Rondavel

From the Afrikaans word for hut, a rondavel is traditionally a circular building with a thatched roof found across southern Africa. There are continental variations on the theme, such as the East African banda. They're often tourist or visitor accommodation, so I've stayed in many over the years. This one has a nice position looking out over a misty forest scene where the land drops steeply and kingfishers dart between the trees that hang over the slope.

I was in a similar one just off to the left until the Chief Park Warden rejoined us, whereupon I was relegated to my tent. I've cadged a foam mattress so I'm perfectly snug and this morning I could hear a troop of monkeys travelling through the trees above. Although this fieldwork is wrapping up soon (it's termed a rapid biodiversity assessment - RAP) I'm still very much enjoying being more offline and experiencing a slower pace of life than when in the city. I swear that constant connectivity cannot be good for the brain. It's probably why Bhutan, likely one of the least technological places on Earth, always does well in global happiness counts. We should all strive for periods offline, mimicking the Bhutanese.