Trip 2015-16. Day 323. Myanmar, Mrauk-U - Mandalay

Somehow we managed to get a kind of VIP bus back from Mrauk-U to Mandalay for the same price of 25000 kyats ($20). The ride took 20 hours but was much more comfortable than the previous one. The chairs were softer and the air-conditioning worked all the way. We got snacks and a meal included in the cost of the ticket. The engine often caused smells of burning rubber though and the stuff kept checking it further adding to the fumes in the passenger compartment.

The road winded through the mountains with a large part of sheer drop from one side. We saw a bus broken and abandoned, before coming across a fuel tanker jackknifed into the rock-face and blocking most of the road. We passed gingerly on the cliff edge side! Once we left the mountains the remainder of the journey was quite quick on the flat planes towards Mandalay.