The best travel photos according to National Geographic — 2016

The National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year competition, which is attended by professional and amateur photographers, celebrates the best travel photos taken over the past two years in three categories. These are the best pictures of nature, people and cities. The jury awards the first, second and third places in each of the categories, as well as an honorable mention. This year the Grand Prix of the competition was won by Anthony Lau with the picture "Winter Horseman" (Winter Horseman), taken in Inner Mongolia. Other winners include photos from Morocco, India, Japan, the USA, and Brazil.

(12 photos in total)

Source: National Geographic

Hiroki Inoue, "Wherever you go, I will follow you!!" — winner in the category "Nature". The picture was taken on the island of Hokkaido in Japan.

The winner of the Grand Prix of the competition is Anthony Lau's picture "Winter Horseman" (Winter Horseman), as well as the best work in the category "People". The photo was taken on a winter morning in Inner Mongolia.

Takashi Nakagawa, "Ben Youssef" (Ben Youssef) — winner in the category "Cities". The picture was taken at the Ben Youssef Madrasah in Marrakech.

Massimiliano Bencivenni, "Double trapping" — second place in the category "Nature". The photo was taken in the giant Pantanal swamp in western Brazil.

Yasmin Mund, "Dreams on the roof, Varanasi" (Rooftop Dreams, Varanasi) — second place in the category "People". The picture was taken in India.

Win Ka Hae, "Silenced" (Silenced) — second place in the category "Cities". The photo was taken in Guangzhou, China.

The third place in the category "Nature" is Victor Lima's picture "Lagunas Baltinache (Atacama Desert)" (Lagunas Baltinache (Atacama Desert)).

Third place in the category "People" — Mattia Passarini, "Remote life at -21" (Remote life at -21 degree). The picture was taken in a remote village in Himachal Pradesh in India.

Third place in the category "Cities" — Jeremy Teng, "Celestial Fantasy" (Celestial Reverie). The photo shows the Komtar Tower, the most famous landmark of the Penang state capital, Georgetown in Malaysia.

Honorable mention in the category "People" — Dotan Sagui, "Muscle Beach Gym" (Muscle Beach Gym). The picture was taken on the famous Venice Beach in California, where bodybuilders gather and train.

Honorable mention in the category of "Cities" — Caitlin Dolmatch, "Divide". The photo clearly shows the boundary between the architectural diversity of New York and the greenery of Central Park.

Honorable mention in the category "Nature" — John Rollins, "Bears on an icy mountain" (Bears on a Berg). The author took this picture in the Canadian Arctic in April 2016.