Can I just make a suggestion - along with a phrase book I would take one of those cards that has lots and lots of pictures on it to which you can point to what you're trying to say.

you can pick those up at a lot of travel shops or bookstores where theey have travel stuff.

Why? Well phrase books may be good but if you're cold and tired or just wanting something quickly the point and go method would be helpful.

Secondly - pronunciation. I go to China quite a lot, staying with friends, and they lwill teach me a phrase, but unless you can get that phrase almost exactly right to the person you're tralking to then you might as well be speaking a different language anyway.

It's not uncommon for my friends to get into a taxi and have to repeat three of four times (andf they are chinese!) the name of the place they want - OR - having said the name of the place the taxi driver not understanding and they have to give directions until the taxi drives 'oh you mean... ' (in chinese of course) which to me sounded like what my friends had been saying all along, but for the taxi driver had slight change in tone or whatever it is.

So i would go with both. If i had to choose, i'd take the drawiings over the phrase book! (little things like 'I'm want to buy milk' - just point at cows udder rather than having to flick through phrase book for 'i would like to buy' then another page for 'milk')

regards

lme ff