About

Hey, I’m Taz Zaidi.

I’m a travel writer from Texas, USA. I’ve had the travel itch for as long as I can remember. I prefer to travel at a slow pace, to absorb the local culture and enjoy more of what a country and region have to offer. I’ve been to over 50 countries and plan to visit them all by 2036.

Travel engages all my senses. I enjoy new foods, historic sites, mountain trekking, water sports, learning languages and volunteering. I love delving into regional history - for the incredible storylines and to understand how the modern local cultures developed.

Inti Raymi, the Inca Winter Solstice Festival    It was the most important annual and religious ceremony in the Inca Empire - to honor Inti (the Sun God), to mark the new year, to celebrate the past year’s harvest and to ask for f
6 LONG months in Colombia 🙏 🇨🇴    Apart from the US and Brazil, it’s the longest I’ve spent in a country on a single trip, by far. Colombia quickly became one of my favorite countries to be in. I felt comfortable in the d
Cartagena was one of the most important American ports of the Spanish Empire (with Lima, Havana, Buenos Aires, Veracruz, Acapulco), particularly in transporting resources and people between Perú and Spain. The colorful colonial and early indep
Caribbean coastin' 🌊🏝️🏍️🦎🦟    Santa Marta + Tayrona + Minca + macho iguana            #colombia #santamarta #minca #caribbean #tayrona #taganga #iguana #playa
Barranquilla's Carnaval is the 2nd largest, after Rio's. Here are a few clips from the main parade, called "La Batalla de Flores" (Battle of the Flowers), which lasted 8 hours. Many smaller parades run concurrently throughout the city for 4
World’s tallest palm trees! 🌴 Cocora Valley wax palms can grow up to ~60 meters (~200 feet). This valley sits in a region called the “Coffee Axis” (Eje Cafetero), which is significant to Colombia's economy (3rd largest coffee prod
The 3 historical regions of Czech Republic - Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia.    Bohemia is where Pilsner beer originated (first pale lager & most common beer style globally, by far), with the towns of Plzeň (Pilsen) and Česk&eac
The City of Spires    A defining feature of Prague is its many tall spires. Lots of the city's notable structures were initiated and/or built during the rule of Karel (Carl) IV, Holy Roman Emperor.    Karel made Prague (hi
Croat coastal cities (Zadar, Split, Pula)      Zadar (1-3) - Location of the 1st raid of the 4th Crusade (pivotal), then became a naval base for the Venetian Republic. Much of the city was flattened by WWII bombing, but it
Favorite Euro falls outside Iceland & Norway    Plitvice Park has 16 tiered lakes connected by waterfalls, with trails cutting through and above. Hike to the highest points around the Upper Lakes for vistas of the levels.  &t
The walled city on the water 🏰   Dubrovnik was the capital of the Republic of Ragusa (14th to 18th century). It became very wealthy by establishing itself as a well-trusted trade hub in between two powerful neighbors, the Ottomans and the Ven
World's largest waterfall system    Iguazú Falls is almost 3 kilometers wide. It feeds the River Paraná (2nd largest river in South America, after Amazon). There are many nearby falls worth visiting (Nacunday, Monday, etc.
Northern Chile is home to the world's oldest prepared mummies (Chinchorro - 2,000 years before Egypt), large geoglyphs, Humberstone ghost town, and long stretches of uninhabited coastline and cliffs      Walking in the coa
Salvador, the first capital of Brazil   During the "Age of Exploration", the Portuguese Empire scaled this fortress city into one of the most important ports in the Americas. Bay of All Saints, with nearly 100 islands, was the locati
Natural masterpiece 🎨    The colors of the Cerro de los 14 Colores (Hill of the 14 Colors) and Cerro de los Siete Colores (Hill of the 7 Colors) are the result of hundreds of millions of years of geological processes    T
Large mammals roaming    *100+ llamas in the final photo        #horse #llama #vicuña #fox #donkey
10 nights camping in Atacama Desert ⛺️      The Atacama Desert challenges what you'd assume a “desert” to look and feel like (there are snow-capped volcanoes, lakes, thermal baths and geysers, but also patches
The Milky Way Galaxy 🪐    Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the best places on Earth to consistently see a clear sky (very little light pollution, almost no precipitation). No telescope needed    In this photo, y
400+ km / 5 Day ride 🚲    The incredible Calchaquí Valleys of Northwest Argentina are a mix of red rock, forest, rivers, tons of wildlife and some of the highest altitude vineyards in the world    Best part was see
7 months in Europe ends today    Leaving with fond memories of old and new friends, and 13 countries. Hopefully back next summer    Many photos to go through. Here's a few from Lake Bled. Rural Slovenia is incredibly seren