Direct Travel Insurance Services have excluded four such areas from their policies. The big four are Sudan, Afghanistan, Liberia and Cuba.

While some holidaymakers dream of sipping mai tai�s on a deserted tropical island, others crave the thrill of exploring unchartered and riskier territory. However, choosing an unusual destination for your travels can pose real problems when it comes to finding travel insurance. Some areas of the planet � tempting as they may be to some keen explorers � are deemed so dangerous as to be excluded from travel insurance policies altogether.

It�s easy to account for the inclusion of Sudan, Liberia and Afghanistan � each one a violent and increasingly lawless place at present, but the inclusion of Cuba is beginning to raise eyebrows.

In fact, the British foreign office is keen to point out that thousands of UK holidaymakers make trips to Cuba every year, and on the most part, wholly safely. In addition, the current crime rate on this Caribbean island is remarkably low, while its healthcare standards remain high.

The reason for Cuba�s inclusion in Direct Travel�s list could well lie in its recent company history. A US firm called AIG have just bought out Direct Travel � and the fact that this is a US-owned company is significant. As the last remaining communist administration, Cuba is still viewed unfavourably by the US government, and citizens of the US are forbidden from visiting the island, while US companies banned from trading with any Cuba in any way. For this reason, AIG may well be seeking to extend this anti-Cuban US policy to its business in the UK. In the current financial climate, holiday travel is down, so any travel insurance revenue is vital – and so some see Direct Travel�s stance as a costly mistake.

So if you�re a UK citizen, looking to take a nice relaxing trip to Havana, you�ll have to look to companies other than Direct Travel for your holiday insurance. The good news is that there are no shortage of other British insurers who are happy to insure visitors to Cuba. It�s not considered a high risk destination by most insurance providers, and so cover can be obtained reasonably cheaply.

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