The Embraer 135 jet lands on a paved runway hemmed in by impenetrable bush. It taxies for a few minutes and passengers deplane into the hot and humid climate at Skukuza Airport.
With immaculate decor, the check-in lounge, complete with immigration and security scanners, could be confused for a Five-Star safari camp, only that it is one of the gateways to Kruger National Park in South Africa's Mpumalanga Province. At 2 million acres, the park is, without doubt, the largest single conservation area on the continent.