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: P10 Design Hotel, Bang Rak, Ko Samui

  First published: 13 Jul 2012
  

  If nothing else, P10 gets full marks for being noticeable on Ko Samui. Driving down Bang Rak’s main road, it is hard to miss the bizarre orange winged and floating roof that sits atop this modern glass building, and from an architectural perspective, it can be appreciated. It reflects the modern look of the Petcharat … read the full post

• Catching a ferry to or from Ko Samui

  First published: 10 Jul 2012
  

  Other than flying, the only way to get to Ko Samui is by boat. If you don’t have your own (sigh), that means a ferry from either the mainland or a neighbouring island. Here we give you the low down on your options. Two operators transport cars, trucks and buses to the island, their cavernous … read the full post

• Photo essay: Circumnavigating Ko Samui by boat

  First published: 06 Jul 2012
  

  Viewing Ko Samui from the sea offers quite a different perspective from traipsing around the island on foot. We recently did a trip around the island, in a clockwise direction, starting from Fisherman’s Village, where old Chinese shophouses are neighbour to modern apartments, and boutique hotels are interspersed with beach bars. Travelling east, we passed … read the full post

• Review: Secret Garden Beach Bungalows, Bang Rak, Ko Samui

  First published: 30 Jun 2012
  

  During our Samui research earlier this year, we popped in to check out Secret Garden, a long-standing Bang Rak establishment; it looked tired and rundown, as if in need of a holiday itself. So on hearing that a new owner took over May 1, 2012,  we couldn’t resist a peek to see if new eyes … read the full post

• Review: Samui-Ley Hotel, Ko Samui

  First published: 27 Jun 2012
  

  At first glance, it’s hard to figure out what Samui-Ley is. Is it an art gallery? Is it a clothing and knick-knack store? Is it a coffee shop? Is it a guesthouse? Well, all of the above, actually. Located right in the centre of Bophut’s happening Fisherman’s Village, and looking out over the bay towards … read the full post

• Magnolia Cafe and Spa, Ko Samui’s Chaweng

  First published: 20 Jun 2012
  

  Magnolia Cafe in Ko Samui’s northern Chaweng is a European-style coffee shop with comfy chairs, couches, newspapers and subdued lighting. Other than Starbucks, there are few establishments on Samui with a real coffee-shop type atmosphere, but this place has that lounge about, read the paper, catch up on gossip with friends feel about it. Entering … read the full post

• Review: Boutique the Green Bay View Hotel, Bang Rak

  First published: 15 Jun 2012
  

  A new Ko Samui hotel with a name that’s a mouthful opened at the beginning of June 2012. Boutique the Green Bay View Hotel is located on the top floor of a two-storey shopping complex, at the junction to the airport from Bang Rak. The building was originally designed as shops downstairs and offices above, … read the full post

• Swimming pools on Ko Samui

  First published: 11 Jun 2012
  

  Some of the best-value resorts on Ko Samui are great in most departments, but lacking a swimming pool. Should they be located on a beach, this may not be a problem, but sometimes a splash in a pool, decked with sun loungers and an attentive barman on call, is just what the day needs. Don’t … read the full post

• Dao Siam Cosmetics on Ko Samui

  First published: 06 Jun 2012
  

  When you enter the new showroom for Dao Siam Cosmetics in Ko Samui‘s Choeng Mon you’ll suffer in the best way possible: from olfactory overload, as scents of predominantly citronella with undertones of white orchid and Thai herbs waft through the air. Aromdee Asia has been supplying hotels and spas in Thailand for several years, … read the full post

• Shopping at Ko Samui’s Fisherman’s Village

  First published: 30 May 2012
  

  Thailand’s known for its cheap clothes shopping, brand-name knock-offs and haggling to get already low-priced items at a steal. This, however, usually means sweating it out in an overcrowded market; anyone who has been to Bangkok’s Pratunam Market will know that the usually fun-filled day of shopping can turn into torture as temperatures soar in … read the full post