bakedbean

Have you considered Penang ?

SushiFan

If it is optic fibre high speed internet that you need then it is "building by building". Some buildings have it, others not. If you have a certain building in mind where you want to live then you either ask the owner or agent, or check the website of Time (time.com.my) whether the building is connected to such infrastructure. They have a map plus search engine on their home page.

ChocolateOrange

I hadn't but I am now.

I am spending this morning compiling an excel spreadsheet of schools by region. Ultimately we have no money, no savings and are totally skint... we were in Australia and lost it all trying to stay in Aus.

Money is the key determinate at the moment.

ex reg

JB is a big well spread out place if you include Nusajaya to the west and many small townships to the east and north.
You either like it or hate it.
I've lived in JB and we spend a lot of time holidaying in Penang.
Of the two we'd much rather settle in Penang
But it is a personal view.

Hopefully you'll have spent some time living in JB before finally deciding one way or the other. I don't mean living out of a hotel either.

Just on supermarkets; just because they are called Tesco you shouldn't think they are too similar to UK Tesco.

ChocolateOrange

Thanks for this ex-reg. We're also now looking at Penang and Taiwan too. It's nice to hear your thoughts on JB!

Our plan is to spend a few months renting through AirBNB and spending some time in lots of areas. Hopefully this will give us an idea?

I hate Tesco with a passion and have no intention of supporting them lol. I'd much prefer to buy local, chat and learn the language.

ex reg

Just to add I quite liked JB during my time there but it was long long ago.

bakedbean

Tesco in Penang is very Malay. Be quite a good place to practice Bahasa actually. Though, Penang island is predominantly Chinese. Mostly everyone speaks English, but the Chinese talk to each other in Hokkien dialect. You'll be fine with English.

I've never been to Taiwan, but several friends say it is fabulous, and great food. Definitely worth checking out

BEVS

Gawd. That is so tough. I really do hope this move, wherever it is, works out brilliantly for you and your family.