National Geographic Travel’s Best Travel Photos of 2013

Pomerania, Poland — Photograph by Kacper Kowalski, Panos Pictures — Fall colors blaze out in concentric rings from a lake in eastern Pomerania, Poland. The region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea is largely covered with farmlandâand vast swaths of forest.

Below are some of the top 50 best travel photos of 2013 chosen by National Geographic Travel.

Please click the photos for more images:

Deer Creek Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park —Photograph by Corey Rich, Aurora —Most of the nearly five million people who visit Grand Canyon National Park each year simply take in the stunning views from the rim. The more adventurous descend the canyon and get up close to rock that dates back 1.8 billion years. Here, hikers traverse Deer Creek Trail, an overnight trip that’s one of the most popular routes in the park.

Colosseum, Rome — Photograph by Gabriele Forzano, Reuters — A rare snow shower falls on Rome’s Colosseum, built 2,000 years ago to host gladiator duels, battle reenactments, and other public spectacles. Today the 50,000-seat amphitheater serves Rome in another capacity: as a major tourist attraction.

Lake Mývatn, Iceland —Photograph by Jonas Bendiksen, National Geographic —”Pseudo craters” mark the land surrounding Lake Mývatn in Iceland. The southern part of the lake rests on a lava flow that was emitted 2,000 years ago. The pseudo craters are continually formed as water trapped beneath the Earth’s surface turns to steam and explodes through the layer above.

Pomerania, Poland — Photograph by Kacper Kowalski, Panos Pictures — Fall colors blaze out in concentric rings from a lake in eastern Pomerania, Poland. The region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea is largely covered with farmlandâand vast swaths of forest.

Arctic Fox, Canada — Photograph by Norbert Rosing, National Geographic — Before dawn, a brilliant full moon illuminates the snowy landscape of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, home to an arctic fox. The fox’s coat changes color with the seasons; as the snow melts it begins to turn grayish brown.

Cherry Blossoms, Japan —Photograph by Diane Cook and Len Jenshel, National Geographic —In Japan the nighttime viewing of cherry blossoms in spring, like these at Kyoto’s Hirano Shrine, is a special event. “The cherries’ only fault: the crowds that gather when they bloom,” wrote Saigyo, a 12th-century poet.

Fisherman, Bangladesh — Photograph by Pronob Ghosh, National Geographic Your Shot — A Bangladeshi fisherman flings open a traditional blue net to catch tiny shrimp. His village, Gabura, is in southwestern Bangladesh and has been studied for the effects of climate change.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai — Photograph by LOOK/Alamy — The observation deck at the Burj Khalifaâthe tallest building in the world at 2,716.5 feetâoffers a panoramic view of the flat desert shores of sea-level Dubai. The building took seven years to build and holds a number of other records, including most number of stories, highest outdoor observation deck, and tallest service elevator. 8BIM

To see more travel photos, please visit National Geographic Travel 365: Best of 2013.

25th National Geographic Travel Photo Contest Winners

 

 

First Place: Dig me river – I was in Manaus/Amazon during the Brazilian Aquathlon (swimming and running) championship in . This river is called Rio Negro (Black River) due to water color. Rio Negro is the largest left tributary of the Amazon, the largest blackwater river in the world. While the name Rio Negro means Black River, its waters aren’t exactly black; they are similar in color to strong tea. The dark color comes from humic acid from incomplete breakdown of phenol. I photographed it from the water and my lens got completely wet, but there was so energy in this boys that I just didn’t worry about that.Photo and caption by Wagner Araujo/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

The 25th National Geographic Travel Photo Contest’s winners had been announced!

(Please click here for: ‘2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest’)

National Geographic Traveler magazine received more than 15,500 entries from skilled photographers from around the world for its 25th annual photo contest.

Taken in locations from Brazil to Kenya, the winning pictures show everything from quiet landscapes to surprising moments.

 

Please click here for the winning images.

2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Wonder who will win the 25th National Geographic Travel Photo Contest?

Here are some examples of the entrants …..

Please click here for more photos: