IN an increasingly complicated world where every day seems to bring news of terrorism, natural disaster or medical outbreaks, what's a traveller to do? How can they protect themselves?There's obviously no guaranteed way to avoid all threats to your safety. Earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and epidemics can't be predicted. But there are many precautions a traveller can take to avoid trouble when they travel. One of the most obvious is their choice of where to vacation.

For example, this column has expressed dissatisfaction with some cruise lines' consistent choices of embarkation of disembarkation ports where terrorism is a known element. Since they don't seem to be concerned about your safety, but instead only their bottom line, it becomes each person's individual responsibility to keep themselves well informed about what's going on around the world.

Sad to say, the attempted hijacking of the Seabourn Spirit off Somalia came as no surprise. Like many other people in the travel industry, to us it seemed long overdue and many professionals have long expected something even far worse than what happened to the US Navy destroyer Cole.

Nineteen ships have been attacked in that region off Somalia this year, and officials suspect the so-called "pirates" are launched from a "mother ship". Knowing these facts and the area's long-time reputation for trouble, should a cruise line risk lives of passengers following that itinerary? And if it didn't know that was a trouble zone, shouldn't it be in another business?

Perhaps I've become over-sensitive after a lifetime of visiting hot spots that had an unfortunate habit of exploding soon afterwards. But it's kept me in one piece.

Yes, cruising the Nile is fascinating and my two adventures there via Hilton's original Osiris and on board an exceptional all-suite Egyptian-owned ship were magical. But days after arriving back in London, a news item reported how terrorists had fired from shore on passengers sailing by one one such ship with tragic results.

Since then there have been bloody explosions in Khan El Khalili bazaar, outside the Egyptian Museum beside my favourite Nile Hilton, the horrible slaughter at Queen Hatshepsut's famed temple, Sharm el Sheik's deadly disaster and Taba Hilton's destruction.

Those are all places where this traveller has spent considerable time, since Egypt is one of my favourite destinations. Of course, many tourists manage to come and go there safely . . . but just now I prefer not to push my luck.

The same was true of Jordan, an intriguing destination that deserves more attention. When the late King Hussein began actively promoting tourism, I was one of five lucky journalists flown out there in grande luxe style as part of that programme.

Covering the Kingdom from border to border revealed a treasury of ancient ruins and wondrous sites . . . Petra, incomparable Jerash, Mount Nebo, vast unchanging landscapes of Wadi Rum bordering Saudi Arabia. It is truly a second Holy Land.

But when an invitation came to my brother Jim and myself for a repeat visit, including a gala reception at King Abdullah's palace, the Middle East was in such turmoil that we very reluctantly bypassed that tempting encore visit.

France's many wonders lured me there my entire adult life. During the 13 years we spent three weeks in Alsace each summer, changes accelerated. Although in an historic mountain-top chateau dating to the 7th century, we regularly drove down to local villages and into Strasbourg.

The North African population increased considerably during that time, as did signs of increased fundamentalism. Veiled women formerly dressed in traditional clothing added heavy, long gabardine coats even on sweltering summer days. (Not unlike intensified cover-up I'd witnessed in Egypt over the years, until in many cases only eyes were visible).

Then came France's presidential election and in the second run-off vote, Alsace supported anti-outsider Fascist Juan Marie LePen against Jacques Chirac by more than 90 per cent.

"Is everyone hiding in their house?" we asked police increasingly posted at the chateau. It seemed all North Africans had disappeared. "In truth, they are, ever since the election," he responded. A local area where we enjoyed picnicking had been nicknamed "The Arab River" because it was so favoured by local North African men. After that election not one of them ever appeared.

Cars started being burned each New Year's Eve in Strasbourg, Jewish monuments desecrated at local cemeteries, fires set at some religious sites . . . the whole scene was becoming uncomfortable and a couple of years ago when a new director took over, it turned out he had been an avid Jean Marie LePen supporter and didn't like outsiders, North Americans included.

So we packed up the hammock, chaise longue and other assorted possessions left in their vast attic from year to year, while the staff we had come to know over so many years dissolved in tears, and didn't return.

Meanwhile, we hear he's driven away even the Parisian clientele and the place is half empty. Hopefully, no one will cause damage to it, but the level of police protection definitely increased in recent years.CHOOSING where you consider safe is a very personal matter, one that necessitates research on the traveller's part. There are chilling incidences, often only locally reported, that you can discover on web sites we've often mentioned here. Everyone must decide these things for themselves according to their own level of anxiety.But not only terrorists and nature on the rampage threaten your safety. We encountered a horrendous deadly accident in Rocky Mountain National Park this September that could have so easily been avoided.

We'd planned to drive across the old Fall River Road built in 1920 as the first route braving those mountains. Unpaved, in its original condition and now only one-way, it's open just a couple of months annually because of snow. My mother had done it on a family vacation in 1926 and we were determined to follow her trail.

It was unexpectedly closed the day we chose to climb up to the summit. Park rangers never shared the reason, which we later read in the local paper after we finally made the trip. Turns out a young couple form Nashua, New Hampshire had parked their Hyundai Santa Fe on a hillside to get out and take photos of the spectacular view.

The thirty-two-year-old husband put the car in park, but didn't set its emergency brake. Their two- and-a-half-year-old child was in a back-seat safety seat. The car began to roll backwards, the father raced after it, getting the door open, but was dragged down across a steep rocky embankment in a desperate effort to reach the child. The father died at the site but the child was unhurt. As mountain enthusiasts who favour narrow, unpaved cliff-clinging roads, we'd never venture forth without both an emergency brake on and a large rock wedged against the tyre for protection if the brake fails. Just putting it in park is not adequate protection.

How often have you heard: "Never go off hiking in a remote area without telling someone your plans?" Yet a Rocky Mountain National Park Ranger, who normally passes on that warning to others, went missing this summer and his body was later found below a remote trail.THE number of accidents that occur in national parks is chilling but little publicised. As youngsters on a first trip to Yosemite National Park, I remember everyone being traumatised when a hiker got too close to a mountain stream, fell in and went plummeting over a cliff to his death.One still sees thoughtless vacationers who seem to have left all caution at home, actually attempting to feed bears . . . sometimes getting between a mother bear and her cubs. That's really asking for trouble. So is leaving food in tents or cars, all targeted by hungry bears.

Every summer, there's some sort of scalding disaster in Yellowstone National Park's boiling pools because someone ventures too close. But that's not the only place where holiday seekers are badly burned.

We arrived at St. Lucia's steaming Soufriere volcanic crater just after a German tourist had walked out onto the thin crust, fallen through and been rushed off to hospital in very critical condition. In all cases, those involved in such accidents have ignored warning signs.

The Grand Canyon has also claimed a startling number of careless travellers. On our visit last year, people were talking about two fatalities . . . one a German standing on the ledge of the rim who stepped back while a photo was being taken and another who climbed out where they shouldn't have been.

Rangers must have got tired of rescuing hikers trekking down into the canyon along its narrow trail, a challenging descent through many increasingly hot climate zones after years of saving senseless adventurers, those rescues now carry a price tag. Latest craze is race-jogging from one rim, deep down into the canyon, then up the other side. Fatalities have already occurred.

Yes, you're certainly on vacation to relax . . . but don't leave your common sense behind. It's the most important ingredient of safe travel.

[obox] Next week: A Dickens Christmas