Gap Year: Middle East

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.