Wow thanks for the great advice! This is all very useful information which I'm going to need to spend time looking into.

I guess some more practical questions:
1. Is it primarily a cash culture there? Would bringing minmal cash and relying more on credit be a mistake?
2. How english friendly are most people?
3. Is it worthwhile to look at "tours" or "day trips"? or would doing it on your own be ideal? similarily to language, would having a local guide be advisable? (Not just language but customs/etc)
4. I'm not entirely sure about the religious background of the country, but I did see mention of Islam. Whilst travelling in the middle east one of my female friends needed to cover up shoulders etc. Is this a concern here?

I'm really looking forward to visiting this part of the world, every single picture I see is stunning so I'm super excited, thanks for all your help!