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Moving to Sth Lantau - Cheung Sha / Tung Fuk - a good idea?

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  1. #1

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    Moving to Sth Lantau - Cheung Sha / Tung Fuk - a good idea?

    Hello there

    We (me, my partner and our little daughter who will be 18 months by then) are moving to HongKong in August. Actually, my boyfriend already started working there and is able to go house hunting for us.

    Since he is working for Cathay we quite definitely are going to move to Lantau. We had a look at DB and would consider it, but it wasn´t our kind of place. To many buildings, to planned. We would prefer something greener, more quiet, rural, as long as there are the basics covered.

    Now we were thinking of moving somewhere along South Lantau Road. (Cheung Sha, Tung Fuk, not necessarily Mui Wo). Since I didn´t find anything on the forums yet (most posts were more than a couple of years old) I was hoping someone here could help out

    Here are my questions:

    - Is it a good place to live with a little child ie are there any playgroups (one would be enough ) , playgrounds, a hospital nearby? Are there a a few families with smaller children my daughter could play with?

    - Is there some kind of community live or would it mean to be really living "far away" from urban life on your own? (I´m exaggerating but still, how lonely does it get?)

    - How is it with shopping groceries, are there any supermarkets in Mui Wo?

    - I could´t find anything about the road permits which isn´t older than 2 years. I guess we would get a car, could we drive to Tung Chung with a normal permit? Is the road very dangerous or is it ok?

    - Is it very bad with mosquitoes and snakes?

    - Last but not least, is there any surf in the area?

    Thanks soooo much for any comment, I hope there is someone here who actually lives there or has a friend there or some other kind of insider knowledge

    cheers
    Teresa


  2. #2

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    You do know you can't 'legally' reside here without a visa?
    Posted via Mobile Device

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  3. #3

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    I know a colleague who lived in South Lantau and worked in Admiralty. He did the journey by motorbike and said if he went into town by bus/ferry or even taxi the journey was close to 1.5 hours. That's your answer re traditional expat 'night life'.

    On the other hand - he and his family LOVE it there. He has a big house for a small amount of money, his kids go to the local (canto-speaking) school, his wife has learned cantonese and chats with local shopkeepers etc. It is a much more rural lifestyle and you have sacrifices but if you are that kind of people it will work.

    Yes there is a big supermarket in Mui Wo and also in Tung CHung.

    THe road between Mui Wo and Tung Chung is fine - recently upgraded to a very high standard.

    You'd need to suss out permits for a car. The bus system on Lantau is OK but nowhere near as good as the rest of HK.

    I believe there is a hospital and various playgroups in Tung Chung at minimum - possibly other playgroups in Mui Wo, not sure.

    Finally, as Jimbo notes, you will need a visa to stay here and 'girlfriend' (irrespective of having a long term relationship and child) is not a valid relationship. You'll need either your own job for a work permit or, easier, get married.

    Last edited by MovingIn07; 13-05-2010 at 07:25 AM.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by teschka:

    Here are my questions:

    - Is it a good place to live with a little child ie are there any playgroups (one would be enough ) , playgrounds, a hospital nearby? Are there a a few families with smaller children my daughter could play with?
    I don't live in Sth Lantau, but Mui Wo/Tung Fuk are on my "to suss out list", so i have done a few visits there, and chatted with a few locals, done a bit of homework. so my answers are an outsiders point of view

    there's lantau international school, which has a preschool in Mui Wo, and another preschool as well (dunno name). Plently of mums&dads with kids going to the local coffee shops, doubt finding playdates or playgroups would be a problem. most of them cycle everywhere as the residential areas are a bit away from the "hub" of Mui Wo.

    to get a house with a lawn seems to be cheap and readily available. it is a little bohemian, however it depends on your tastes. personally i dont dislike that at all, but others do.

    i'm not sure on the hospital - my thoughts were the was a first aid clinic in Mui Wo, but nothing else really.

    Quote Originally Posted by teschka:
    - Is there some kind of community live or would it mean to be really living "far away" from urban life on your own? (I´m exaggerating but still, how lonely does it get?)
    a decent group of westerners and expats there, seems to be a fairly close community feel. on each of the occasions i have been to Mui Wo or Tung Fuk I asked either resident expats or locals for directions and they all went out of their way to help (drawing maps, walking me to places!)

    however, travel to anywhere else takes planning. the buses to any other form of transport come every 45minute to 1hr, and take just over 30min to get to Tung Chung from memory. the ferry to central comes regularly, about the same interval (check out the first ferry website). that can get a little isolating.


    Quote Originally Posted by teschka:
    - I could´t find anything about the road permits which isn´t older than 2 years. I guess we would get a car, could we drive to Tung Chung with a normal permit? Is the road very dangerous or is it ok?
    you need a lantau special permit. there's no road block, but it would be wise not to be caught without one. to get one u need some proof of residence, and pay a fee. apparently a limit of one per household but i doubt that is policed.

    driving - as Moving said, the road now is much better than it was before (that was nauseating and scary) and is quite safe. you get the od yob on a bike or a riced-up car doing the twisty's but not a big deal. it seems safe enough.

    a car would be a great asset to have there (add a few K a month just for the car to sit there and rust, another few K if u plan to use it).

    Quote Originally Posted by teschka:
    - Is it very bad with mosquitoes and snakes?
    no, they love it there


    Quote Originally Posted by teschka:
    - Last but not least, is there any surf in the area?

    no. but nice beaches, nice walks.

  5. #5

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    Thanks everyone! Very helpful and it sounds like a great place. We don´t mind the lack of big nightlife, with a little kid not the most important thing to us right now.

    1.5h to Admirality via bus/ferry? That is quite far, I thought it would be something like 45 mins to an hour to get to Central.

    Nice, so I guess we definitely will have a close look when I´m in HK for a week for some house hunting.

    Re the visa, of course we sorted that out before actually planning the move. She is on a dependent visa and I´m on a working holiday for now.


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by teschka:
    1.5h to Admirality via bus/ferry? That is quite far, I thought it would be something like 45 mins to an hour to get to Central.
    the ferry from Mui Wo is 45-50min for a slow ferry, just over 30min for a fast one, both to central, AFAIK

  7. #7

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    Yes - to clarify - I was referring to my colleague who was a long way down the road from Mui Wo - if you are actually IN Mui Wo or close, it's much closer.


  8. #8

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    Tong Fuk to Central Ferry Pier via Mui Wo is about 70-95 minutes by bus and then ferry depending on exactly which bus and ferry you get. But the quickest way from Tong Fuk to Central (HK Station) is by bus to Tung Chung and MTR at about 55-65 minutes, again depending on the bus schedule.


  9. #9

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    Question moving to south lantau

    Hi could anyone recommend a good mover who will move furniture and stuff from the city to south lantau?

    Last edited by twocat; 11-09-2010 at 12:01 PM.