The five best countries to travel to, according to the woman who's seen them all.

Cassie De Pecol recently became the youngest – and fastest – woman to travel to each of the world’s 196 countries.

The 27-year-old also became the ultimate go-to source on unmissable destinations because she can say, with a certain level authority most of us can’t, which countries truly are the best.

Perhaps it isn’t surprising the American woman rounded out her top 10 best countries to visit with her home country, USA, at number 10.

What might be surprising to the many of us who haven’t seen the entire world, however, is that there’s no European country to be found on the list.

Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you. – John Miur • • • Off to Antarctica with @quarkexpeditions ! I can't say I'm excited to leave Ushuaia though, it's breathtaking here ???????????? To the last and final continent of #Expedition196! ????????

A post shared by Cassie De Pecol | Official (@expedition_196) on Feb 21, 2017 at 1:02pm PST

Costa Rica came in at ninth spot, Peru in at number eight, Tunisia next and number six was the Middle East’s Sultanate of Oman. So it might be time to give that bucket list a shake-up.

Here’s Cassie De Pecol’s top five best countries to visit in the world, as told to The Telegraph:

1. Mongolia.

De Pecol gives a simple reason to visit the Asian nation: “To be immersed in the remote wilderness and to ride the wild horses.”

Bordered by China and Russia, Mongolia is a popular destination often visited as part of a trip along the Trans-Siberian Railway from Beijing to St Petersburg.

Listen: Hear from the couple who retired in their 30s to go travelling with their baby.

2. Bhutan.

The Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas struck a chord with the globetrotter. De Pecol’s experience trekking to Paro Taktsang – a monastery also known as Tiger’s Nest that is situated on a cliff – stayed with her.

She described Paro Taktsang as “something out of Avatar” on Instagram.

“(It was) a dream to trek through low-hanging clouds with a harrowing drop at any given moment on either side,” she wrote.

After a 1 hour and 15 minute fast paced uphill trek, I arrived at Paro Taktsang. The pilgrimage was like something out of Avatar, a dream to trek, through low hanging clouds with 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 (ashes of the dead) wedged between crevices of stone. Passing over a bridge and waterfall and up the last flight of stairs, I entered one of the chambers where I was completely alone. Tip-toeing past the glowing butter candles and sacred relics, I kneeled on a rug, cracked open an aged window and rested my head on the windowsill to reflect and admire the massive 2,000ft plunge into the vast Himalayan valley below, as clouds swiftly passed. Without my phone or camera equipment, I was able to consciously enjoy this moment in peace. ???? • • • #expedition196 #everycountryintheworld

A post shared by Cassie De Pecol | Official (@expedition_196) on Jul 6, 2016 at 2:58am PDT

“Prayer flags swayed through the pines, prayer wheels spinning in the breeze, and tsa-tsas (ashes of the dead) wedged between crevices of stone.

“Passing over a bridge and waterfall and up the last flight of stairs, I entered one of the chambers where I was completely alone.”

De Pecol recommends visiting Bhutan “to learn the ethics of peaceful living”.

3. Maldives.

It seems the tropical island nation and popular honeymoon destination lives up to the hype, after all. Known for its beautiful beaches, the Maldives did not disappoint, according to De Pecol.

The traveller advises visiting “to see some of the bluest water, whitest sand and most stunning sand banks in the world”.

New vlog coming up soon of my experience at #SonevaFushi in the Maldives! ????♻️

A post shared by Cassie De Pecol | Official (@expedition_196) on Jul 23, 2016 at 7:25am PDT

4. Vanuatu

De Pecol’s fourth-placed destination is another nation made up of several islands, this time in the South Pacific.

The peace and sustainability activist recommends trying Kava – a drink made from the root of the pepper plant Piper methysticum, used as medicine and in ceremonies in several Pacific island nations.

The 27-year-old tells us to visit Vanuatu “to experience the process of how Kava is made and to meet some of the kindest people”.

???????????? Vanuatu ???????????? Country #8 on #Expedition196 #PeaceThroughTourism #WorldTourismDay2015

A post shared by Cassie De Pecol | Official (@expedition_196) on Sep 27, 2015 at 1:18pm PDT

5. Pakistan

If you think Pakistan is a surprising recommendation, coming in as the fifth best country in the world to visit, you’re not alone.

De Pecol faced many fearful faces when she told friends and family about her plans to visit the country, of which half is currently on the Australian Government’s ‘do not travel’ list.

“People were scared for me when I told them I was going, although I personally looked at the opportunity as both a privilege and unique adventure,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Having been to places such as Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea, alone for example, I had zero worries about entering Pakistan and just knew it would exceed my expectations in the best way possible.”

The way I prefer to travel is to leave all preconceptions at the door and walk in with a completely open mind. ???????? • • • When I used to travel, I’d sometimes extensively research the country; the good, the bad, where to go, what to do. By doing this, my mind naturally conditioned itself into thinking that the reflection of that country from the media or from what other people told me, was true, and because of this, I was almost just waiting to see or experience something good or bad from these preconceived notions. Sadly, I ended up experiencing more negative experiences than good because much of this research typically led me to media and government sites that would say everything they could to steer me away. Well, I decided to let that all go and this time around, to refrain from researching countries before I arrive (aside from the basic visa, language, currency, etc.) and to instead learn first hand from the people there what gives their country a “sense of place”. I find that my experience now when I travel, is much more euphoric and positive in doing so. A great example of this practice surfaced during my stay in Pakistan. People were scared for me when I told them I was going, although I personally looked at the opportunity as both a privilege and unique adventure. Having been to places such as Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea, alone for example, I had zero worries about entering Pakistan and just knew it would exceed my expectations in the best way possible. What we hear in the media can be so degrading and devastating, but this shouldn’t deter us from experiencing that country first hand. By using tourism as a means for #peace, we have the ability to open our eyes to the truth when we experience these places through our own perceptions while learning directly from the local people. Once we realize the common denominator of humanity, we’ll judge less, and accept more. We will be more open to the kindness of people around the world and that most people just want peace, too. ✌????️???????? • • • #Expedition196

A post shared by Cassie De Pecol | Official (@expedition_196) on Dec 16, 2016 at 8:01pm PST

“What we hear in the media can be so degrading and devastating, but this shouldn’t deter us from experiencing that country first hand.”

De Pecol, who had to wait four months to gain approval to visit the nation, recommends travelling to Pakistan “to get a true sense of raw, authentic Asian culture, and for the food”.

Read the full list of De Pecol’s travel picks at The Telegraph.