RTL News about what Marike van der Velden never wants again

On June 30th 2023, RTL news published an article in the series 'Never Again' about Marike van der Velden, the owner of this high class escort service. In the series, various people talk about things they never want to experience again. This time Marike tells us how she never wants to be unreachable for a longer period of time during a holiday again. You can read the original article in Dutch below and on the RTL website.

Marike never wants to be inaccessible on holiday again (and never on safari again)

In this weekly column, people talk about something they never want to experience, do or not do again. This week: Marike van der Velden (39) has a busy life as the owner of a high-end escort service. To relax, she took a safari trip to Botswana. And that turned out differently than expected.

"The funny thing is: I don't consider myself a sybarite at all. I live quite modestly, drive a Fiat 500, often do my shopping by bike and don't wear expensive designer clothes. So when I booked a back to basic tent safari in Botswana, I didn't expect that I would have so much trouble here. But what I underestimated most was the stress I got because I was unreachable for five days. Never again."

"As a twenty-one-year-old business administration student, I started the escort service Society Service with a fellow student, specialized in the high-end segment. I was drawn to entrepreneurship and I saw opportunities to set up a great company, with only highly educated escorts who do this work with passion in addition to their studies or other job.

It turned out to be a bull's eye - still is. I read everywhere about staff shortages, but we have five hundred applicants per month, of which only a few make it through the selection."

Bucket list countries

"I really enjoy my work and work at least fifty hours a week, in the past even more. Holidays are a way for me to relax. Last year I booked a trip to Botswana and Namibia with my partner and parents. Every few years I go on a big trip with my parents, we went to China and Iceland. As long as they can still manage physically, I would like to continue these experiences with them. And these African countries had been on my bucket list for years. The nature seemed fantastic to me, just like the wild animals.”

"The trip lasted almost three weeks in total, and part of this included a visit to an immense national park. I booked a five-day tented safari with a guide, so that we could spend the night in a different place each time. I could also book lodges, but they were ridiculously expensive, sometimes as much as five thousand euros per night. I think that's crazy: just because I can afford it doesn't mean I want to spend that much money it. Moreover, I had a beautiful, idyllic picture of this back to basic safari in mind. I could already see how we would have a nice meal in front of a beautiful tent in the evening and chat by a bonfire. This turned out a bit differently."

Dirty and sticky

"Honestly, the nature and wildlife were overwhelmingly beautiful. We saw elephants and giraffes. And a leopard pounced on a gemsbok, dragging it into a tree. It was spectacular to see all this up close and to be able to share it with my parents and partner. So it went fine for the first few days, but on day three I noticed that I was a bit fed up with it. I was always dirty and sticky, and could only take a shower with a bucket of water for a minute and a half. A huge hassle, and then I was immediately dirty again because there was sand everywhere."

"And there was more discomfort, such as the many dirty creatures that crawled into our tent. At night I heard loud grunting nearby, apparently those were hippos and they can be really dangerous. There was also elephant dung everywhere in our camp once. Going to the toilet in the dark was also a challenge. The toilet was a hole in the ground, into which I first had to shine a flashlight to check whether there was a spider or scorpion in it. Sleeping on a stretcher was not very comfortable either."

"But what was hardest for me was being completely unreachable those days. I knew my phone wouldn't work well in the remote area, but I had hoped for some range here and there or a small sliver of WiFi when we were near such an expensive lodge – who knows, maybe someone had a dead simple password. But there was zero range, really nothing."

House burned down, company bankrupt

"On the second day I already felt restless and on the third day it became downright stressful. I was worried about everything. That our house had been burned down or that my company had been declared bankrupt. That there would be an unexpected inspection by the municipality or an international booking going completely wrong. I'm a control freak and a workaholic – the kind of person who watches TV with her laptop on her lap – and this was a really big confrontation with myself.”

"The last day my mood was downright bad, I couldn't enjoy myself because of all the unrest and discomfort. Everything was sticky and dirty. I couldn't wait to get to a hotel so I could shower and check my texts and emails.

When we were almost in an area with mobile coverage, to make matters worse, our safari car got stuck in the sand, so it had to be dug out. I became desperate and was about to take a walk back to the hotel. When I finally had cellular service, it turned out that I only had one text from my assistant: 'Everything is going well here, no worries!'"

To the Loosdrechtse Plassen

"Afterwards, I was disappointed with myself. Why was it so difficult for me to let go of my work? I had worked myself up for nothing and only thought up doomsday scenarios. I think that is a shortcoming of myself. Yet I am sure that I never want to be unreachable for so long again. It simply gives me too much stress and that cannot be the purpose of a holiday.

I will also never go camping again for that long. I so underestimated that. I thought, how hard can it be? A few days without makeup or a hairdryer really doesn't bother me. But those dirty animals everywhere and everything being uncomfortable: I apparently find that annoying. Sometimes I really thought: what am I doing to myself? A few times I kicked myself for not having gone for one of those expensive lodges, with a shower and WiFi. This summer my partner and I are going to our holiday home with boat at the Loosdrechtse Plassen. And of course my laptop and telephone come with me."