flymo79

My husband and I are looking to move to Penang, have a few queries first. I'd be very grateful for responses!!
1. How is pollution? Have read a lot about the slash-and-burn in Indonesia causing smog for months. We've a two year old so this wouldn't be great.
2. Childcare: what is going rate for half day in nursery? Assume there is plenty of choice...?
3. Have read rumours about visa restrictions/ travel restrictions allowing two-week only trips out of the country. What's that about?
4. How do fellow expats get about? Driving? If so do you rent a car? What's reasonable and are there issues with uk licence etc?
Just a few starters for ten!!
Thanks

InVinoVeritas

Hi and welcome to the Malaysia forum. The whole forum is searchable and you will find lots of discussion about these very subjects but please feel welcome to post back here if there is anything which has not been covered.

++IVV

JC3

Hi Flymo79 and welcome to the Malaysia Forum.

Q1. A big question that's concerning everyone, as last year was the worst it's been and for longer than usual. Best that you read the posts on here about 'the haze'.

Q2. No idea. But some helpful stuff here:
https://penangmums.wordpress.com/category/daycares/

https://penangmomma.wordpress.com/ (Do a search on the word "kindergarten")

Q3. No idea. New one on me. Probably untrue.

Q4. Yes, most drive. It's too hot to walk, unless very slowly and carrying a sun umbrella. Also there's few pavements in Penang so pushing a buggy around most places would be tough. No issues with a UK licence. A (five year old) 1.3 Perodua Myvi for RM1,300 to RM1,500 a month is reasonable. A Myvi is roughly the size of a VW Polo.

Good luck

JC3

bakedbean

Hello and welcome to the forum

Re your question 3. Are you referring to visa runners? Presume you will have valid visas?

flymo79

Thanks so much, massively reassuring!
No, not visa runners, my husband has heard a rumour but I need to check where he has got this from, we will have visas as he'll be teaching. I'm very much looking forward to being a trailing spouse!

flymo79

Oh dear, the haze issue is way worse than I had thought... Not sure me and the littley can be stuck inside for a day let alone a month!! What do people usually do?

bakedbean

It's not really a question of "usual" as last year was "unusual". The haze was very bad both here and all the way down to Singapore. And it went on for a long time. I've been in out in south east Asia more than 10 years and this is the first time I've seen it like this. So this was not the "normal haze".

In a "normal" haze year, in my experience, it's not so bad. You get around. It's just a bit murky for a while. Of course, if you have some respiratory problems (asthma or other), you may have a different slant on it.

This year was bad. For me, I stayed in more. Went to shopping malls more. Others were booking holidays away to get a break from it.

There were a lot of noises from the Malaysian and Singapore governments and that this would not happen like this again. I was down in Singapore recently and the good Singaporean folks said to me Oh, PM Lee is involved and it won't be so bad this year. We shall see Anyway, do a Search on this sub-forum and find the Haze threads and have a read.

You're here, or will be, so don't worry about it.

ex reg

As I may have mentioned on these threads a large proportion of the big companies involved with burning belonged to Singaporeans.
Haven't seen any prosecutions yet.

flymo79

thanks bean and reg, I have read quite a lot of the forum posts about the haze, it's hard when you don't have a context (ie last year was freakishly bad and people actually moved away)... As with anything, certain things about a country might seem like a deal-breaker before you dig deeper, get some personal views, and try to take a measured approach. So we won't expect things to suddenly be better in 2016 but neither will we expect months on end of interminable pea-soupers. I suppose, like all soon-to-be expats, I'm trying to picture a lifestyle based solely on holiday experiences and that's nigh-on imppssible!!

InVinoVeritas

I think it's perhaps more important to concentrate on what life would be like for your 2 year-old. You don't say how you long you are thinking of staying here but if it's for some years then I would probably advise against Penang. I say this on the basis that you would likely be in an apartment and probably would drive most places. There is little in the way of parks and gardens and the beaches and sea are not great either. That's OK when you're retired but a bit difficult for kids to accept.

SushiFan

Addition to Q4: I have been trying to use the bus (public transportation, called RapidPenang) but it is rather infrequent and thus not reliable. The time schedules are not fixed. The buses are often crowded so it could be difficult to get on with a little child with pram. It is very cheap though.
Having your own transportation is highly preferable.

ex reg

OTOH we find the bus services great in comparison to what they were like before Rapid came along.
Mind you we only take the service into town from the Rainbow Paradise or to Batu F from Rainbow Paradise.
But still ...

JC3

Hi Flymo,

Here's a different viewpoint -

Malaysians are very child friendly. On Penang island there's plenty of padangs with playgrounds around, several parks, several secluded coves (if you look carefully) and plenty to do.

Here's a quick guide I stumbled across:
Our Guide to Things to Do in Penang with Kids! - Family Travel Blog - Travel with Kids

I suggest you consider renting a house in a gated community (with pool, tennis court, gym, grass area for kids etc.). Ideally you want a small garden, and a covered terrace or similar that allows your child to play outside - but under a roof, in the shade. Advantages of a gated community include improved security, and that your child can ride a bike safely on the private roads there once old enough, and will meet other kids at the pool etc.

Rental in Penang is very cheap. If you can't find a gated community nearby where you want to be, look for a house near a padang / playground.

With a car you can get to the youth park, botanical gardens, national park, Teluk Bahang dam (with park), Chin Farm waterfall, Straits Quay, beaches and coves with ease.

Probably the biggest problem you will face is the heat. Really outdoor activities are limited to early morning (before everything heats up) and early evening (as things cool down), unless you are in the shade, or can cool down in the pool.

I think your child will love it here - haze excepted.

Good luck!

JC3

flymo79

Thank you SO much! This is what I have been scouring for, though I realise this may not be the best forum. So grateful for these suggestions. My husband is due to travel to Penang next month so I will brief him accordingly!!!

SushiFan

Is that bus line 101? That one is the only one which goes more or less regularly. All other lines are only having a frequency of once or twice per hour. And you don't know whether it passed one minute before you arrived at the bus stop.