With everyone working so hard these days, our leisure time has become increasingly limited. All too often our annual holidays are reduced to a meagre week or two. Yet even with just one week at your disposal, you can still escape to Africa. In the first of our new short break series, Kim Wildman prescribes a short, sharp and very sweet one-week safari in Tanzania.

One of the continent's most exhilarating and accessible safari routes is Tanzania's northern circuit.

In the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, you'll find some of Africa's finest wildlife parks, including the Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater.

The hub of the northern circuit is the small town of Arusha. Its close proximity to the parks and to Kilimanjaro International Airport makes it the perfect starting point for safaris in the region. With time a constraint, you could opt to do a speedy fly-in safari. But with most package safaris averaging around seven days and with numerous companies offering private itineraries, there is no need to limit your options.

An essential stop on any northern circuit safari is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. At its heart lies the world's largest intact caldera - 610m deep and covering an area of 260km2. Descending into the crater, you'll discover a veritable Garden of Eden teeming with wildlife. Amazingly, the Maasai still herd their cattle here, despite Ngorongoro's healthy lion population.

To the north-west of Ngorongoro stretch the vast plains of the Serengeti. Without doubt one of the world's most renowned wildlife sanctuaries, the Serengeti covers 14,763km2 and supports a spectacular range of mammals, including the Big Five. With wide expanses of short grassy plains, game viewing is exceptional. Time your trip carefully and you can witness one of the world's greatest natural spectacles - the annual wildebeest migration.

Other parks included on most northern circuit itineraries are Tarangire and Lake Manyara - both offering superb safari experiences, ranging from prolific elephant herds to tree-climbing lions.

Fact File
Checklist
Language: KiSwahili, English.
Time: GMT+3.
Int. Dialling Code: +255
Money: Tanzanian shilling (Tsh), currently Tsh1500 to the UK £.
Visas: Required by most visitors, costing between US$30-60). Contact Tanzania High Commission, www.tanzania.go.tz
When to go To see the Serengeti at its best, visit between December and March when many of the animals are congregated in the park's southern region. From May to June vast herds of wildebeest and zebra start to migrate north to Kenya, crossing the crocodile-infested Grumeti River in search of greener pastures. In November the herds trek back towards the Serengeti.
Getting there Air Tanzania and KLM have direct flights from Europe to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA). Several other airlines serve Dar es Salaam from where connecting flights to KIA are available.
Where to stay Depending on the type of safari you choose, accommodation ranges from basic tented campsites with few amenities to tented camps and five-star lodges with luxury facilities.
Organised trips Numerous operators can arrange itineraries for Tanzania's northern circuit. See Travel Connections on p112 for an advertisers index of companies offering safaris, accommodation and other travel services.
Find out more Tanzanian Tourist Board, www.tanzania-web.com.