Another person with a SE Asia connection here. My wife is Sarawakian (Iban) so if we moved back there for any significant time we'd definitely be based out of Kuching. I wouldn't consider Thailand or HK myself, and Singapore probably wouldn't fly either - a bit too cina for us lah, we need our orang dayak and extended family around.
Myself, I stay away from Bali and prefer to visit less bule-infested spots in Indonesia as when I'm out there I'm usually trying to escape that type of thing (Western mentality/people) for the time that I'm there. I find alot of time that Western tourists "use" the destination rather than attempting to understand the place they're visiting, but more so the local/visitor interaction becomes annoying and monetary-driven and as a Westerner I have to deal with the associated expectations so as a result I'd rather spend my time in Bandung, Jogja, or Jakarta before a place like Bali. I also despise how Australians pronounce Malay words and Bali is their number 1 spot.
It used to be easier to travel around from Sarawak to Indonesia but due to demand and other reasons, Kuching seems to be less of a hub than they want it to be - hence KK is getting more traffic. This is a bit inconvenient for us as we used to fly straight from Kuching to CGK via AirAsia until they killed that route. Now it's either bussing or flying from KCH to Pontianak and then flying to CGK from there. BKI<>CGK is another route but usually take that flying out of Indonesia. Any other route requires going back to KL and that's going in the wrong direction for us.
Small world here...yes Indonesia and Malaysia (outside of KL) have retained much of their wonderful culture and heritage in the face of rampant westernization in most of the rest of SE Asia. This is the most wonderful aspect of visiting and living in these countries. I also have an SE Asian wife. I am married to the Singa-Malay lady I met and dated while living in the Woodlands.
It was Very hard to go back to western living after having spent time there. Trying to talk my parents into moving to Malaysia or Indonesia. They are still pretty healthy and able to enjoy life but retirement living in the US is dreary. They have friends that own flats in an extended living retirement community where assistance is there if needed. They have asked me to look at the community with them. But nuclear and extended family life is so much more healthy and nourishing in Asian society.
Too bad about reduced fly routes in Kuching. I thought SE Asian budget carriers were flying everywhere now. I fly Garuda mostly from Europe (sometimes US) to SE Asia.....like a lot of other things about Indonesia and Malaysia its not well known to western tourists and is still a pleasure.
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