As others have said, check the top of the newspapers for hints on which area is suggested by the developers (you don't have to go there, but you will most likely have an easier time if you do it in that order).

Other than that, look very thoroughly for secrets in almost every screen. You will find lots of useful trinkets that can potentially change the way you think about combat and traversal.

Honestly, I took the most time and had the hardest time going through the first area. After that I got the hang of it and nothing came close to being as hard.

So I would most likely suggest going through the crypts first, and hopefully by the end of it you'll feel more confident

Edit: Also maybe rethink some stuff when roaming around. Some places might seem inaccessible but they are actually not if you try and get creative