- Cassandra De Pecol went to every country in the world and shares her top 10 favorite.
- She based her favorite countries on their landscapes, diverse cultures, and cuisines.
- She also said she felt humbled when she went to North Korea.
At 27 years old, I completed my wanderlust dream of traveling to every country in the world as a solo female traveler. To be exact, I've visited all 193 sovereign nations — plus Taiwan, Kosovo, and Palestine. Then, by the age of 30, I achieved my athletic dream of becoming an Ironman. I find great fulfillment in inspiring and educating young women to get out and pursue their passions — or whatever gets them excited in life.
I'm originally from Connecticut, and due to financial reasons, I never really had the chance to travel growing up. The only country I'd been to, before the age of 18, was Canada — where my mom is from. I had this innate feeling to explore uncharted territory and travel the world. Specifically, I wanted to explore places that people felt were unsafe and wouldn't usually travel to. I wanted to utilize my privilege and able-bodiedness to give back and enhance the world we live in whilst debunking myths about some of these precarious nations and promoting peace.
When I think about some of my favorite countries, my mind usually gravitates towards both human interactions and natural landscapes that brought me the most joy — I love nature. All of my favorite countries boast some of the most incredible landscapes, diverse cultures, and unique cuisines.
My top favorite countries change often, since each season I tend to reminisce about my favorite places from that time of year. Here are my current top 10 favorite countries.
1. Argentina
I've spent a lot of time over the years in Argentina and have met some wonderful people from there. I'm drawn to their seasons and flora, which attracted me to racing a half Ironman on the Argentinean side of Patagonia.
Spring in Bariloche — a city in Argentina's Patagonia region — is like an amplified spring in Connecticut because of the vast mountain ranges and glacier lakes that reflect the vibrant leaves and make everything more intense.
From the incredible beauty of Salta to Córdoba, it's just one of my favorite countries. I also enjoy the scenery in Ushuaia, which is known as the gateway to Antarctica, and the fantastic cuisine. When I visit Argentina, I take full advantage of their empanadas, Asado, and amazing sweets.
2. Austria
Being a sucker for mountains and nature, Austria has always been able to deliver — the country is breathtaking. Learning about its history, and visiting castles and palaces makes for such an enriching trip. It's crisp, clean, fresh, authentic, and a place I've always enjoyed revisiting time and time again.
3. Bhutan
I always encourage culture and nature lovers to experience Bhutan at least once, if possible — it's a really enchanting place. When I was there in July 2016, I found it to be a very peaceful country and a very humbling experience. They've broken records for the amount of trees planted, something I participated in while there. The people are peaceful and happy, and the environment reflects that.
4. Pakistan
Having traveled all throughout Pakistan; from cities like Karachi and Lahore to the capital Islamabad, I can honestly say this country is worth the visit. The cuisine is heavy, but so aromatic and flavorful. Similar to India, some of the common spices they use are cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon, and I find those aromas really shine throughout their common dishes. The landscapes are also stunning; from beaches to cloud forests to Himalayan mountain ranges. Lastly, the people were so hospitable and welcoming — it was unreal.
5. Vanuatu
Throughout my time in Vanuatu, I took it upon myself to really immerse myself in the local traditions. Vanuatu is a tiny island nation in the Pacific Oceania. I roamed around the villages, where I was welcomed into the homes of strangers who taught me valuable lessons and showed me how they made some of their traditional drinks, like kava — a non-fermented drink made from the root of a medicinal plant and always served cold. Vanuatu is a beautiful place and the students I spoke to were some of the most engaging and beautiful.
6. Iceland
Iceland is another country that I've visited a good handful of times because I just can't get enough of its natural splendor. It's the perfect place to escape to for solace and reflection. The cities aren't overwhelming, the people are very welcoming, the food is delicious, and the landscapes are out of this world. I was fascinated by the fertile lowlands and geothermal environments. Iceland has over 600 species of moss that make the land look totally unique to any other country I've experienced.
7. Oman
The Middle East holds a special place in my heart and Oman is just the perfect place to dive into traditional Arab culture. The kindness of the people of Oman is paramount, and their cuisine is out of this world. From their coffee to their honey, it's all just incredible. The desert landscapes and sea are honestly a refreshing break and naturally create space for an open mind to experience all that Oman has to offer.
8. USA
There's a reason why many people flock to the US and I have to include it in my top 10 countries. It's a melting pot of cultures, cuisines, landscapes, and traditions. It really is a great place to experience a taste of the world and meet people from everywhere.
If I wanted to, I could visit a rainforest in Puerto Rico one day and have a Cuban café con leche and pan tostado for breakfast in Miami the next day. I could also hike in the Mojave desert in California one morning, have dinner at an Eritrean restaurant in San Francisco late that afternoon, and be asleep among the spruce trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean with the ground covered in snow in Oregon by the evening. In the US, different environments are so close to each other by flight.
9. Mauritius
Mauritius is so underrated as it's an uncommon place to travel, but it's such a wonderful place to visit. I love their commitment to responsible tourism and I admired how pristine and naturally beautiful the country was when I visited. I also found the cultural diversity to be fascinating, with shared values and traditions between Indian, Chinese, African, and European communities.
The people were very hospitable to me. I was welcomed in Mauritius with open arms and would go back in a heartbeat.
10. Tunisia
Given all of the conflict and turmoil Tunisia has experienced over the years, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience in this country. It's beautiful. I traveled to Tunisia in December 2015, roughly a week after the 2015 Tunisia bombing, almost two weeks after the Radisson Blu shootings, and just six months after the Sousse attacks that killed 39 tourists. There was a lot of turmoil going on in Tunisia at the time which, rightfully so, turned tourists away from wanting to visit.
I took an overnight ferry, about 10 hours, from Palermo, Italy to Tunis and slept on a piece of cardboard on the floor, with no cell reception or wifi and surrounded by locals from both Italy and Tunisia — but mostly Tunisians. It was kind of nerve wracking, but once I arrived there was beauty everywhere. I stayed in Sidi Bou Said — in northern Tunisia — and made my way to the ruins of Carthage nearby, among other places. There's so much to see and also so much history. I found the people to be very kind and felt more than safe as a woman traveling solo.
I didn't have the best experience in countries where the men treated me poorly
I've been to Italy many times over the past 15 years and my great, great, grandpa was Italian — so I have quite a bit of heritage there. But no matter how many times I visit, I am incessantly harassed in public by the men.
It's a real shame because the women have always been really nice to me and I grew up learning a lot from them, working in restaurants in both Italy and the states. I love the cuisine, culture, landscapes, and pretty much everything about the country, but whenever I go, the men don't seem to respect me. However, their actions don't necessarily reflect the values of the country as a whole — which I'd say are kindness, generosity, and hospitality.
Another country that disappointed me was North Korea
When I visited in August 2016, it was a humbling experience. My North Korean tour guide was the sweetest and most helpful person — and all of the local people I came across were really kind. However, I visited North Korea, understanding the grave necessity to follow their rules — also knowing that the people who live there have to live by those rules every single breathing moment.
I had to ask permission whenever I took photos and was not allowed to leave the hotel without permission. I had to leave my DSLR camera, phone, GPS tracking device (which I used for my safety so my family knew where I was), and laptop in a locker in Shenyang airport because officials have the right to confiscate them if they wanted to. I did bring my GoPro which I was willing to lose, so that's how I was able to capture all my photos and videos there.
While I was in North Korea, I also was not allowed to talk to North Korean citizens. I had a cup of coffee in the hotel lobby and left it on the table when I was finished, but I was told I couldn't do that, either. There were lots of little rules that made it feel like I was walking on eggshells.