e="font-family:
" cambria","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" new="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" arial"="">Mandalay International Airport is the largest and most modern
airport in Burma. Built at a cost of US$150 million in 2000, the airport
is highly underutilized; it serves mostly domestic flights with the exception
of flights to Kunming and to/from Bangkok with Air Asia, 4
flights per week. The airport has come to represent the military regime's
propensity for bad planning and penchant for white elephantprojects. Myanmar
recent opening stance on tourism means the airport is now receiving a growing
aomunt of visitors from Bangkok. The airport is far from the city, 45km on a
modern highway (with a few hiccups). Expect to pay US$8 to central Mandalay,
US$6 from central Mandalay, and US$30 to/from Pyin U Lwin. Colletive minibuses
to Mandalay are US$5 each (stops where required).
River
The Ayeyarwady River remains an important arterial route for
transporting goods such as farm produce including rice, beans and pulses, cooking
oil, pottery, bamboo and teak.
