Where to live - Discovery Bay or near AISHK?

[justineg]

Hello,
We are moving mid next year to HK from Sydney and are in the process of deciding which areas to look at living in.
My husband will work in Central and we have a son who will be 3 years old when we get there (we are trying for a 2nd but no luck yet!). I am not going to work initially - will be studying for my masters degree by correspondence and would like DS to go to preschool 3 (full) or 5 (half) days per week.
My question is - what should our priority be - living near AISHK so that we are closeby when he starts school (and assume he is better able to adapt when returning to Australia if he goes there?) or living in Discovery Bay that we will all love (I'm assuming from the many posts!) and trying to get him into DBIS?

 

[0ze_Kid]

We moved from Sydney to HK almost two years ago. I spent two weeks looking at apartments all over and settled on Discovery Bay. We loved living in this close knit, child friendly enclave. It was so safe for my two children and had everything close at hand without the hustle and bustle of the rest of HK. It is also such a short trip into Central.

I have to say that it was very hard to leave DB when we returned to Australia two months ago. As for school, you will find getting back into school here in Australia an adjustment as it is a different environment - they don't even start teaching kids until 5 years old whereas your 3 year old could start kindy as soon as you get to HK and he will being learning letters and numbers and shapes and Mandarin! That said, it is hard to get children into kindy in DB (or anywhere else in HK). I would start with Sunshine House in the plaza as they usually have afternoon places for kids. That way he is doing something while you look at the other schools and put him on wait lists at DBIS and DMK.

We never intended on sending our girls to AIS. DBIS and Discovery College (both in DB) offer international programs which are on par with education offered at AIS and back in Australia.

Good luck - you will love HK!