Female traveller, 27, visits all 196 countries in record time… but it cost £170,000

A YOUNG female traveller has become the first documented woman to visit every country in the world – and she did it at record speed.

Adventurous Cassie De Pecol, 27, travelled to all 196 sovereign nations in a record-breaking 18 months and 26 days.

The intrepid American embarked on her journey in July 2015 just after her 25th birthday and 255 flights later, completed her mission.

She budgeted a whopping $198,000 (£170,000) for the trip – most of which was given by sponsors.

Cassie said: “Since school, I’ve had this desire to visit every country in the world, intrigued to learn more about every culture, natural habitat, and religion.”

 

She said she always yearned to see and explore life outside North America.

She commented: “In America we are lucky to have such a vast melting pot of cultures and people from all over the world who make the country what it is today.

“I wanted to learn about where these people came from, more specifically, where I came from, with my ancestors originating from Europe."

“Is the Middle East really like they say it is on the news? What about the Amazon?”

 

, the Connecticut resident calmly reportedly replied: "I just like to show that we can be friends and we can kind of coexist.”

 

 

Evidence of her record is being validated by officials in the upcoming weeks, but if her journey is approved, she will be named the fastest female to visit all sovereign countries and as the quickest person of any gender to make the trip.

Yili Liu from Michigan has held the male record since 2010, completing the round-the-world tour in three years and three months.

Her trip wasn't all jet-setting and visiting tourist hotspots, however.

During her travels she worked as a Peace ambassador for the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism and Skal International.

The role involved meeting with 16,000 tourism students to discuss responsible tourism and economics.

Keen to support her own teaching on sustainability, she hopes to plant trees in 50 countries to offset her heavy carbon footprint.

 

 

 

 

Looking to the future Cassie says she isn’t keen to adopt a nine-to-five routine just yet, and has some more travel in the pipeline.

She plans to visit Antarctica, which is not technically a soverign nation, in late February.

Cassie then plans to write a book on her venture and hopes to finish a documentary she is working on.

 

 

She said: ““I try to spend the most time in countries where I’m able to promote my mission to make a difference.”

We previously shared Lonely Planet's stunning travel book that celebrates every country in the world.

We also covered the travel obsessed couple who take their baby around the world with them to visit 20 different countries.