China
A Cambridge degree course in Mandarin Chinese: £18,000. Pocket phrasebook from Lonely Planet / Rough Guide / Berlitz: £4. Getting off the plane and finding that not one of the hotel staff, waiters, shopkeepers, public officers, bus conductors or taxi drivers you need to deal with speaks a word of English: Priceless.
Unless you are a fluent Chinese speaker or have a Chinese friend on hand to help you at all times, you will need one. English is not as commonly spoken as in other Asian destinations. If you can't get one at the airport, try the Foreign bookstore at 390 Fuzhou Lu or Garden Books at 325 Changle Lu - Tel: +86 21 5404-9728
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