I am currently in Luoyang, China.

Originally, I planned to go from China to Nepal via Tibet, but since Nepal was affected by the earthquake, it's not a good idea to go to Nepal at this time. The situation is chaotic, and there are disruptions to the supply of electricity and food.

Therefore, even if I were to just visit Tibet, the routes to leave Tibet, whether by land or air, are directionally best via Kathmandu. However, I think Kathmandu Airport is in a state of chaos, so I want to avoid routes that go through Nepal.

Originally, it's not possible to travel freely in Tibet; joining a tour is mandatory. The cheapest route from Lhasa, Tibet, to Kathmandu costs around USD 1,400 (USD 1,200 + USD 200 for a single room). In addition to that, there are separate train fares, and the entry permit and procedures are complicated. The fact that you can't travel freely in Tibet means that you have to follow the tour schedule even if the weather is bad. Your stay in Lhasa is limited to a few days. If I were to endure such inconveniences, I might consider going on a tour from Japan during the off-season, or wait for the political situation in Tibet to stabilize before traveling freely. It seems that the political instability in Tibet, however insignificant it may be, is becoming an unavoidable situation as China becomes a major power. The leader of the exiled government is also getting old, so perhaps if he passes away, a day may come when it will be politically stable and possible to travel freely. Regardless of the political situation, it doesn't seem like a good time to travel right now.

I have traveled to Leh, India, which is in the Tibetan region, so I'm not particularly regretful about not being able to go to Lhasa, Tibet, this time. I've heard that Lhasa is crowded with Chinese people and is noisy, while the temples in Leh, India, are very quiet, and Tibetans live quietly there. Leh might be more Tibetan than Lhasa. If that's the case, there's no need to go to Lhasa this time.

Therefore, I'm giving up on the Tibet & Nepal trip and will go to other countries.

The first route that comes to mind is going through Pakistan to India. However, this route has recently had poor security, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' safety information issues a "recommendation to evacuate" and a "recommendation to postpone travel," which are strong recommendations at levels 3 and 4. So, it's not a good idea. If you were to go, it would be from Kashgar, China, to Gilgit, then to Islamabad, and from there to Leh or Manali in India. The area near the border between Pakistan and India is under a "recommendation to evacuate."

Next, I thought of Kazakhstan.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' safety information, it is relatively stable. The entire country is designated as "sufficient caution," just like India, so you can think of it as having a similar level of safety. If that's the case, it could be a top candidate.

The area between Kazakhstan and Turkey is close to ISIS, so traveling by land is likely dangerous.
Therefore, it seems better to enter Turkey by air after entering Kazakhstan by land.

Originally, I had planned to stay in Manali, in northern India, for a short time, but that will be difficult.
I have already traveled a lot in India during my assignment, so I won't regret not being able to go this time.

It seems that there are trains and buses from Urumqi, China, to Kazakhstan.
Almaty seems to be like the ancient capital of Kazakhstan, so there are likely many interesting places to see. Also, there seem to be cheap flights from Almaty to Istanbul, Turkey, so it seems a good idea to travel to Almaty by land and then to Turkey by air.