Despite having one of the world's "best" passports, she still managed to visit more than 100 countries.

When she was four years old, Maliha Fairooz's first memory of traveling was from Bangladesh to London.

"While most children on airplanes cry and throw tantrums, I was thrilled. I recall flying through the clouds, gazing down at the sky and thinking, 'I'm almost a bird,'" she stated.

She’s just as excited to travel now, she said.

Fairooz has already visited 102 countries and is well on her way to achieving her goal of traveling to every country in the world.

The reason she won a NomadMania Award in October is that she has managed to travel far despite having a Bangladeshi passport, which is ranked the eighth worst globally in the Henley Passport Index.

While Bangladeshi citizens can only enter 40 countries without a visa, Singaporeans, with the highest-ranked passport, have access to 193 countries.

Traveling has become much more difficult, with an increased amount of bureaucracy to navigate, she stated.

In order to obtain an official letter of invitation from a travel agency in Kyrgyzstan, Fairooz had to purchase a travel package through a Bangladeshi travel agent.

She waited five to six weeks for her visa to be approved, she stated.

Fairooz, at 16, left Bangladesh with her mother and lived in various parts of the world, including East Africa and the United Kingdom. Currently, she resides in Berlin and works for a human rights and democracy non-governmental organization.

Traveling as a woman of color

The stereotype that Bangladeshis are illegal immigrants is a major challenge for her while traveling, she stated, emphasizing that wealthier countries with stronger passports are often perceived as explorers and adventurers.

Fairooz stated that solo female travelers face many challenges, but their nationality can make it even more difficult.

Despite her privilege in terms of class, education, and finances, she feels that people still view her as a mere number or statistic.

In Cape Verde, one of her most distressing travel experiences occurred when Fairooz was detained at an airport.

Despite having the necessary visas and documents, she was denied entry after officials examined her passport. According to her account, the officials threatened to deport her back to Senegal, where she originated, even though she no longer had a visa to return.

Cape Verde's tourism authorities did not respond to CNBC's inquiry.

She stated that the reason she was given was that no one would travel to the small island for only three or four days, despite it being a popular destination.

Officials detained Fairooz for 17 hours, but finally released her after her mother, who works for the United Nations, contacted the U.N. office there, she said.

"I was extremely traumatized as they gave me a really difficult time," she stated.

Fairooz stated that the experience of anxiety and feeling trapped in a cell was horrifying, and now she is afraid whenever she goes to an airport.

Still worth it?

However, bad experiences haven’t stopped her from traveling.

Fairooz said she believes her positive experiences outweigh the negative.

She expressed her gratitude for the abundance of kindness, generosity, and beauty she has encountered, and how fortunate she feels to have connected with so many individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Fairooz stated that she travels when there are no events in her life to create new opportunities, and she travels to detach herself from the world.

She doesn't save money for a house or a car like some people do.

"I earn more money as an expat than I would if I lived in Bangladesh, so I spend almost all of it on travel and it's the best," she stated.

Her advice for those who want to travel the world? Start somewhere.

Fairooz stated that setting a daunting goal is a terrifying thing, but starting small by traveling within one's country or to nearby countries can help build up the courage to do more.

Be surrounded by individuals who support your objective and care about you, as this will sustain your motivation.