DB or Sai Kung?

G

geckochels

Registered User
I just moved here and we have a short term lease in Tung Chung. The two places we are looking to move are DB and Sai Kung. I was hoping to get some feed back on what you guys think. We currently have a 5 month old son. My husband works out of the airport on occasion (he assures me he still has a job). We are out doors people and love to hike and are seasoned sailors. I have heard Sai Kung is better for that, but it seems so far out there and isolated. I have also heard that DB is full of bratty kids. Is it really that bad or has my friend just had a few bad experiences? Oh and did I mention our housing allowance is tiny.
 
DB is the most family friendly area in HK. i've lived in both clearwater bay and DB. for us, DB wins hands down. if in sai kung, you'll have to drive everywhere. in db you can walk, bus or hire car(DB version of a taxi). even walking, it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to walk anywhere in DB.

however, sai kung has it's own uniqueness and although we love DB we may consider moving back that direction in the next few months. this is ONLY because of my hubby's business. if it weren't for that, we'd stay in db for sure.

when you say your housing is tiny, what does that mean? i've been here 12 years and NEVER had any housing allowance. so what is tiny to you, may not be tiny to everyone. if you can give an amount, i can let you know what is possible in DB.
 
It would be nice to take the cash allowance at about $8,000, which is what we are doing here in Tung Chung, but the full allowance that can be paid directly to the landlord is $23,000
 
I have lived in DB now for nearly a year, there is certainly alot of kids here, I have never met any "bratty" ones yet but Im sure there is a few about like anywhere here in HK or anywhere in the world for that matter. We think DB is a great and friendly place to live.
 
It would be nice to take the cash allowance at about $8,000, which is what we are doing here in Tung Chung, but the full allowance that can be paid directly to the landlord is $23,000. So that means HK island is out. It seems like you get more for your money in Sai Kung. My Hubby and I really miss a yard or at least a balcony you can put a BBQ on. When you were in Clearwater were there many expats? When we spent the afternoon out there it seemed like we were the only westerners.
 
sai kung has a lot of expats. prices there seem to be on the rise though.

for $23,000 you will probably get a bigger place in sai kung, but your hubby will have a LONG commute to the airport. the other thing to consider is that working at the airport, he'd have to commute NO MATTER what the weather is like. when i lived in clearwater bay (back in 1996) my friend's husband worked at the airport and i know that she would always worry herself sick if he was commuting during a typhoon or a red/black cloud rainstorm.

we pay less than $23000 in db and we have 961', 3 bed, 2 bath flat with a front and back garden, so we have bbq's at least once per week. there is also space for our dogs in the back garden and our son in the front. we are a 3 minute walk from the ferry/supermarket/bus terminus as well. there is also a playground right across the street from us and another one further up the hill.

like i said, if it weren't for my hubby's business, we'd probably stay in db indefinitely. we've been in db for the past 6 years already. (i've been here almost 12 years so far and my hubby was born here).
 
Am going to have to say DB- have lived here for just over two years and now have three month old baby, husband works at the airport- and we wouldn't consider living anywhere else.
Grew up in HK and have lived all around and DB still wins for us!

Main problem with Sai Kung is transportation- I don't know anyone who lives there without a car. Plus commute to airport would not be fun, in any weather ( very long way!) Saying that I do like Sai Kung!
 
We've been living in Sai Kung for two and a half years now and we love it here. There are a lot of expats and since Sai Kung used to be a fishing community, there are also a lot of locals. There are a number of facilities in Sai Kung town that won’t cost you an arm and a leg to enjoy, e.g. sports ground (track/soccer pitch), pool, public library, squash courts, tennis courts, many playgrounds, and some really good restaurants and bakeries! There are a few marinas and sailing clubs in the area as well, not to mention, Sai Kung is just a short distance from Sai Kung Country Park and Ma On Shan Country Park. We are also just a short ferry ride to some of the best beaches in HK.

The arrangements of the houses in some of the villages are not as well organized as DB, but there are areas where the houses/flats are very well planned and have full facilities (pool, gym, club house, etc.) With your budget, you could probably get a 3-storey house with a garden.

We don't have a car (yet), and we think the transport arrangement in Sai Kung is not so bad - the minibuses are very frequent and they can take you to the MTR stations (Choi Hung or Hang Hau Stations) or straight to Mong Kok, which is the heart of Kowloon. There are also buses that can take you into Kowloon, and other parts of the New Territories (Ma On Shan/Shatin) or the country parks. However, if you live inside the country park, or some of the remote villages, then having a car is definitely a plus.

My husband works at the airport (shift work) and we have quite a few friends who are either pilots or aircraft engineers and live in SK. For my husband, he travels to work by minibus (to Choi Hung) and then the airport bus; it takes him 1.5 hrs to go to work. For him, he doesn't mind the travelling as he really likes Sai Kung and likes to spend his off duty days in SK (a very relaxed part of HK and close to nature). Also, I'm not sure about DB, but he said that the air quality in Tung Chun/Airport is not very good and he would rather live far away from the area.

Not sure how long you’ll be staying in HK and the schooling you plan to give your child, there are some good English playgroups and kindergartens here that have students entering ESF schools, and international schools. There is an ESF kindergarten and a primary school in Clearwater Bay and a through train ESF School (Primary to Secondary – Renaissance School) in Ma On Shan.

Anyway, I hope this gives you an idea of what Sai Kung is like. Here are two websites if you want more information on SK: www.exploresaikung.com www.travelinsaikung.org.hk
 
Thankyou those websites are very helpful. Is your day to day shopping very difficult in SK? Do you have to go into town often for things?
 
Depends on the part of SK you live. There is a PnS in Clearwater Bay. In Sai Kung Town, there is a Welcome Superstore, a PnS, the wet market and a couple of really good vegetable/fruit stalls. There are a couple of frozen meat shops in the old town as well. Things are a little bit more expensive here (maybe 50 cents or 1.00 dollar more for a catty of veg), but condsidering the distance you need to travel, it really isn't that much.

If you are driving, then just 15-20 mins away (from Sai Kung Town) you can go to shopping centres in Ma On Shan, Shatin, Tseung O, Kowloown Bay or even Festival Walks in Kowloon Tong.
 
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