Transfer to HK - kids/schools/where to live???

[bargfeldstegen]

Some expats prefer to congregate with other expats and that means there is a higher density of expats in certain areas, often near MTR stations.

Actually, locals prefer to live near MTR stations for convenience, whereas expats tend to live "in the sticks", such as Gold Coast, Ma Wan, Sai Kung, etc.

[merchantms]

We do - just sayin. :-)

You want to do this? Or you do it because that's the preschool of your choice? Seems a lot of travel for a little one.

[merchantms]

Plenty of them in Kowloon Tong so this is only partly correct.

It is correct that international kindergartens are concentrated on HK Island. It is also true that there are plenty of others all over HK.

All I know is that I meet kids from Sha Tin, DB, Ho Man Tin, Yuen Long etc at playgroup on HK island. So either they don't know there are options elsewhere or they don't think those options are to their standard.

[Mat]

You want to do this? Or you do it because that's the preschool of your choice? Seems a lot of travel for a little one.

We do it because:
- we like where we live and don't want to move (good for kids as nice little community with plenty of kids)
- we like the pre school (on Kowloon side ) as extremely international (more than the options near where we live)
- transport is easy (one bus ride ~ 25mn and then 5mn walk) and the helper is very fine with it
- Total is one hour transport for him including walks, during which he likes seeing cars, trucks, planes, bridges, construction site etc etc (constantly tell us at night)

On Sundays with us, he will easily go out from 9 am till 5 PM or more with us to visit places. have lunch, do some shopping etc etc. He will take his nap in the car when we drive from one place to another etc etc or in the stroller.

He is 21 months and looks like a perfectly healthy and happy boy. Week days he usually naps in the morning ~2/3 hours and he is bed by 9 and wakes up around 7.

[merchantms]

You have an easy baby. I'm jealous!

[Mat]

It is correct that international kindergartens are concentrated on HK Island. It is also true that there are plenty of others all over HK.

.

To be more precise for everyone:
https://www.crownrelo.com/sites/defa...-2013-2014.pdf

[Mat]

You have an easy baby. I'm jealous!

Lol, thanks :-)

[Mat]

You have an easy baby. I'm jealous!

Not sure but one think we liked is that after 2 months he started to do full nights (~9 to 5.30/6am) and that was great!!!! (Not sure why as don't think we did anything special - just luck I guess)

[Firemin]

Thanks for the further replies.

Neither me nor my wife drink much (or at least we haven't since having kids!!) so the cost of alcohol isn't really an issue.

We are hoping to travel out in the next few weeks for a look around, once work give the go-ahead (wife has managed to call in some favours and take a week off after half term). Not looking forward to economy flights with the kids though...

At the moment (based on the little bit of internet research we have done) we quite like the idea of places like Ma Wan or Discovery Bay, but we are completely open to what we see/feel when we are out there. Trying to line up some school visits as well.