Cassie De Pecol is the youngest and first woman to visit every country in the world. She holds the world record for the fastest person to travel to all 196 countries, doing it in less than two years.
Cassie quit her job and found ways to fund her trip through sponsorships, endorsements and saved $10,000 from baby-sitting. In total Cassie budgeted $198,000 for her adventures and set off in July 2015. Cassie’s goal is to leverage the media attention from her trip to promote peace through sustainable tourism.
“My goal was to prove to you how kind and hospitable people all over the world are, but specifically in regions that many people consider to be dangerous,” De Pecol wrote on her website.
“It is my hope that, through traveling alone as a blonde, American woman, I’ve been able to respectfully introduce you to a completely different perspective of the world and it’s people; the safety, kindness, and the similarities of 99 percent of people around the world. In portraying this, I’ve had to let go of all of my fears and trust in people, trust in strangers, and trust in the unknown, and it’s proved to be an powerfully rewarding experience.”
Though she enjoyed every one of the 196 countries she travelled solo to, De Pecol picked top 7 must-see places every traveller alike should explore.
Great Mosque in Sousse, Tunisia
Tunisia
“To experience northern African culture with a Middle Eastern feel and an immense amount of archaeological history.”
Split shot of snorkeler swimming in front of water villas in Maldives.
The Maldives
“To see some of the bluest water, whitest sand, and most stunning sand banks in the world.”
The Sacred Valley of the Incas or Urubamba Valley is a valley in the Andes of Peru, close to the Inca capital of Cusco and below the ancient sacred city of Machu Picchu.
Peru
De Pecol thinks you have to visit Peru to experience the Amazon rainforest and Aguas Calientes, the closest access point to the historical site of Machu Picchu.
An eye catching view of Shah Faisal Mosque -The largest mosque in Pakistan (Islamabad)
Pakistan
“To get the true sense of raw, authentic Asian culture, and for the food.”
Grazing horses at sunset, plateau Ukok, the junction of Russian, Mongolian and Chinese boarders
Mongolia
“To be immersed in the remote wilderness and to ride the wild horses.”
This is a photo of an empty hammock down by wind and sea beach in San Diego California with a surfboard leaning against it.
Costa Rica
“Monkeys, fresh fruit, good music, and volcanoes,”De Pecol said. “Need I say more?”
Tiger’s Nest, Taktsang Monastery, Himalayan Buddhist sacred site and temple complex, located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley, in Bhutan.
Bhutan
“To learn the ethics of peaceful living,” she said. “The pilgrimage [to Paro Taktsang] was something out of Avatar, a dream to trek through low-hanging clouds and a harrowing drop at any given moment on either side. Prayer flags swayed through the pines, prayer wheels spinning in the breeze, and tsa-tsas (asked of the dead) wedged between crevices of stone.”
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