Travelling to the Far East

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omens

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The wife and I want to take a holiday to the Far East, ideally around April 2016. Given that neither of us has travelled much, we welcome suggestions. Ideally, the holiday would be a mix of relaxing and sightseeing/exploring. We've earmarked two weeks and maybe 2-3 destinations.

What do you peeps recommend?
 
Hong Kong, Vietnam/Cambodia and Thailand? That offers a pretty wide range of options for 'relaxing and sightseeing/exploring', and April isn't so uncomfortably hot and humid compared with summer.
 
I was looking at Thailand/Malaysia and maybe Cambodia. Would it all be too "samey"?
 
omens said:
I was looking at Thailand/Malaysia and maybe Cambodia. Would it all be too "samey"?
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There's not a lot to see in Cambodia really, other than the temples at Siem Reap.

Vietnam is a lot less touristy and there's a lot more to see, we spent 3 weeks travelling from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi and it was incredible, we didn't slum it as it was our honeymoon, and we had the little person with us and still spent less than £2000 including flights.
 
KitsuneAndy said:
There's not a lot to see in Cambodia really, other than the temples at Siem Reap.
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Thanks. Didn't know that. Just heard other people have been.

KitsuneAndy said:
Vietnam is a lot less touristy and there's a lot more to see, we spent 3 weeks travelling from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi and it was incredible, we didn't slum it as it was our honeymoon, and we had the little person with us and still spent less than £2000 including flights.
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Can I ask where you stayed? Who did you book through?
 
omens said:
Thanks. Didn't know that. Just heard other people have been.


Can I ask where you stayed? Who did you book through?
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Booked it ourselves, hotels etc through booking.com and flights with Qatar.

We pre-booked a 3 day tour of the Mekong Delta, and a 3 day cruise of Halong Bay. The Mekong Delta tour was about £40 including accommodation and lunches, the cruise about £200 (3 star, but we got a free upgrade to a 5* boat).

We travelled via train for the most part, soft sleeper class, dirt cheap and a great experience. But we got an internal flight for the last stretch from Hue to Hanoi, as a 14 hour train journey would've been too much for the little one.

But, roughly we did:

Ho Chi Minh & Mekong Delta.
Nha Trang
Whale Island (Da Mon) just off the coast of Nha Trang, paradise! About 15 people on the island including the staff, 30m visibility in the water, incredible place
Hoi An - lovely chilled out little town
Hue
Hanoi
Halong Bay

Couple of blogs on my site:

http://www.andydanephotography.co.uk/honeymoon-vietnam-week-1/

http://www.andydanephotography.co.uk/honeymoon-vietnam-week-2/

http://www.andydanephotography.co.uk/honeymoon-vietnam-week-3/
 
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KitsuneAndy said:
There's not a lot to see in Cambodia really, other than the temples at Siem Reap.

Vietnam is a lot less touristy and there's a lot more to see, we spent 3 weeks travelling from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi and it was incredible, we didn't slum it as it was our honeymoon, and we had the little person with us and still spent less than £2000 including flights.
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Not sure I'd agree with that, but depends what you are looking for I suppose.

Angkor Wat is a must see if you go to Cambodia, but also you should go to the S21 former Khmer Rouge prison in Phnom Penh. It's fairly heartbreaking - it's a prison where basically virtually everyone who went there was killed after being tortured during the time of the Khmer Rouge. What makes it haunting is most people who went there had their picture taken, and the expression of despair of people's faces is overwhelming. It has a really interesting (and sad) relatively recent history.

Thailand is far more advanced than Cambodia in terms of it's infrastructure, it's transport and health care are comparable to the UK I believe - easy to get around. Thailand depends what you want, you have the amazing beaches, lots of temples also, going off track etc.

I've not been to Vietnam so can't comment.

I'll throw a wildcard in there - Myanmar \ Burma. I went 13 years ago when it was still very much restricted and under strict military rule - things seem to have opened up a bit more since then. I expect it will change a lot in the next 10-20 years - when I was there no western products at all eg no coke, McDonalds, fashion shops etc - they did however have PL football! Transport was long and subject to change (I had 4 weeks there). It was an amazing country to travel around, amazing people under a horrific regime.

You'll enjoy any of those countries - I would just say try not to do too much in a short space of time, take your time to enjoy where you are.
 
Has anyone been to Singapore?

We're still looking at ideas of what we want which I think is difficult. Ideally a mix of relaxing on the beach but also some sightseeing.

I'm thinking of maybe Ko Samui or Ko Lanta for the beach element, and then Bangkok and/or somewhere else for sightseeing.
 
I spent 6 months in South East Asia in 2007, and I enjoyed Ko Lanta a lot more than Ko Samui. The islands on the west were to my mind a lot nicer (except Ko Tao) and with Ao Nang (Railay) and Khao Sok in that western area as well, it would make for a much better beach going trip, with photo opportunities.
I'm sure it has developed an awful lot since I was last there.
Vietnam was great but chaotic when compared with the Buddhist countries of SE Asia. I loved Cambodia and Laos, and found them very inspiring, and well worthy of a visit. The pace of life was a lot more sedate, and allowed for a more relaxed trip. Vietnam seemed somewhat like a bustling metropolis in comparison.
Certainly don't rule out Malaysia. Incredible wildlife and landscapes, and beaches to die for.
I never made it to Myanmar, but it is on my bucket list, as travel there would seem easier in the current climate

Singapore is certainly an interesting place to visit. I enjoyed the few days that I had there, but I am not a city person, and much prefered the rural highlights of the region (of which there are many) rather than humid cities, bustling with people
 
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MattyW said:
I spent 6 months in South East Asia in 2007, and I enjoyed Ko Lanta a lot more than Ko Samui. The islands on the west were to my mind a lot nicer (except Ko Tao) and with Ao Nang (Railay) and Khao Sok in that western area as well, it would make for a much better beach going trip, with photo opportunities.
I'm sure it has developed an awful lot since I was last there.
Vietnam was great but chaotic when compared with the Buddhist countries of SE Asia. I loved Cambodia and Laos, and found them very inspiring, and well worthy of a visit. The pace of life was a lot more sedate, and allowed for a more relaxed trip. Vietnam seemed somewhat like a bustling metropolis in comparison.
Certainly don't rule out Malaysia. Incredible wildlife and landscapes, and beaches to die for.
I never made it to Myanmar, but it is on my bucket list, as travel there would seem easier in the current climate

Singapore is certainly an interesting place to visit. I enjoyed the few days that I had there, but I am not a city person, and much prefered the rural highlights of the region (of which there are many) rather than humid cities, bustling with people
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I did the same, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and 6 weeks in Nepal. I think the problem is when you have this much time, you are far more relaxed about delays, are happy to spend time just relaxing with the locals, it's all part of the experience. When you have a short holiday you are more driven to do certain things on your list, and the soft things that are hard to quantify often (naturally) drop down the priority list.

Agree re Cambodia and Laos - had some amazing experiences in both.
 
omens said:
Has anyone been to Singapore?

We're still looking at ideas of what we want which I think is difficult. Ideally a mix of relaxing on the beach but also some sightseeing.

I'm thinking of maybe Ko Samui or Ko Lanta for the beach element, and then Bangkok and/or somewhere else for sightseeing.
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I'll be there December next year :D

Been to Thailand twice and I love it but I think there's so much to see that you need to either do a lot of research or have a guide. My GF is Thai so knowing where to go isn't a problem :D We went for a wedding in August and hired a guy with this...



and he and it took seven of us all over in comfort. If going to Thailand without GF I think I'd be tempted to hire one of these (plus driver) as it costs peanuts and just give the driver the itinerary.

Not reallllllly the far east but if anyone gets the chance to go to Kazakhstan I'd say do it. I've been three times, twice in winter and once in summer and loved pretty much every minute. There's so much to see and I'll remember a fishing trip I went on for the rest of my life :D
 
omens said:
Has anyone been to Singapore?

We're still looking at ideas of what we want which I think is difficult. Ideally a mix of relaxing on the beach but also some sightseeing.

I'm thinking of maybe Ko Samui or Ko Lanta for the beach element, and then Bangkok and/or somewhere else for sightseeing.
Click to expand...


I've been to Thailand a few times and I would recommend maybe only doing a few days at each location

My trips have generally been

Land in Bangkok and stay 1 or 2 nights to recover ,heh
Fly to phuket and stay around 3-4 nights
Get cheap ferry to Koh Phiphi island and stay 3-4 nights
Get ferry to Krabi then fly to Koh Samui for 3-4 nights
Then fly back to Bangkok for a couple of nights in a 5 star hotel before heading home

The first time I went I didn't book anything except the longhaul flights and played it all by ear

My least favourite place was koh samui but I stayed on a villa on a nice resort so spent most of that relaxing by the pool


Singapore is nice but I would only go for a few days
 
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I've lived in Hong Kong the past 3 years and I definitely think it's worth a visit to witness the growth of the economy in that region as well as the madness of day to day life surrounded by skyscrapers and mountains.
I enjoyed parts of Thailand with the contrast of BKK to the beautiful islands. I enjoyed the Philippines (Palawan). The Filipino people are a lot of fun and quite different to many of the other South East Asian natives. Bali is very popular for chill out times and Burma is now a lot more accessible. I typically went to relax on my holidays out of HK rather than looking for much else. It becomes a bit samey with regards to the lifestyle once you visit a few of the islands.
 
I've been Cambodia last year, Singapore last year and Vietnam in 2013 (Ho Chi Minh City). I'm also going back to Vietnam (Hanoi) next Sunday :D:D.

Although I'm no expert, I still may be able to answer questions. The problem is, we all see things differently. I prefer Vietnam > Cambodia > Singapore. It also depends what you want out of your holidays. I nearly always view a holiday as somewhere to walk around with my camera for 2 weeks solid! I love a bit of street photography and all of those places offer the chance for me to have a crack.

Phnom Penh is really good and there is plenty to do there (museums, death camps etc which has been covered by AKR). A night bus to Angkor Wat is about £20 and you get your own bed on there.

Ho Chi Minh is just mental. 8 million scooters in that city alone! It's bonkers. I found there were a lot of tourists there.

I'm a fan of scruffy, dusty streets, crumbling buildings mixed with hustle and bustle. Personally, it makes interesting shots for me. Although Singapore is very nice, I found it too clinical and way too clean!

Like I said, 99% of my holidays I view as a photography break so that's what I look at. Let us know where your priorities lie and I'm sure someone can help you a bit more.

I'm desperate to go to Hong Kong and Delhi/Kolkata by the way!
 
JBuk said:
I've been to Thailand a few times and I would recommend maybe only doing a few days at each location

My trips have generally been

Land in Bangkok and stay 1 or 2 nights to recover ,heh
Fly to phuket and stay around 3-4 nights
Get cheap ferry to Koh Phiphi island and stay 3-4 nights
Get ferry to Krabi then fly to Koh Samui for 3-4 nights
Then fly back to Bangkok for a couple of nights in a 5 star hotel before heading home

The first time I went I didn't book anything except the longhaul flights and played it all by ear

My least favourite place was koh samui but I stayed on a villa on a nice resort so spent most of that relaxing by the pool


Singapore is nice but I would only go for a few days
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Lol that's doing tourist Thailand.
Chiang mai is a must. The old town is beautiful, full of old temples, monk chat club, new town has a great china town, lots to do and see. Get out and about and see the town. Visit the women's prison, chat to some British women caught smuggling drugs who never get any visitors.
Chiang rai is not so interesting, but is in the triangle, so worth a visit into the hills for the tea plantations, up to the border crossing, the white temple is fantastic.
 
Byker28i said:
Lol that's doing tourist Thailand.
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Not sure what you find so funny about my advice, or is it just some form of travel snobbery? /shrug

The op did ask for suggestions about a holiday that involves a mixture of relaxing and sight seeing and then talks of koh samui, beaches and Bangkok, I'm sure Chiang Mai would be great place to visit too although its a little out the way for a 2 week holiday with a few destinations
 
Only because you suggested bangkok, beaches and bangkok. There's so much more to see. It's really worth exploring a country and Thailand is one of those places to do this.

In two weeks you could fly into bangkok a couple of days is enough sightseeing is enough so three nights. Fly up to chiang mai short flight, or take the train. 3 nights in chaing mai, travel by road upto chiang rai, taking in the white temple on the way. Golden triangle, Laos, Myanmar, then jump on a short internal flight to the beaches, pick one depending on if you want quiet relaxing or noisy nightlife. Look out for the full moon beach parties at certain locations of that's your thing.
Plenty of companies will organise a trip around the country for you but it's really worth visiting all as it's so different in all the areas.

I would recommend getting a local guide. We booked one for everywhere so were able to have someone who spoke the language but who we could also talk about seeing things off the tourist trail, especially places to eat.

Eating out, street food is a big thing in bangkok, it's very good and cheap, but there's plenty of good places to eat as well. They are just getting into coffee as a luxury item, for some it's a status thing, but most have a single cup a day. Pale skin is also a sign of status, tanned people are seen as lower class, they work in fields all day, so don't be surprised to see people covered up in the hot weather.

Monks are everywhere and really interesting to speak to and get a blessing. In fact everyone is interesting to speak to.

But honestly, chiang mai is a must
 
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woof woof said:
I'll be there December next year :D

Been to Thailand twice and I love it but I think there's so much to see that you need to either do a lot of research or have a guide. My GF is Thai so knowing where to go isn't a problem :D We went for a wedding in August and hired a guy with this...



and he and it took seven of us all over in comfort. If going to Thailand without GF I think I'd be tempted to hire one of these (plus driver) as it costs peanuts and just give the driver the itinerary.

Not reallllllly the far east but if anyone gets the chance to go to Kazakhstan I'd say do it. I've been three times, twice in winter and once in summer and loved pretty much every minute. There's so much to see and I'll remember a fishing trip I went on for the rest of my life :D
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Care to tell me more? I love my fishing and photography. Myanmar also sounds very appealing and like Kazakhstan, off the beaten track somewhat. Anyone else like fishing? How do folks deal with the relative humidity regarding electronics in the sub-tropics?
 
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Tell you more about Kazakhstan?The fishing trip was a great experience. We were staying in Almaty and took an 8 hour 4x4 drive though the countryside to the Ili river and then a boat to our little spot on an island. The leading guy found the place on a Kazakh fishing forum. The villages and countryside we passed through would have been a photographers dream but as we were pressing on I didn't get to take any pictures and I'd love to do that trip again but take a couple of days over it to shoot.

Not too sure if travelling to Kazakhstan has changed these days but back when I went getting a visa was a bit of a faff but if you can get one I'd say it's a great place to visit. The mix of Kazakh and Soviet influences and styles is interesting and there's great sights and culture and sadly a worrying mix of extreme wealth and poverty. Luckily for me I/we were at the very comfortable end of things. Both winter and summer were experiences and it's a fantastic place and not going to live there was quite a decision for a number of reasons.

Just about humidity in Thailand. I've only had one problem at one location where I got a series of three or four slightly out of focus shots with my MFT GX7 camera. It didn't happen at any other location and I can only imagine that it was caused by humidity maybe getting on to the sensor. The camera was fine before and after that location and when went back to the same place this August my Sony A7 did fine.

Just in case you haven't been to Thailand... opening the door to get out of an air conditioned car the heat and humidity hits like opening an oven on a cool day in northern England :D
 
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Thanks Alan, what were you fishing for,?? It's reassuring to read that you didn't have major issues with humidity but I'd definately take a back up or two just in case. (Fuji X system).
 
I'm no fisherman so I'm not sure what they were.... :D

If it helps at all we were fishing with just metal hooks and shiny twiddly things :D no bait. I think one of the types of fish was some sort of catfish but they were the minority and most were something else.

Googling Ili river fish might give a clue.
 
Byker28i said:
Lol that's doing tourist Thailand.
Chiang mai is a must. The old town is beautiful, full of old temples, monk chat club, new town has a great china town, lots to do and see. Get out and about and see the town. Visit the women's prison, chat to some British women caught smuggling drugs who never get any visitors.
Chiang rai is not so interesting, but is in the triangle, so worth a visit into the hills for the tea plantations, up to the border crossing, the white temple is fantastic.
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Chiang Mai is about as touristy as BKK arguably. Make sure you get a picture with a drugged up Tiger! Maybe even a waterfight :-)

I'm sure the Op will enjoy his time wherever he ends up anywhoo..
 
Where was the drugged tigers? In the zoo? Didn't go there.
 
rich_ said:
Chiang Mai is about as touristy as BKK arguably. Make sure you get a picture with a drugged up Tiger! Maybe even a waterfight :)

I'm sure the Op will enjoy his time wherever he ends up anywhoo..
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I saw a very placid looking tiger who looked out for the count in an attraction in Thailand but as soon as someone approached to have their picture taken it was as if someone had hit his on switch and he sat up straight, good as gold, until the pictures had been taken and then... someone hit his off switch and down he went for another snooze. Personally I kept my distance, even the parrot photo stall next door looked too vicious for me :D

 
Alan, my Daughter had a few of pics taken with a tiger a couple of years ago. I said she must have been crazy!
(I'm not a fan of stuff like this for tourists & wondered if sedatives were routinely used + there's still a danger of being killed, even though the chances are slim)

This one was obviously in a compound/caged area;

t6p2ja.jpg


This one wasn't.
Her hubby took a good few steps backwards when it opened its mouth! (& I don't blame him)

308jg5d.jpg
 
Argh. Need to hijack the as I don't think my question worthy of a thread of its own. Massive apologies Omens...although you can use it for intelligence gathering ;-)

Byker28i...any info on Sri Lanka please? I'm going in March. Going to Colombo. My Wife wanted to go to see lions and stuff but they're miles away and it seems you can only buy safari-only holidays which I don't want. Thanks and apologies again to Omens.
 
OldCarlos said:
Alan, my Daughter had a few of pics taken with a tiger a couple of years ago. I said she must have been crazy!
(I'm not a fan of stuff like this for tourists & wondered if sedatives were routinely used + there's still a danger of being killed, even though the chances are slim)
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I hadn't even considered sedatives, shame if it happens. The tiger I took a picture of didn't seem to be sedated but did seem to know his job and sat up immediately and looked alert enough to me. I definitely wouldn't trust one and I did feel uncomfortable taking the shot as I was closer than it may look from the shot :D I wouldn't have sat near him and turned my back like his human partner either. My sister and her daughter had their picture taken with one in Vietnam, they didn't suspect sedation either but I suppose it can and does happen.
 
Jesus Quintana said:
Argh. Need to hijack the as I don't think my question worthy of a thread of its own. Massive apologies Omens...although you can use it for intelligence gathering ;-)

Byker28i...any info on Sri Lanka please? I'm going in March. Going to Colombo. My Wife wanted to go to see lions and stuff but they're miles away and it seems you can only buy safari-only holidays which I don't want. Thanks and apologies again to Omens.
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We did this - or a variant, it's roughly the same itinerary. Back in 2009, just as the war against the Tamil Tigers was finishing.
http://www.familyadventurecompany.co.uk/tours/elephant-paradise
A few photos - http://www.pbase.com/byker28i/srilanka

I'm a strong believer in travelling and seeing a country. We flew into Columbo and headed straight out, only returning on the last day to fly home. Arriving back into the capital with neon lights, fancy cars, seemed very strange after seeing the rest of the country

We travelled with three other families, so 16 of us, around by small coach. Great for asking the driver to stop for those photo moments. Roadside cafe?
115936259.jpg


One of the most enjoyable countries I've visited
 
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Didn't know Thailand had tigers, a lot of the elephant places are very touristy, elephant football matches, elephant painting, not very normal elephant activities.
There are however a couple of elephant sanctuaries where they are caring for and breeding elephants to replace those lost, you can spend a day there with the keepers looking after them, and thats how they raise money.

Someone suggested I visit the womans prison in Chiang Mai as some british prisoners get no visitors. I spoke to two women who were caught smuggling drugs, some very sobering stories but they were grateful for someone else to talk to. They also run a small cafe and massage suite nearby, teaching women trades for when the leave. Best iced tea in Thailand.

Koi Samui is nice, we finished the holiday at Rockys
http://www.rockyresort.com/en?gclid=CLDJ6Kb2gskCFQrmwgodGSEFkw
really nice small, quiet, relaxing hotel.

We went during the protests - very interesting talking to the people
A few images on my flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/byker28i/albums
 
woof woof said:
I'm no fisherman so I'm not sure what they were.... :D

If it helps at all we were fishing with just metal hooks and shiny twiddly things :D no bait. I think one of the types of fish was some sort of catfish but they were the minority and most were something else.

Googling Ili river fish might give a clue.
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"just metal hooks and shiny twiddly things", that made me chuckle. Lures then, spinning is another term. I had a look, there's some immense catfish there but the guides are costly and Spain or France is cheaper for those beasts. Thanks for helping out, I'll look towards Asia then, there's some weird things gliding under the surface there.
 
Lots of useful info but the missus keeps changing her mind! :eek:

@Jesus Quintana don't worry about the hijack. Sri Lanka's also another place on our destination lists. So many places to go visit. So little time and money. :(
 
I would definitely recommend the Philippines, places like Palawan have ridiculously beautiful beaches and aren't as busy as places like Thailand.
 
steveclem said:
"just metal hooks and shiny twiddly things", that made me chuckle. Lures then, spinning is another term. I had a look, there's some immense catfish there but the guides are costly and Spain or France is cheaper for those beasts. Thanks for helping out, I'll look towards Asia then, there's some weird things gliding under the surface there.
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Kazakhstan is a bit out of the ordinary and the visa process may put a lot of people off unless they have a contact or live close to an embassy but I just wanted to add a quick note or two for anyone tempted and also about guides being expensive...

Once you are over there there's an army of people offering help and to act as a taxi or guide for reasonable money, if you trust them or not is another matter but our experiences over there were good and when I asked about the possibility of being abducted or robbed by blokes offering services the answer that came back was that people are too scared of the police to do anything bad...

Another possibility is to go on a Kazakh fishing forum and see if it's possible to join an expedition or book through a UK company doing trips there as I think that does happen.

The main issue with Kazakhstan is possibly the visa process and knowing where to go when you're there. I ended up there because my GF at the time is a Kazakh (although I met her in northern England :D) and from a very well to do family so she knew all the best places to go etc. The visa process was a problem for me as I live so far from an embassy but luckily she was from the same tribe as their man in Belgium where my GF was based a lot of the time and he sorted my visa out until he was moved on and posted elsewhere. Other than that my visa was arranged via a Danish company who I was working for as it's easier or at least it was at the time easier to get a visa through a company than to do it as an individual and hundreds of miles from the embassy.

It's an absolutely fantastic place if you're lucky enough to have money and can stomach being exposed to the poverty, a bit like Thailand and other places.
 
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MartynK said:
Hong Kong, Vietnam/Cambodia and Thailand? That offers a pretty wide range of options for 'relaxing and sightseeing/exploring', and April isn't so uncomfortably hot and humid compared with summer.
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Asia doesn't really have 'seasons' as such (apart from the rainy season or monsoon season) the way we do (summer, winter etc), its stiflingly hot all year around! Vietnam for instance, might be 28c in April rather than 34c but it's still very hot and very humid, uncomfortably so.
 
omens said:
Has anyone been to Singapore?

We're still looking at ideas of what we want which I think is difficult. Ideally a mix of relaxing on the beach but also some sightseeing.

I'm thinking of maybe Ko Samui or Ko Lanta for the beach element, and then Bangkok and/or somewhere else for sightseeing.
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Yes, its very nice, but very pricey! I went for the Grand Prix a few weeks ago whilst in was in Asia on my travels (photos to follow!). Its great for a city break.
 
woof woof said:
I'll be there December next year :D

Been to Thailand twice and I love it but I think there's so much to see that you need to either do a lot of research or have a guide. My GF is Thai so knowing where to go isn't a problem :D We went for a wedding in August and hired a guy with this...



and he and it took seven of us all over in comfort. If going to Thailand without GF I think I'd be tempted to hire one of these (plus driver) as it costs peanuts and just give the driver the itinerary.

Not reallllllly the far east but if anyone gets the chance to go to Kazakhstan I'd say do it. I've been three times, twice in winter and once in summer and loved pretty much every minute. There's so much to see and I'll remember a fishing trip I went on for the rest of my life :D
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Be wary going to Kazakhstan, its become a growing recruiting ground for ISIS / extremists. In fact a lot of central Asia is becoming unsafe for Brits and US citizens and the FO have a general threat of terrorism highlighted for the area. Its a shame as its an absolutely stunning place.

East / south east Asia is still very safe.
 
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woof woof said:
Kazakhstan is a bit out of the ordinary and the visa process may put a lot of people off unless they have a contact or live close to an embassy but I just wanted to add a quick note or two for anyone tempted and also about guides being expensive...

Once you are over there there's an army of people offering help and to act as a taxi or guide for reasonable money, if you trust them or not is another matter but our experiences over there were good and when I asked about the possibility of being abducted or robbed by blokes offering services the answer that came back was that people are too scared of the police to do anything bad...

Another possibility is to go on a Kazakh fishing forum and see if it's possible to join an expedition or book through a UK company doing trips there as I think that does happen.

The main issue with Kazakhstan is possibly the visa process and knowing where to go when you're there. I ended up there because my GF at the time is a Kazakh (although I met her in northern England :D) and from a very well to do family so she knew all the best places to go etc. The visa process was a problem for me as I live so far from an embassy but luckily she was from the same tribe as their man in Belgium where my GF was based a lot of the time and he sorted my visa out until he was moved on and posted elsewhere. Other than that my visa was arranged via a Danish company who I was working for as it's easier or at least it was at the time easier to get a visa through a company than to do it as an individual and hundreds of miles from the embassy.

It's an absolutely fantastic place if you're lucky enough to have money and can stomach being exposed to the poverty, a bit like Thailand and other places.
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British passport holders (assuming the OP is a Brit passport holder?) don't need a visa any more for Kazakhstan as long as you aren't staying any more than 15 days (as with Vietnam etc) but see above if you're planning on going there.
 
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