Travelfish correspondent Rosanne Turner

Rosanne Turner relocated to Thailand in 2010 from South Africa, where she was involved in the tourism industry, and co-owned several accommodation establishments. She has written for African and international publications including the Holland Herald (in-flight magazine of KLM), Explore Africa, Morning Calm (in-flight magazine of Air Korea) as well as several websites such as gotravel24.com and travelintelligence.com. Examples of these articles can be found on www.travellingpen.com.

Rosanne is now the Ko Samui correspondent for Travelfish.org. She enjoys sharing her discoveries of Samui after walking every snapshot-perfect beach, strenuous hill, coconut grove and enticing forgotten path in search of that memory-making beach bar or bungalow resort. Rosanne has scrutinised more than 100 resorts and hotels, and sampled countless Mojitos, fruit shakes and massaman curries in name of research and in the quest to provide readers with sufficient information before embarking on their island adventure.

Rosanne prefers to see the lighter side of life when travelling, viewing things from a different angle and appreciating the small details rather than the glaring obvious. She has not let her atrocious sense of direction deter her from exploring and her journeys have taken her through Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, including Madagascar, Zanzibar, Tanzania and the Transkei as well as the Asian countries of Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Thailand and Malaysia.

Rosanne owns Samui TEFL helping others with a wanderlust to finance their travels by teaching English as a foreign language in Asia and around the world. She also admits to being somewhat of a grammar nerd.

You can contact Rosanne at Thetravellingpen@gmail.com
Website: http://www.travellingpen.com

Posts by Rosanne Turner:

• Review: Cafe Na, Bang Rak, Ko Samui

  First published: 08 Feb 2013
  

  If you’re looking for authentic Thai food on Ko Samui, at reasonable prices, but with a bit more atmosphere and a view better than your average roadside restaurant, then you can’t go wrong with Cafe Na. Located right next to the fresh market just before Big Buddha, owner and chef Na has her pick of … read the full post

• Enjoying seafood on Ko Samui

  First published: 05 Feb 2013
  

  If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll be pleased with the selection Ko Samui has to offer, ranging from cheap street food to fancy beachside dining barbecues. Flying in to Samui at night, you’ll see an odd green glow over the water. It’s caused by the green fluorescent lights on the squid fishing boats. These lights … read the full post

• Review: Angela’s Diner, Mae Nam, Ko Samui

  First published: 02 Feb 2013
  

  The first time we visited Ko Samui more than 10 years ago, we popped into Angela’s Bakery & Cafe (as it was called until recently). After weeks of Thai food, good bread and cheese made a pleasant change. At that stage, Angela’s had no other buildings surrounding it on the stretch of ring road along … read the full post

• Lunar New Year on Ko Samui

  First published: 29 Jan 2013
  

  In 2013, Lunar New Year — Chinese New Year to the Chinese — falls on Sunday, February 10, and ushers in the Year of the Snake. Celebrations can last for about 15 days in areas with large Chinese communities, including Ko Samui, with festivities beginning on the first day of the first month in the … read the full post

• Rent a villa or stay in a hotel on Ko Samui?

  First published: 26 Jan 2013
  

  More and more visitors to Ko Samui are choosing villa rental over hotel stays. Should you? Each option has its pros and cons, and the right choice will depend on how important price (and hidden costs) are to you, as well as privacy, freedom, space and facilities. For stays of less than a week, resorts … read the full post

• Samui International Hospital, Ko Samui

  First published: 18 Jan 2013
  

  Ko Samui has more than its share of good hospitals, including Thai International, Bangkok International and Samui International. Although all offer good service and medical standards, we’ve used Samui International several times, and they’ve been professional, efficient and well-priced. They’re located at the northern point of Chaweng beach road, close to the main tourist drag, … read the full post

• Review: June’s Art Cafe, Bophut, Ko Samui

  First published: 15 Jan 2013
  

  Ko Samui’s June’s Art Cafe, located just before Big C when coming from Fisherman’s Village, is is a favourite expat haunt and well-kept secret from the tourists. Pop into this quaint cafe, with art on the walls and handicrafts for sale, and you’ll see why there’s a steady flow from the time they open for … read the full post

• Above-water water sports, Ko Samui

  First published: 11 Jan 2013
  

  With Ko Samui’s beautiful beaches and generally calm waters, trying out some sort of water activity is a must. Aside from snorkelling, diving and boating, Ko Samui offers opportunities to try plenty of other water sports, including kayaking, kite-surfing, stand-up paddling, windsurfing, surfing (a little!) and jetski-ing. Here’s a round up of how and where … read the full post

• Ko Samui’s Five Islands, Ko Tan and Ko Matsum

  First published: 08 Jan 2013
  

  Ko Samui is neighbour to a few small islands in the southwest: the Five Islands, known in Thai as Ko Si Ko Ha, which means Four Islands-Five Islands — one island is hidden behind another — plus Ko Tan and Ko Matsum. Ko Si Ko Ha are home to swifts, known for their famous nests … read the full post

• Ko Samui’s capital, Nathon

  First published: 04 Jan 2013
  

  Nathon on Ko Samui’s west coast is away from the main tourist drag catering more to locals than visitors. This means that prices are generally cheaper at both shops and restaurants, making it worth a daytrip for a bit of shopping and exploring if you can drag yourself away from the beach. And should you … read the full post