edinburgh898

Hi.. we are considering a move to KL with teenagers and dogs!
I have read alternate stories of dogs being banned and allowed..but the best place seems to be desa park?? or setia eco city.. but then I can see that these are miles from putrajaya and cyberjaya? and the schools which offer IB course.. any advice is very very welcome
will my teenage kids be able to go out safely and socialise in malls etc as they do in switzerland.. is there a fair number of expat english speaking teenagers to meet? where would be the best place to live so the kids can socialise? I think this is more important than my travel to work.. but its all quite hard to find out on the internet.. ? thanks

whybirda

I think you need to decide what school your kids will go to and then perhaps work out where to live. As you don't mind the commute to work then it shouldn't be an issue, and as far as I'm aware dogs are allowed into the country. My kids go to an australian school and we live in Gita Bayu which is lovely, plenty to do and lots of expats with kids live there too. If you are going to be working in Cyberjaya or Putrajaya this isn't too far from Gita Bayu.

edinburgh898

HI. thanks for the super fast reply.. its not getting the dogs into the country that matters but whether we can rent a house with them and / or walk them so I was hoping to get advice on that..

also on schools... if possible..

whybirda

Yes you can rent houses if you have dogs, a lady I know of who lives on Gita Bayu has just arrived and she is in the process of bringing her 3 dogs with her. As for the schools it depends on what curriculum you want your kids to follow and also what your budget is, Nexus International is in Putrajaya, Alice Smith & Australian International are in Seri Kembangan. There is also Garden International in Mont Kiara as well, and from what I can gather they all have pretty good reputations as well. Have a look on the websites and you will get more info from there,but bare in mind that they may have waiting lists so best getting in as early as possible and enquiring with the schools direct.

ThomasK

I have a friend living in Gita Bayu who has dogs. He describes it as a very friendly place. He works in Cyberjaya which is a commute without a traffic jam. Travel time is more important than distance when deciding a place to stay in KL. It's probably the best expat residential area in the area.

If you don't mind a local environment, Bandar Puteri, Puchong is a nice place too.

An advantage of Puchong or Subang is that there are many local university-colleges nearby which have the IB course. An example is Taylor's: http://www.taylors.edu.my/en/college...mes/pre-u/ibdp

Walking dogs is not a problem in Malaysia but the expectation is that they will be on a leash or exceptionally well-trained so that they are at your heel all the time. Most of the locals do not touch dogs for religious reasons.

I use mudah.my to look at cars and properties: http://www.mudah.my/li?fs=1&ca=9_s&q...&se=&frn=&mre=

Fairview International School has the IB curriculum. It's in the heart of KL though so driving in that direction would be difficult. One option is to live around KL and take the KLIA Transit to Putrajaya Sentral, a half-hour trip that runs like clockwork.
http://www.fairview.edu.my/fairducation/IB

I consider wandering within the bigger malls to be pretty safe in Malaysia. Carparks, especially basement carparks, are less safe but security has been stepped up recently. Snatch thefts at the roadsides in Malaysia are fairly common unfortunately. If you choose a gated residential area with good security such as Gita Bayu, it's considered safe for kids to walk around the neighbourhood.

English is spoken quite commonly. It's easy for children to socialise with friends they meet in the neighbourhood, schools, clubs, churches, etc.

Thomas K

abdulawwal

Hi all

Adding to what ThomasK mentoned above, I can vouch for Subang as a pretty convenient area. We moved to USJ 3. We can get to the local Carrefour and Mydin supermarkets in 5 minutes. Sunway Pyramid is less than 10 minutes access too.

Lots of schools nearby. In fact, there is a Fairview campus only 5 minutes from my house.

The local park is not in amazing condition, but the kids that visit it communicate in English and my kids love going there. Neighbours are a mixed bunch, with some very friendly and others prefer to ignore you!

Regards
Abdul

ThomasK

There's a Group Activity for parents with children coming up this Monday. Do sign up. It's a good way for the children to make friends.

Here's the link:
http://www.internations.org/activity-group/1104/wall/