biggest issue that I had was not having the items included in the list available upon arrival. The hotel was changed lat minute and when I arrived they had a sign out front that said cheap rooms with the price. Fair enough I went into the room and there was a sewage issue that made the room smell constantly. There was a gap under the door that let mosquitoes in at a constant rate but no mosquito net. These in themselves are not deal breakers but I paid $1,900 for 3 nights in a hotel and a guide for 3 1/2 days. The total for the hotel for the two nights that I was supposed to stay there would be $65 USD and the hotel on the last night would be $150 USD. That means that there was roughly $1,700 out there for a driver and a guide for 3 1/2 days. Since the room was unacceptable I went and paid for 2 more nights on my own and in my discussion with Holly I was never once offered a refund for the other night in the hotel. I then questioned the pricing and Holly gave me a breakdown which didn't actually add up tot he entire cost. When I responded back with questions there was never a response. I hate to say this but at the end of the day I feel that I was taken advantage of since its such a high tourist destination area. Feeling that I was taken advantage of did not help to the satisfaction of the trip even though the guide and driver were great. At the end of the day it is not hard to look at a menu or understand the cost of a hotel since they are right in front of you and then listen to the cost from the trip planner. I have no issue paying for value but there was no value added for this trip. I hope that the communications are reviewed and steps taken to make sure that others do not fall into the same situation. Again my trip t Myanmar though KimKim was awesome but the trip to Thailand has since changed my mind.