traveljen

Hi Diane,
Funny, I was in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia last year (Dec 2005-Feb 2006) and will be in India for the first time this winter.

We used "Journey's Within" to help us plan our trip and provide a guide/driver as needed. It is nice to have some time to explore Luang Prabang on your own (and very easy/safe to do so). Journey's Within did a wonderful job. They are based in Siem Reap and have a wonderful boutique bed and breakfast there that is very reasonable. They provided us with a wonderful guide/driver. Have a great trip.

dogster

Hi Diane,
Thanks for your India suggestions.
The weather is going to be really really hot. Think 30 - 35 C - god only knows what that is in Fahrenheit. But don't let that put you off - lots of water, slowly slowly, A/C car and a siesta in the middle of the day, you'll be fine.
Now - Dogster's tips for Ankor Wat or How To Avoid The Tourist Hordes [it's a cut and paste from another forum - forgive me Fodorites, I couldn't be bothered typing it again]
Here's a couple of tips for when you get there: grab yourself a guide book with lots of pictures and a tuk tuk and a driver. That's all you'll need, unless you want an interminable monologue from a guide. Total cost $25 [including the guide book] Every day head off to a different set of temples.

Pace yourself, it gets hot and you'll get templed out. Two hours in the morning, a nice lunch [Artisans D'ankor restaurant outside the main entrance to Ankor Wat] then another couple of hours - that'll be enough per day. It's huge - in 6 days I only covered about half of it, taking time to sit and take in beautiful things.

As for relentless tourism: yes, they [we] are everywhere but if you're smart you can avoid it. The guides and tuk tuk drivers will assume you want to do the circuit, just like everybody else, and will take you to the temples in a specific order - just like everybody else. This means that everybody arrives at the same place at the same time. Simple solution: just tell him that you want to do it reverse. Result: no tourists. Trust me - it works. Alternately, it you arrive somewhere and it's jam packed with tourists, just tell him you'll go somewhere else - there's lots to choose from - then come back later.

Ankor Wat: two tips - instead of coming in the front entrance - go round to the opposite side and start your exploration from there and exit thru the main entrance. No tourists.

Second - if arriving at the main entrance - cross the first causeway, then, instead of heading straight in - take a right, walk down a long corridor and go in the entrance on the side, walk serenely through a lovely path, down past a village and a monastery and head in to the main complex that way. No tourists.

And - when you're in the middle and see a very steep set of steps - don't lose your nerve. Go up. It's the best part.

There's a small circuit that everybody does - Ankor Wat/Bayon/Ta Promh then sunset up on the hill. Thats perfectly cool to do, but there's a Grand Circuit as well with some wonderful stuff - Preah Khanh is stunning - no tourists [en masse at least]

Another tip: don't be dragged into this sunset business. All that means is that every package tourist in Siem Reap collects in the same place at the same time on top of a hill and takes the same photos of the same thing - it's appalling. Just go somewhere else at sunset. Simple. As all the tourists are in one spot - almost everywhere else is completely deserted. Try sunset inside Ankor Wat - or even better Ta Promh - it's magical and you will literally be the only ones there.

So - it's still perfectly possible to experience all the wonders without having to push thru hordes of tourists if you give yourself time. If you want to do it on a package tour in 24 hours then you deserve everything you're gonna get. Be smart, be flexible and independent and let the place work its magic on you. It's a knockout.