33 hours 15 minutes
van > boat > scooters > [overnight in Mandalay] > taxi > flight > walk > tuk tuk
(Bagan, Myanmar > Chiang Mai, Thailand)
The Burmese must really get a kick out of waking tourists up in the middle of the night - every form of transport we've taken has either left or arrived well before the sunrise. Our slow boat (over 15 hours) down the river from Bagan to Mandaly left at 5:30 am. As long and delayed (the tide was super low - dry season - and the boat grounded a few times) as it was, it ended up being quite a pleasant trip - we got to watch the sunrise (and set) and chill on the deck reading all day.
One last night in Myanmar and then we were off to Chiang Mai… yep, back to Thailand (our 3rd time this trip). Bangkok Airways fed us twice(!) - once at the airport, and also on the plane. Seriously living up to their boutique airline name. Excited to be back in Thailand.