Advantages: Great Sights, Changing Culture.
Disadvantages: Difficult Language

...Introduction = Two years ago my wife and I decided that we were going to go all out and have a big holiday before we started a family. After setting ourselves a budget in the region of £4000 (including spending money) we finally decided to take a 12 day all inclusive tour of China's highlights and a three day extension in Shanghai. Going with Kuoni we would have transport, a guide and meals included as well as a cruise down the Yangtze river. I hope in this review to give you an impression and some handy hints shold you choose to visit yourselves. The Country China is the worlds most populated (1.3 billion) and third largest country (after Russia and Canada). It encompases a huge variety of climates from deserts to rainforests. Temperatures also vary greatly depending on where you are in the country... Read review

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Advantages: Taste, low price and wide range
Disadvantages: Smell, smell and smell.

...In a never ending quest for some deliciousness without the dreaded calories The Chicken has stumbled across yet another weird concoction to tingle the most picky of tastebuds, the 'Mug Shot'. No, this is not a dodgy picture of me the last time I was arrested, oh no, it's a snack you make in a mug, not unlike those dreaded Pot Noodle thingies. Wait .... don't run, it might be made in the same way as a Pot Noodle but it isn't half as dire I swear. I found this little snack courtesy of my local Tescos store whilst I was browsing the dreaded diet shelves, these would have been overlooked if it wasn't for the eagle eyes of the Twins shouting 'Want it, Want it', where they get such things from I will never know. I picked up the offensive looking bright orange packet and almost dismissed it straight away. On the front... Read review

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Advantages: cheap, quick, taste not too bad
Disadvantages: not suitable for people with gluten and lactose intolerences, not gourmet food

...It is one of the biggest dilemmas of the working day and it is not the big quandary of whether to sneak off hone early (Would I do a thing like that?). The real dilemma is what to have for lunch. There are times when you can not face another cheese or ham sandwich, you do not have the time to make the darn things and grudge paying £2.26 for one. So what are the other options? You could buy a microwave meal but maybe your work does not have a microwave. You could nip down to Greggs for a pasty but maybe there is no Greggs near you. However I have a viable solution for the lunchtime dilemma. Buy yourself a packet of Mug Shots! Mug Shots: what are those? Mug Shots are a range of pasta and noodle snacks. They are a cross between two infamous culinary monstrosities, the Pot Noodle and the Cupa soup. It has the same sort of contents... Read review

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Advantages: low fat, free if you are doing slimming world and quick
Disadvantages: not enough of it

...I have been going to slimming world now for 3 weeks. I entered my class thinking well i have been really good this week as i have been down the gym and doing a lot of walkng, well, i stepped on the scale and there it was a 4 1/2 pound weight lose. yippee! and to my suprise i was SLIMMER OF THE WEEK that meant i had won a bag of goodies, which consisted of fresh fruit e.g apples and bananas, packet of snack a jacks tin of tuna and a sachet of MUG SHOT tomato 'n' herb. Mug Shot The packet has mug shot logo on the front with a picture of a mug and the pasta in it and the message saying "The pasta snack you make in a mug" lol lol. On the back is the ingredients which is: dried pasta (55%) (Durem whate semolina), Tomato powder (12%), sugar, modified potato starch, hydrogenated vegetable oil, dried glucose syrup, salt, yeast... Read review

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Advantages: as good as the real thing
Disadvantages: none i can think of

...I was browsing the aisles of Safeway the other day, looking for something quick and easy to take to work for my break time. I usually get a Crosse and Blackwell Snack stop, but was in the mood for something a bit different. Of course, I have had Cup A Soup before. I was going to get my favourite flavour off the shelf, which happens to be Minestrone, when I noticed Safeway's own brand at about 20p cheaper. You might not think 20p is a lot, but when you have no money like me then every little helps! What do they look like? Well, this brand comes in a green box. At the top of the front panel of the box is the old red and white Safeways logo, and underneith this is a picture of an orange mug, filled with this gorgeous soup. Above the mug is the word 'Minestrone', in white lettering. Across the mug in a line of swirly steam... Read review

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Advantages: Tasty and hits the spot
Disadvantages: You have to wash up the mug

...Are you bored with Pot Noodles? Do you find them sickening and too much, but still like the convenience? Well, you should try Mug Shots!. Mug Shots are pasta snacks which you pour into a mug, add boiling water and hey presto! you have a tasty snack which is both nice and satisfying. They come in a variety of flavours, Chow main flavour, Chicken Flavour, Chicken & Mushroom Flavour, Creamy Cheese Flavour, Tomato & Herb Flavour, Sweet & Sour Flavour and Creamy Mushroom Flavour, with all these flavours they should satisfy the fussiest of eaters. They are low in Calories and low in Fat, EG. Chow Mein Flavour : 253 Calories and 1.7g Fat per sachet, Chicken Flavour : 212 Calories and 1.4g Fat per sachet. Although they are not suitable for those with nut allergies and most contain milk, wheat and egg, but some are okay for vegetarians. They have... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful pictures, great deal of info
Disadvantages: Inaccurate maps, dated information

...Have you ever heard anyone say: “I am going to DO Europe before I go and DO Asia and America!” Did you ever think to yourself: “What on Earth are they going to DO with or to these countries?” Well you have probably never thought of this that way but to me it came funny how the word DO equals VISIT in the cool-dude-of-a-backpacker language. I was going to become one of these people. And call me pathetic but cool is very high on my interest list. If I got to DO something, I DO it in style. And I was going to DO China. I can’t really say that the Lonely Planet guide to China made me want to pack my bags and fly to this colossus of a country on a first plane available. I always wanted to go there and by the point of the purchase I had already made it as far as Singapore on my way to China. It was my boyfriend (and a great travel buddy... Read review

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Advantages: Great cultural and historical perspectives
Disadvantages: Incessant grumbling of author becomes tiresome

...In recent years, China has, for me, lost some of its mysterious aura which has intrigued travelers for years. With the Beijing Olympics not far away, China is starting to open up to the outside world and is now at the heart of all kinds of statistics, used to illustrate just how much China is changing - that it is the world's biggest consumer of steel or that it has the fastest growing number of mobile phone users, for example. Paul Theroux's "Riding the Iron Rooster" was published in 1988; he had spent one year traveling China by train, covering the whole country in a series of trips (the "Iron Rooster" is the name of just one of the trains he travels on) during which he gave his impressions not only of the country and its customs but also the Chinese people. The trip takes him from the frozen forests of Manchuria, through the wilds... Read review

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Advantages: errr???
Disadvantages: See Opinion

...I am writing this for you on behalf of my brother who recently came to vist me in Sydney over the Christmas period and I don't mind if you don't rate it very highly I just wanted to share the experiance. We booked this flight with him through our travel agents, it was very expensive for an economy seat at around 1000 pounds but this was mainly due to the time of year he was traveling. He was flying via Bejing and the travel agent called Air China to confirm any visa requirements, a nice lady called Rebecca advised him that the only thing he needed was his Australian Tourist Visa to travel through Bejing. The day of the flight my brother checked in and there was no problems, this was his first ever flight and they went through everything with him, and told him wher to go. There were no delays in take off, and the first part... Read review

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Advantages: Fast, Delicious, Filling
Disadvantages: Relatively Pricey, Decor needs work!

...choice from my traditional favourites, how wrong I was. Prawn Toast, Chop Suey, all the standard sweet & sour dishes, the works! The main product offered by China One is the £3.95 meal deals. These come in relatively large polystyrene containers, not the most aesthetically pleasing, but the contents make up for it! The cointainer is then filled half with the dish of your choice (from a selction) and the other half filled with rice or chips. Fantastic value for money for the food, as I have difficulty finishing one! PRICE- China One does work out to be more expensive than most fast food places, as the meal deals do not include drinks, or any other side dishes you may require. Individual items also tend to be relatively expensive, which is why I stick to the meal deals whenever I dine there. Certain items can be great value when split... Read review

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