Brief trip to Cambodia and Laos in Sept
 

Planning a trip with my grown daughter to Siem Reap and Luang Prabang -- quick one, alas, and would like your thoughts on where to stay, and what favorite activities to include.
Aman property or L'Residence at either location? Not to miss activities and sights?
Many thanks in advance.

we loved staying at l'res but it is out of the center of town in LP.. make sure to visit the silj co-op outside of town..

SR is all about the ruins.. i like sofitel and hotel de la paix

La Residence in Luang Prabang is lovely. There is also a La Residence in Siem Reap. Hotel de la Paix is lovely if it has re-opened. Personally, I wouldn't stay at the Aman, but lots of people love the Aman properties. IMO, the Sofitel in Siem Reap is just too large. I'd opt for a smaller property.

Get a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, "Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples" to prepare for Angkor. It will help you plan your time there. Also, take a look at www.theplf.org for something special you can do in Siem Reap.

In Luang Prabang, you wan to take it slow, soak up the atmosphere. Wander the wats and chat with monks. Have long, lingering lunches on the balcony of the Villa Santi, watching the children play in the streets. We loved the Pak Ou caves, a Buddhist pilgrimage site, but many people are disappointed that it isn't more glitzy and prettied up like the Perfume Pagoda in VN or the Pindaya Caves in Burma. The boat trip on the river was nice, but I'd skip the stop at the Lao-Lao village.

The silk weaving cooperative is a great stop - a few miles outside of LP. Many people like to go to the two sets of waterfalls outside of town, but I thought the town itself was more compelling.

thank you so much for the responses - will get the book and start reading! other things i also wonder about-elephant conservation center (right up my alley) and some hiking or trekking - low scale - any ideas? again thank you so much.

The elephants conservation centers I know that are reputable are both in Thailand - The Elephant Nature Park and the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, both near Chiang Mai. You will see elephants you can ride at Angkor and there is a place outside of Luang Prabang, but I don't know about how well they treat the elephants. If you have a special interest in elephants, you'll want to research the places in advance to make sure they treat the elephants humanely.

There ear some lovely hikes outside of Luang Pranang.

Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap is closed FYI, but the one in LP is fabulous. The very best thing in Luang Prabang to "do" is nothing. Get on a boat, the river is spectacular. Be sure to have a cocktail at the end of the day in the Icon Klub. Dinner at Tamarind also very nice. Have a walk across the footbridge at the promontory and trek over (about 20 minutes) to the village across the river for a bit of textile shopping.

Siem Reap is all about the temples but there are more and more fun things to do besides that depending on your interests, but read up! some things are highly touted and not very interesting if not a downright scam. For example, Chong Kneas floating village is pretty much a complete waste of time, but the Tara Boat is pretty nice; 1000 times better than all that however is a trip to Kompong Khleang. Sounds like you're staying in some posh places, they will be able to advise. In Siem Reap do not miss having dinner at Cuisine Wat Damnak, reservations essential.

L'Residence d'Angkor is beautiful and very comfortable, with a great pool, very nice breakfast, nice service and great location.

In SR, I highly recommend Victoria Angkor for authenticity, aesthetics, location, atmosphere and service - Vietnamese owned with a great pool and colonial vibe. We stayed there 5 years ago, but recommended it to friends who just returned and loved it. Agree that the Sofitel looked too westernized and generic. Other friends raved about the Aman, which looked incredible, but I like the the Victoria location better (on the same park as Raffles), convenient to town and the temples, and it's much cheaper.