I've never been a big fan of puzzles in D&D. They just don't seem fair. Whether or not the PCs progress can depend upon whether or not they solve some silly riddle or puzzle, which really depends on whether or not the players can solves riddles and puzzles - the character may have an Intelligence of 18 with the Nonweapon Proficiency/Proficiency/Skill/whatever of "Puzzles and Riddles", yet they won't get there unless the player does. Which they may or may not. It sucks. Simple problem-solving is fine; for some people, that may be the appeal of an RPG. But riddles and such? Nope! They can be fine as plot devices, I guess, as long as a character solving it all isn't the sole key to all progress.
That having been said, who doesn't love traps? The difference? Well, those depend on the player to remember to look for them (that's just part of the game!), but whether or not they are found and/or deactivated depends on the in-game skills of the character. Much the same as whether the fighter hits, the cleric turns the unholy, or the wizard's spell penetrates the resistance of the enemy. That's how the game works!
So what's my favorite trap? I don't know that I have one. I'm a fan of the classics - pit traps, spiked pit traps, arrow traps, poisoned arrow traps, scything blades, etc. Biologically augmented traps are cool, too - the pit trap that dumps you in slime or a gelatinous cube, the mimic, and so forth. But I would be hard-pressed to name a favorite!
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