China Guide

As I get ready for a summer trip to China, there are many practical things I wanted to know about. What to expect in a Chinese toilet for example. What to shop for where. And a mydrid of other questions. I've never been to the east and I had no idea what I might be putting myself in for. Therefore, I needed the information this book has to offer. I won't really be going to the big tourist places and this book offered much reasonable advice on what to expect where. And it covers almost any area or city one might reasonable expect to go to. It (or pertenent parts) will definitely be in my pack when I leave.

Although things are changing so fast in China that no book can be absolutely up to date, this one is excellent. Before going on a 12 day (June 25-July 6, 2001) China tour I spent over $100 on guide books. This one went with me.Tips about what to do & watch out for in everything from hotels, touring, tipping, eating etc. were good, valid, clear and - most importantly - easy to find in the book when you're in a hurry on a crowded street in Beijing.While some other books simply tell you to beware of rip offs - with cab drivers for example, this book goes on to tell you what you should expect to pay.There are also small history sections for lots of key cities. Although I was on a hand held tour for 12 days, I kept this book in my carryon wherever I went - plane, ship, or bus!

The China Guide is the most comprehensive travel book available on the market today providing information on over 100 Chinese cities. The guide provides all the basic details on the most popular and highly visited Chinese tourist cities and attractions. But more importantly, it gives excellent information on how to best experience the country by touring less visited cities and attractions. As a first time traveler to China, the China Guide provided me the detailed information needed to confidently plan my own itinerary which included both Hong Kong and Beijing as well as a visit to my parent's ancestral village in rural China. Without the guide, I would have never been able to locate this city and the numerous surrounding cities and attractions to visit and enjoy. More generally, the China Guide provides excellent personal descriptions and practical details of various transportation options, hotels, restaurants, and shopping areas for numerous Chinese cities. The book is packed with facts and tips about everything a novice traveler to China may need from air transportation to detailed taxi and bus information, from tipping to toilets, from the best to the most unusual places to shop - there is not a subject that is not addressed!The author, Ruth Lor Malloy, is a well seasoned China traveler and can give a special perspective to the travel information provided in the guide due to her Chinese ancestry. The author assumes nothing and provides you all the information you need to know to have a wonderful trip to China. Ms. Malloy even maintains a website where she updates information in the book and will specifically answer any questions that you may have. She was a great help to me personally in planning my first China trip.

Review of "China Guide" by Ruth Lor MalloyNo one does China better than Ruth Lor Malloy. She covers both the sunny and shadow side of this intriguing country in her "China Guide". By conscientiously seeking out new areas and revisiting former sites on her extensive trips to China two or three times each year, she stays on top of the rapid changes in tourism that take place there. And while she's at it, she's extremely frank.If she's filled with a sense of wonder watching 2000 horses galloping across a plain high in the mountains, she conveys that experience to the reader. If a hotel or restaurant is "filthy" she describe it as so. If you want to know the best mode of transportation in China, she has it documented, even as far as price. If you want to plan side trips from a major city, she tells you how to avoid tourist traps, and indicates points of interest off the beaten track that are guaranteed to satisfy your sense of adventure.Malloy, a Canadian, knows what questions the North American traveller has. She provides a concise yet rich history of China, which is instructive to read, even if you never get there! She tells about shopping, etiquette, cuisine (what to choose and what to avoid), politics, health precautions. She also updates the book on her web-site,........ This is a guidebook you can trust. If there's a secular Bible on China, that country of great mystery and magical beauty, this book has to be it. -- Lorraine Williams, Travel Writer, Society of American Travel Writers