Thankyou! :)

Hong Kong is an incredible city to live in. Dynamic, energetic, exciting. People are kind, tolerant and speak good English (overall). Loads to do - restaurants, bars, concerts etc etc as well as green spaces and water, hikes and places to camp, beaches... all within 20-30 minutes drive from the inner city. Public transport is cheap and super efficient,including taxis. The expat community is big and welcoming. I'm on my fourth year and just love it!

Yes, the cost of living here is high - particularly rents (to get an idea, visit the website squarefoot hk - !!) I'd say housing is the only real bummer about living in hong kong...given how expensive it is and how small the flats are. But everything is else is great!

ESF are very well respected and their schools here have very good reputations. They pay very well and seem to look after their staff.

Hope that helps :)

Hi all

Would love any info/feedback on GIS (Secondary)...particularly any info on the packages they offer. I've found some info on the TES forum but it's pretty out of date (2012) and can't seem to find anything on here. Thanks so much in advance!

Tdaley26 is spot on. I'm in HK and working at an international school here. If accom is included, you'll be okay. If it's not, it's pretty low, unless you are very inexperienced. DCgirl is right that accom is the killer, and the website she's given is spot on. You'll be paying at least HK20,000 probably for a reasonably sized place (will still be a shoebox!!) which is half your salary!

Wombat83, 65k/month is a great salary. Really good. You will be able to have a really nice apartment, travel lots, eat out often AND save. I'd imagine you could put way 20k a month quite easily. Def go for it!!! It is a brilliant city to live in, and on that money, you'll be able to really make the most of it. Check out a website called squarefoot hk for ideas of rental prices :)

Bump....anyone? Even a vague, vague idea of salary/package would be very helpful :D

Just FYI - I live in Hong Kong and am paid HK$45,000 (before tax, with 6 years experience) at a non-ESF school here. I travel overseas every holiday, live well, have a nice apartment AND save :D

I am in Hong Kong right now and HKIS is considered to offer one of the best packages around. If I got a shot at working there - Id take it like a flash!!!

Regarding cost of living - rent is expensive here, so the fact accommodation is provided is brilliant. A small 1 bed flat in Central HK is going to cost you at least HK$16,000 a month! Utilities are cheap as they are subsidised by the government. Public transport is brilliantly cheap too - taxis are $20 for the first 2km, and then not expensive thereafter. Trams are $2.20 a ride, regardless of length, MTR also cheap...you get my drift. Food can cost hardly anything, if youre happy to eat at local places and shop in the wet markets around the city. Eating out in Western-style places is more expensive but still, not absurdly so. Tax is 16% max, and often less it seems.

Hope some of that is helpful :D

Hi everyone,

My partner has an interview for BIS Budapest (Nord Anglia) this week. I have had a good trawl through this form as well as the TES forums, but cant seem to find out much information on the school/package/etc. Any information gratefully received!!

Turkey, without a doubt!

It sounds like you love the country and know that you'd fit in well there. The package they are offering you sounds good given the cost of living there - whereas it sounds like you'd have to scrimp in Singapore.

And I'd just stay away from Kuwait. Especially right now, with the Middle East in a bit of turmoil...

hahaha, i got the exact same email aussiechick! I thought it was lovely and polite...albeit extremely late and a bit unnecessary..!!

Well, at least we can all be rejects together :)

Oh pox - no email for me! No surprise though as I don't have IB experience and as you know I wasn't holding my breath!!

revivaldrum - everything I've read on hong kong forums about salaries etc suggests that supporting a whole family on one salary would be really difficult, if not impossible. have you asked on a hong kong expat forum, one for people actually living there?? they'd know for sure.

Awww LondonChick, I'll keep my fingers crossed!!!

Have you heard anything yet?? The email I got from them said they'd start interviewing today (!)

Haha LondonChick, I also applied to Patana!! I'll keep you posted if I hear anything (but like ESF, I'm not holding my breath)...great school by all accounts!!