About Menno & Janneke ✝ ( 13-06-2019 )
Myself and my wife Janneke, started Protea Retreat in 2016 after making some lifestyle changing decisions. We had initially decided to extend our home for our own comfort & luxury but as we became older, we felt the need to travel & be satisfied with an already large enough and lovely home. So we changed the entire extension plan. We created and entirely self sufficient, fully equipped guest apartment. You can see some of our initial thoughts & plans for Protea Retreat at the following links:
See-From Home Extension to self contained apartment
Also
See-Our original Protea Retreat weblink
We also love camping with our dogs (Both who have sadly passed on since) and recently traveling as backpackers. As a middle aged couple who have never really done much traveling, 2015 was a milestone as we left for South East Asia on the first of many entirely self planned (and often unplanned) travels on a low budget adventure. First Thailand, with Cambodia & Vietnam following.
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MidlfeBackpacker-Facebook page
Janneke was always the one who prided herself in doing those little extra things for her guests, who will attest to this. She was a perfectionist and attended to preparing & keeping the apartment in tip top shape for the most finicky guest. Of course in between looking after the needs of our guests and travelling, we were both successful Real Estate agents, as well as Property Investors. . It was with great sadness that on 13 June 2019, we lost Janneke after her 3 ½ year fight against cancer.
See-Flat Specialist Facebook page
I remain passionate about Protea Retreat. Even more so now, as I need to keep Janneke’s passion, her perfection and her spirit alive in the legacy she has left for her guests who visit me at Protea Retreat. I am therefore meticulouse in maintaining the high standard as Janneke would have wished it to be. I love meeting different people, who stay here for vastly different reasons. Either way, I love seeing the smiles on their faces when they actually realise that I do try and “exceed their expectations”.
I look forward to meeting you
Menno van Mechelen