For serious travel inspiration, check out these amazing photos from Nat Geo’s annual travel photography contest. From wildlife to cities, the images are jaw-dropping. Traditional dances, stark deserts, rice fields, and portrait shots… It’s the very best of travel photography in 2020.
Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveller, says: “This year’s competition is a window on the world we hope to explore again as soon as it’s safe to do so… a reminder of the power and emotion that travel photography can capture.
National Geographic’s Travel Photography Competition:
This year’s Grand Prize-winning photo shows the ‘Haka’
The winning photo is by Hadriel Torres, at the Matavaa O Te Henua Enana arts festival. The festival is held every four years on the remote Marquesas Islands. The celebration of local music, dance and crafts showcases the lively traditions of this Pacific archipelago.
Here, the haka (a ceremonial dance of powerful gestures and stamping) is performed by the local dance group on the small island of Ua Pou. They perform it while awaiting the arrival of the neighbouring islands’ canoes. The shot, (in the ‘People’ category), was selected as the overall competition winner from more than 4,500 entries.
Here’s more incredible photos from National Geographic’s Traveller Photography Competition:
Soho building on Odaiba artificial island, Tokyo, Japan
The striking doorways of the Soho Building, a private block of flats in Odaiba. It’s an artificial island that connects to the centre of Japan’s capital, Tokyo, by the Rainbow Bridge.
Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh, India
Dramatic views of the Indus Valley region of Ladakh, Northern India. You can see the 15th-century Buddhist monastery of Thiksey Gompa in the foreground.
Yuanyang rice terraces, southern Ailao Mountains, China
The still waters of the Yuanyang Rice Terraces reflect the morning light.
Dead wood, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
The colours of Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft Park change throughout the day. Here, travellers climb the dunes to take in the desert’s beauty.
The Church of Our Lady Before Týn, Prague, Czech Republic
An unusual rooftop view of Prague’s Church of Our Lady Before Tyn during a colourful dusk, taken from the Powder Tower, Czech Republic.
 Lioness in a sandstorm, on the banks of the Mara River, Kenya
An elderly lioness hunts in a dust storm on the banks of the Mara River, Kenya.
You can see the full shortlist here. You can also check out last year’s winners here.
