Gap Year: Middle East

Hi everyone,

I am a young, Canadian female. I am planning on taking 6 months off to travel independently, starting January 2015.
I am in the process of saving and budgeting right now. I would ideally love to travel to the Middle East and maybe some of Europe. I have a few questions.

What would be an ideal travel plan for 6 months? My budget will be somewhere between $5000-$8000.
What countries would you suggest are must sees. I would love to go to Egypt at some point. I would also like to see Israel and Jordan.
How much time should I spend in each country, and which countries are the best to live in on my budget?
If I do decide to go to Europe, which countries would you recommend? (I have already been to Italy)
What is a good amount of time to spend in each country?

I am not focused on living in comfort, 4-5 star hotels are not necessary for me. I would just like to immerse myself in new cultures and learn some new languages.

If any of you could advise an idea of a travel plan for me, that would be very helpful.

Thank you,

Taylor

If you are spending an extended period of time in the middle East I would consider taking some kind of Arabic classes while out there, which should help you immerse yourself into the culture.

Make sure you visit Israel last, as an Israeli passport stamp may stop you entering some countries within the Middle East.

For Jordan accommodation, food, a bit of local transport and entrance fees are going to set you back around 20-30 Canadian $ per day. Petra and Wadi Rum are going to cost significantly more. For budgets for other countries look at the specific threads for that country, it is a common question.

Due to the situation in Syria and Iraq and the fact that tourist visas for Saudi Arabia are pretty much non-existant, if you want to travel to anywhere else in the Middle East other than Egypt, Jordan and Israel you are going to have to fly. Again this is going to cut into your budget.

It may make more sense to do your trip in reverse (due to the Israeli passport stamp). Start in Europe, then Turkey - Iran - Iraqi Kurdistan overland. Then flight to Jordan - Israel- Egypt. You could add Lebanon in as a side trip (you will need to fly in and out), however this would have to be before Israel so maybe flying in from Erbil and out to Amman if this is possible, saving you a flight.

$8000 CAD is about $50 USD per day which seems like a reasonable budget. Most days you won't spend anywhere near this but I think by the time you factor in visas and flights and some of the more expensive things (language lessons, Petra, Wadi Rum etc.) $50 per day seems reasonable.

Thank you for the information!

I have narrowed it down to the following countries that I would like to visit:

Germany
France
Great Britain
Greece
Ireland
Spain
Turkey
Morocco
Israel
Egypt

Which of these should I reconsider? What order should I visit these places in? What country should I spend the most time in? I currently live in Winnipeg, Manitoba if that helps.

Thanks so much!

Since you mention that you'll be starting in January it's worth bearing in mind that it'll be winter in Europe which in the northern parts is dark, cold, wet and miserable so I'd organise a route going from south to north so your weather will be as mild as possible. On that basis the following order makes the most sense to me:

Spain - Morocco - Egypt - Israel - Turkey - Greece - Germany - France - Great Britain - Ireland

That way you're doing a sort of loop around the mediterranean during Winter and Spring and heading north as it gets into Summer.

As for what country to spend the most time in - it really depends on what you're interested in. If you can give us some specific interests you have we could better pinpoint where to go i.e. adventure sports/history/art/food/hiking/music etc

Good to know! I never thought of doing it that way. My only concern is what james2020 mentioned earlier, about Israel and the passport situation.

I am not interested in going to relax or for comfort. I don't want it to be much of a 'touristy' experience.
I am always interested in adventure, and trying new things/foods. I am very interested in culture and history.
I am somewhat of a religious person, so paired with my interest in history that is my main reason for wanting to visit the middle east.

You will be spending a lot more money in Western Europe so that's something to consider. Regarding the Israeli stamp thing - it's an issue if you're planning on visiting a number of Muslim countries (Iran, Sudan, Lebanon... that kind of place) though not all (you're ok for Jordan, Egypt and Turkey - of course things can change).

Yeah I assumed from the OP that you would be travelling around the Middle East, but you only intend to do Egypt and Turkey so Isreali stamp will not be a problem.

You say you don't want it to be "touristy" but have selected two of the most touristy Middle East destinations in Turkey and Egypt.

Expect Western Europe to cost around 90 CAD per day, so around 3000 CAD per month. If you intend to travel for 6 full months, I think you are going to have to either divide your time so you spend longer in the Mddle East than Europe, or increase your budget.

Personally I would limit where you visit in Europe,especially at the start of your trip (January). Too cold/wet (especially here in Britain) and frankly too expensive. Leave it for another trip.

In 6 months, I would average roughly one country per month, to give you enough time to enjoy each place you are in.

Also, consider your route, you don't want to be hopping back and forth.

Why not try something like this...

A few weeks in Spain. Then hop over to Morrocco (a common route is the ferry).

A month in Morrocco.

Fly to Egypt and spend a month there. (You can do Egypt independently very very easily and is much more preferable to the tour groups).

Spend a couple of weeks in Sinai (mount Sinai, desert, hurghada for a bit of relaxing, trust me the change in scenery for a few days will be nice) then hop over to Petra in Jordan (one of the new wonders of the world and a must see).

Head to Israel for a month.

Fly to Turkey and spend your last month there. Fly home.

That is a rough, dodgy U ish shaped arc through that region and will not involve zig zagging all over the place and allow for some ferry border crossings as well as flights (saving you money).

Israel are now no longer stamping passports, so there is no issues with travelling elsewhere in the region/requesting no stamp/getting a second passport etc which were all huge hassles in the past.

Your budget is okay (I am assuming US$?) IF you travel on a budget and does not include flights. I would up it if possible by a couple of grand.

I hope this helps and gives you a few ideas? Please come back if you need any more info.

Wow, thanks for all the help everyone. I am now considering cutting out a few european countries to save money on flights and whatnot.

Are there any other places in the middle east that you would recommend that are NOT too touristy?
I have also heard stories about tourists being kidnapped in Mount Sinai; is that still going on? Would it be safer to go with a tour group for that portion of my trip?
Any advice for a young female travelling through the middle east? (Asides from dressing modestly, which I do already.)
Finally, what would be a good and cheap method of accommodation? Have any of you tried couchsurfing?

Thanks!

No problem it's what we are here for.

There are plenty of 'non touristy' places, Iraq and Iran for starters. But remember, touristy places are touristy for a reason, if for example you visit the region and miss the Pyramids or Petra, you will kick yourself! Plus you can still head to the 'touristy' places and see them independently. Egypt is a prime example as one of the biggest tourist draws in the world, you can see a side of it that most tourists never will, and only come into contact with them at the major sites (ie the pyramids) when they get bussed in en masse and then leave with their air con coaches going back to Sharm el sheik.

Remember also that you are only planning for six months, so if you add another place to the list I gave you for example, then I recommend taking another place off.

Now, as for safety, this gets asked so so much and you really shouldn't worry. Basic common sense precautions will see you fine. Dress modestly, learn a little basic arabic, if you are unsure of custom then look at what the local women are doing. If you are not married, then wear a cheap wedding ring anyway, it may stop a few stares. That's pretty much it.

Yes there have been isolated incidents of kidnapping in Sinai, but guess what? People get kidnapped in London, New York, Ontario, Tokyo ... Thousands of people visit Sinai every single day and are perfectly safe. Again, basic common sense precautions will see you safe.

As for accomodation, you can get a good, clean hotel room (mostly with private bathrooms) pretty cheaply depending which country you are in. Spain and Turkey will probably be the most expensive. You don't need to spend more than £10 - £15 GBP a night. Obviously dorms and cheaper rooms (shared bathrooms etc) cost less.

Non touristy Middle East - most places other than, probably, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey (oh and I guess Israel). Oman would be a great place, not touristy and pretty safe - also easy access from Dubai (seemingly touristy but for no good reason). Also, parts of Turkey and Egypt are not touristy.

Regarding the Sinai, the latest kidnapping I know of was last this month, though they were released the same day.

If the contemplated trip is in January 2015, who cares where tourists are being kidnapped today. What is the relevance to a trip that may or may not happen nearly 2 years from now?

From what I can see you have been given enough info to start planning with. Come back when you have actually got the money saved and the timing firmed up.

I'd recommend Iran for a less touristy Middle East experience - also very cheap at the moment since the currency fell though the floor. It's my favourite so far out of the Middle Eastern countries I've visited. I would have added Syria to this list before the current conflict. As stated above there are less toursty places in every country.

Your daily budget will vary a lot between countries both in Europe and the Middle East. eg Israel is pretty much as expensive as Europe but Egypt could be very cheap if you wanted it to be.

This is far in the future, but make sure when you're buying travel insurance that it actually covers the countries you're going to visit. A lot of insurance companies won't cover places where there is an official " do not travel" warning from the government (i.e. Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon).

It's pretty easy to avoid the 'touristy' areas in Turkey. If you time it in the off-season (I spent a month there one October) the weather is still beautiful, but even backpacker hubs like Göreme were quiet. My specific advice:

to see Ephesus: stay nearby in Selçuk. You can walk to Ephesus early in the morning. There will still be crowds there, but less than in the middle of the day.

Antalya -stay in Kaleiçi, the old Ottoman quarter, rather than the mega hotels or resort communities along the coast.

İstanbul - stay anywhere but Sultanahmet. Or, if you have the time, spend a few days in Sultanahmet (because it really is fantastically beautiful at dawn and dusk), then move to another neighborhood for a week to explore the rest of the city.

Cappadocia - There are a number of small towns outside the main tourist triangle.

Şanlıurfa - There are a lot of Muslim pilgrims here, but very few tourists and backpackers - and it's a great city to base yourself in while you explore the area.