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: Boudoir Restaurant, Mae Nam, Ko Samui

  First published: 09 Oct 2012
  

  As its name suggests, Boudoir in Ko Samui’s Mae Nam oozes sex appeal and romance, with opulent decor in rich colours, mood lighting and comfortable seating that encourages guests to linger over another bottle of wine. Huge portions of rustic French country dishes are served up at reasonable prices, making this small French restaurant one … read the full post

• Review: Zazen, Ko Samui

  First published: 06 Oct 2012
  

  Should you be celebrating a special occasion, or need to impress someone while on Ko Samui, the restaurant at Zazen Boutique Resort & Spa, will be sure to meet the mark. Having been there on several occasions with overseas visitors, each time we have been completely blown away by the experience. Zazen is at its … read the full post

• Review: Le Beach Club, Ko Samui

  First published: 27 Sep 2012
  

  Le Beach Club, located along the 4169 Ring Road, just before Bang Po enters Nathon, has added a fresh breath to an area of Samui that was looking a little neglected. Several little beach bars have recently popped up along this road, so it’s worth heading this way, particularly at sunset hour. We weren’t quite … read the full post

• Souvenir shopping on Ko Samui

  First published: 21 Sep 2012
  

  We have all done it. Far in the back of a cupboard lies a box of corny oh-my-word-what-was-I-thinking souvenirs from past holidays. Some things feel so right in the heat of the moment and we end up buying useless junk that is not a true reminder of our adventures away. Here’s a suggested list to … read the full post

• Cheap bungalows on northern Ko Samui

  First published: 19 Sep 2012
  

  In our quest to find food and accommodation on Ko Samui at reasonable prices, here we bring you a selection of beach bungalows (yes, on the beach) for 500 baht per night. The area we’re covering is from Bang Po to Choeng Mon along the northern coast of Samui. You may not get air-con and … read the full post

• The best places to watch sunset on Ko Samui

  First published: 14 Sep 2012
  

  My house is perfectly positioned to appreciate Samui’s sunsets, and it seems as though each night — insert your favourite deity here, perhaps the Goddess Ra — tries to outdo her sunset creation from the previous evening. Sometimes they are a pretty pastel pink with soft wispy clouds looking like cotton candy. Other evenings present … read the full post

• Salsa dancing on Ko Samui

  First published: 11 Sep 2012
  

  Walking down Plai Laem’s main road and hearing sultry sounds winding through the palms and banana trees, it would be easy to forget the location and imagine you were in Cuba or perhaps Columbia. But no, Ko Samui has quite the active salsa scene – the dancing, not the sauce that is.  Here we give … read the full post

• Review: Fisherman’s Reggae Bar, Bang Rak, Ko Samui

  First published: 09 Sep 2012
  

  Located at the far eastern end of Bang Rak, 100 metres before the entrance to Big Buddha, one will find one of the most character-laden little beach bars that Ko Samui has to offer: Fisherman’s Reggae Bar. A simple wooden structure perches on stilts at the water’s edge. Inside, every available spot of wall space … read the full post

• Eating on Ko Samui for 150 baht per day

  First published: 05 Sep 2012
  

  It is a known fact that Ko Samui — and other Thai tourism hotspots — are more expensive than destinations less frequented by tourists. So is it possible to still eat three meals a day for 150 baht or less on Samui? For sure! The trick however, is to eat like a local and avoid … read the full post

• Garra rufa fish spas on Ko Samui

  First published: 31 Aug 2012
  

  Garra rufa fish spas have been used in the Middle East for centuries but Southeast Asia has fairly recently jumped on the bandwagon and you’ll find them right across the region, including in Thailand. These little freshwater fish originate from the river basins of several Middle Eastern countries; they also go by the name of … read the full post