Where would you live?

[beester]

Interesting. Where? Any good diving?

Mmm I would look somewhere more tropical or indeed Canadian west coast (my favorite city is Vancouver).

However having said that, Italy has some amazing diving (Amalfi coastline, Sardinia caves and wrecks, Elba, Siciliy (Egadi or Eolian islands, and so much more)... you have the food which is very good of course and the culture everywhere, they are good with kids too (I have a small boy).

Background: Belgian, living between Venice and the Dolomiti (Alps), working in Paris. The diving North East side is not so good (Venice), but I'm about 2 hours from Croatia which has incredible diving (including deep tech stuff and caves) and at the same time 1 hour from the alps for climbing, hiking and skiing.

This weekend going again to Croatia for a quick hit and run (2 days of tech diving).

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Is being able to drink the water something you care about? That might eliminate some places mentioned.

So Detroit is out of the question.

 

[DeputyDan]

To the OP's question.
There are three issues that are more important than being close to great diving.
#1. Health Care - will the coverage you have through your employer work for where your are moving to and if it does how will it work?
#2. Your child's education - self explanatory.
#3. How long will you be allowed to live there as a non-citizen and are you allowed to work in that country (even if you think you situation does not apply to this - what matters is what the local law says as opposed to what you think).

 

[lowwall]

We haven't mentioned it, but you also have to consider visa availability. This will be non-trivial for the US. I work for an immigration law firm and the current administration's antipathy towards immigration is not limited to illegal entrants. What used to be routine movement of executives has become difficult at best and professional visas have been buried in red tape, questionable interpretations of the law (which will take another year or three to work out in the courts) and, frankly, arbitrary denials.

 

[diveUAE]

Is being able to drink the water something you care about? That might eliminate some places mentioned.

No, not really. Here in the UAE we mostly drink bottled water anyway - although the tap water is safe to drink.

I’m more concerned with if we can safely brush our teeth etc with tap water, but guess it will just be a matter of routine.

 

[Damselfish]

I’m more concerned with if we can safely brush our teeth etc with tap water, but guess it will just be a matter of routine.

Yeah, though one concern sort of implies the other to me. Toothbrushing, and also cooking. Visiting is one thing, but living someplace where's it's always a concern is a whole other deal to me.

 

[diveUAE]

To the OP's question.
There are three issues that are more important than being close to great diving.
#1. Health Care - will the coverage you have through your employer work for where your are moving to and if it does how will it work?
#2. Your child's education - self explanatory.
#3. How long will you be allowed to live there as a non-citizen and are you allowed to work in that country (even if you think you situation does not apply to this - what matters is what the local law says as opposed to what you think).

Very good points.
You may notice in my post, safety, health care and a good school comes before dive sites;-)

If we choose to live outside of Denmark the company will make sure we get the correct visa, health insurance etc, that’s also why I said in another post, that Singapore, KL (and I think also BKK) would be easy, as they have offices there. I think they also have in Jakarta, so would cover Bali.

Right now they will keep us here in UAE (and pay for health care, School and housing), but by the end of the school year we may want to make a move.

 

[diveUAE]

We haven't mentioned it, but you also have to consider visa availability. This will be non-trivial for the US. I work for an immigration law firm and the current administration's antipathy towards immigration is not limited to illegal entrants. What used to be routine movement of executives has become difficult at best and professional visas have been buried in red tape, questionable interpretations of the law (which will take another year or three to work out in the courts) and, frankly, arbitrary denials.

This is very valuable information! Before he was offered this new job, he was actually asked, if he wanted to come to Houston (same company, different unit), but if it’s that difficult to get visa/work permit I’m glad we turned that offer down.

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Penang, Malaysia

I haven't been yet but it's one of the places that I've been looking into. Would still need to trsvel to dibe but I think it meets most of the rest of your criteria.

Oh no, very bad diving, unexciting international schools selection, awfully hot hot hot, place is rather artificially jazzed up, both in the old town cit There are some quirky spots, but overall, not an interesting place for an expat family to explore the local culture.

We haven't mentioned it, but you also have to consider visa availability. This will be non-trivial for the US. I work for an immigration law firm and the current administration's antipathy towards immigration is not limited to illegal entrants. What used to be routine movement of executives has become difficult at best and professional visas have been buried in red tape, questionable interpretations of the law (which will take another year or three to work out in the courts) and, frankly, arbitrary denials.

Agreed, the US is out of the question also because OP has a kid and would prob want to live somewhere safe.

Ohhh @diveUAE how about Taipei, Taiwan? Just about perfect and easily satisfies every criteria, plus cleaner environment than pretty much all of southeast Asia's major cities and warmer water than Europe. Best food in probably the world. Stupidly safe and kids friendly. Local diving within an hour drive. I and my then 5 yr old kiddo had a huge blast hitchhiking and camping everywhere along the Northern West coast of the country for two weeks straight. Taiwanese LOVE and cherish children. They invest in holistic education. All of my friends who have moved there rave about the place.

 

[lowwall]

A few notes:

Taipei - It meets your other requirements, but maybe not the best for diving. It takes 5-7 hours to get to the best sites. There is at least one local option though: (from An Underwater Photographer’s Guide to Taiwan which also covers the better sites to the south)

Longdong bay is an hour’s drive from Taipei on the northeast cost. The dive season here lasts from May to September. In the springtime, the ocean can be a bit chilly—23–25ºC (~74–77ºF)—but the summer temperature is a balmy 26–27ºC (~79–81ºF). The visibility is less than ideal, which is a pity since the dramatic rock formations here make for an impressive underwater seascape.

Bangkok - it's a fascinating city, but no local diving. Diving means a flight to Phuket or crazy bus trips to Pattaya or Koh Chang. It's also chaotic and traffic is a major issue. The airports can be a real hassle too.

Singapore - again diving means flying, but the city is very livable. Housing is expensive on a per square meter basis, so flats are very compact. Alcohol is taxed to near Scandinavian levels , but all other prices are reasonable to cheap by European or North American standards. I have a very good friend who works throughout SEA and he likes it all, but chooses to live in Singapore because of the low stress level. Despite the bar tabs. OTOH, the heat and humidity are onerous and it all feels a bit sanitized and paternalistic, but that's probably a plus with a younger child.

Europe - I'd give great consideration to Europe if you can live with temperate water diving. Your son is an EU citizen who has never lived in the EU, right? Maybe give him a chance to live there full time it before he needs to make college choices

How about Trieste for a great city in a great location? As I said, I don't know about the diving there, but when I search for dive shops in the area on google maps, there are a bunch there and in immediately adjacent Slovenia.