An American woman named Cassandra de Pecol is the first female backpacker to visit all 196 countries, and she is the youngest to do it on a low budget. Not only that, but she is breaking the record for the speed in which she has done so.
The 27-year-old has spent $200,000 on her journey, on expenses like 254 international plane tickets and living expenses. She has been spending on average two to five days in each country. However that money has not been coming directly out of her pocket, she gets sponsored by hotels and restaurants in return for featuring them on her Instagram account.
Cassandra’s interest in travel is more than just a fun trip around the world, she is an ambassador for the International Institute of Peace through Tourism, and while she travels she is collecting water samples from the different countries for Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation.
She has 16 countries left to hit within the next six weeks to beat the previous record holder of the British filmmaker and explorer Graham Hughes, who made it to all 196 countries in less than four years.
