Cassandra De Pecol, who is hoping to inspire young people to live their dreams was in Bahrain recently as part of her Guinness World Record-setting expedition that began in July last year.
Cassandra praised Bahrain for its openness and warm hospitality. An American adventurer, she is promoting peace through sustainable tourism during her attempt to become the first woman to travel to 196 nations in record time.
“I started travelling in July last year and have covered 85 countries so far,” the 26-year-old Los Angeles native said.
“I want to cover 196 countries in three years and set a new world record.”
The current record is three years, three months, and six days set by Yili Liu of Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2010.
Ms De Pecol is visiting each country as an ambassador of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) and meeting key people to raise awareness about world peace.
“I wanted to promote women’s rights when I set out but then realised world peace is more important for stability.”
In Bahrain, she shared her experiences with Bahrain Institute of Hospitality and Retail (BIHR) students in Barbar and also visited historical sites like the Bahrain Fort, Tree of Life, the Grand Mosque in Juffair and the Bahrain National Museum, among others.
“The Al Jasra Handicrafts Centre is
beautiful; I had a chance to interact with the pottery makers.
“I even planted a tree in the women’s section of the centre which I do on all my
visits to different countries to reduce my carbon footprint.
“Bahrain is a wonderful place and the people here are friendly which made my
stay enjoyable.
The solo female traveller said she loved Bahraini food and was eager to share her experiences on her travel video blog hoping to encourage more people to visit the country.
Ms De Pecol left for Istanbul from Bahrain. She also plans to visit conflict countries such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq and parts of Africa.
“At the end of my expedition I intend
to visit Yemen and Syria with the help of
some groups.”
Armed with a camera she is capturing the beauty and culture of every country she is visiting. She will be making a documentary which when completed will, she hopes, serve as an educational tool for universities and schools.
Bahrain Four Stars Hotel Committee chairman Hameed Al Halwachi, who accompanied Ms De Pecol during her stay in Bahrain said it is vital to show visitors the positive side of the country.
“If we can share our success stories with such travellers it will attract more people to visit Bahrain,” he said
For more information, visit
www.expedition196.com.