Going to China in April (vacation) with the Mrs., am fearful of doing our 14-days of siteseeing without a tour guide arranged in advance. We have never used a tour agency before when on vacation, always did it alone. But the language problem is causing some concern. Can anyone recommend some decent (competent English speaking tour guides, etc.) for us to engage when we are in China. Saw some write-up on the company "travelchinaguide", not sure if this was an objective view of their services.

What has been other people's experiences? If I were to go it alone what hotel (4-5 star) in Beijing and Shanghai would you recommend? How difficult is it to arrange domestic flights once in China?