50 Of The Best Travel Photos Of 2018

The Travel Photographer of the Year awards (TPOTY) is an annual photo competition, started back in 2003. Every year photographers from all over the world submit their best travel photos and recently the winners of this year's competition have been announced. The jury have selected the winners from over 20,000 pictures, submitted by photographers from 142 countries. The winner of this year's Travel Photographer of the Year title was Stefano Pensotti but the pictures from the runner-ups were just as amazing. Check them out in the gallery below! More info: tpoty.com | h/t: Bored Panda

#1 Travel - Special Mention, Sylvia Michel, Switzerland

"When I created this picture - a lot of people asking me if this is a wolf. And of course a swiss white shepherd has a lot of wolf in it. It was the reason for me to buy me a dog like this. He's not a typical pet, he has the majesty of a wolf and of course he has a lot of it's character!" Image source:  Sylvia Michel

#2 Faces, People, Cultures - Winner, Best Single Image, Danny Yen Sin Wong, Malaysia

A boy stands among the copper bracelets worn by the Suri women. Image source: Danny Yen Sin Wong

#3 Faces, People, Cultures, Winner, Marinka Masséus, Netherlands

“Albinism is more common in sub- Saharan Africa than in other parts of the world. Education about the disorder is needed to break through centuries of superstitions, especially in rural areas.” Image source: Marinka Masséus

#4 Beauty Of Light, Commended, Edward Graham, United States

"To capture this image, I laid prone on the surface, aligning my camera with the ice block and setting sun in the distance. The ice block lit up with golden hues, emitting a visual warmth that belied the cold of this wonderful place" Image source: Edward Graham

#5 Travel Photographer Of The Year, Overall Winner, Stefano Pensotti, Italy

Prayer time in one of little temples in the plain of Bagan—a young girl stops on her way to school. Image source: Stefano Pensotti

#6 Faces, People, Cultures - Special Mention, Vladimir Alekseev, Russian Federation

"The ‘chum’-the Nenets’ dwelling -is as mobile as they are. It consists of long sticks, and stitched reindeer skins stretched over it" Image source: Vladimir Alekseev

#7 Natural World,special Mention, Roie Galitz, Israel

"A mother Polar bear and her two young cubs are migrating north, as the sea ice melts quicker than previous years" Image source: Roie Galitz

#8 Travel,commended, Mauro Di Bettio, Italy

"Verges, a small town in Catalunya, is famous all over the world for the celebrations of the "Dansa de la Mort" that is celebrated on every holy Thursday. It is probably the last dance of its kind in Europe, performed continuously since the Middle Ages" Image source: Mauro di Bettio

#9 Natural World - Commended, Ignacio Palacios, Spain

"A detail of a colorful chameleon" Image source: Ignacio Palacios

#10 Beauty Of Light,commended, Zhenzheng Hu, China

Image source: Zhenzheng Hu

#11 Travel Portfolio, Winner, Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

"When we met, the boy was carrying his shoes in his hands as he couldn't use them anymore. Traveling prepared makes a difference, and with my sewing needle and dental floss, we patched them up, so that he could follow his herd." Image source: Matjaz Krivic

#12 Trave, Highly Commended, Magdaléna Straková, Czech Republic

Image source: Magdaléna Straková

#13 Hot/Cold, Commended, Stephen King, Hong Kong

“Lava from the Kilauea Volcano flows into the ocean.” Image source: Stephen King

#14 Travel - Special Mention, Marsel Van Oosten, Netherlands

“The Grand Tsingys are a rare geological phenomena. The rocks are razor sharp. I climbed up during the night to be able to photograph this climber in the early morning.” Image source: Marsel van Oosten

#15 Natural World - Winner, Best Single Image, Florent Mamelle, France

"This picture of the Fuego volcano was taken from the summit of the Acatenango volcano. At 4000m, the sky was extremely clear and the Milky Way was in the upper left corner.” Image source: Florent Mamelle

#16 Natural World, Special Mention, Petar Sabol, Croatia

"The master river predator was seen by the Petar Sabol in his home village of Gorican, Croatia, fishing by a local canal. Professional photographer Petar, 36, said he was searching the area for several hours before he saw the lone kingfisher" Image source: Petar Sabol

#17 Young Tpoty 15-18, Winner, Fardin Oyan, Bangladesh

16 year-old Fardin Oyan lives in Bangladesh and is currently studying in 11th grade at college. He had a keen interest in technical gadgets since his early childhood, and was particularly interested in cameras because photography never grew old as computer games did. When he was in 7th grade, he convinced his father to buy him a compact camera which was worth a little above a hundred USD. He can clearly remember the first snap he took - two sparrows just outside his window: "I was so happy that I can't describe that moment in words. The camera felt like a magical box to me. After that moment, I decided to take the path of photography seriously and now photography has become the part and parcel of my life." Image source: Fardin Oyan

#18 Young Travel Photographer Of The Year, Winner, Isabella Smith, United States

“This really grabbed my attention! I thought this local boy using oranges as balls, was the opposite of kids in my country playing with expensive toys.” Image source: Isabella Smith

#19 Travel, Special Mention, Yingting Shih, Taiwan

"A red crane cleaning its own feathers looks like a taijitu. A taijitu is a symbol or diagram representing Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) which contains one circle with an inner pattern of symmetry representing yin and yang. The concept of Taiji can be traced back to the Daoism in the Dao De Jing. The oneness of the Dao implies the ideal way of existing and the perfect path of balance in our world." Image source: Yingting Shih

#20 Travel - Winner, Best Single Image, Philip Lee Harvey, United Kingdom

"Sand divers freedive down to the bottom of the Niger river to collect sand for the building industry. It’s an extremely dangerous job from which many don’t return.” Image source: Philip Lee Harvey

#21 Hot/Cold, Winner, He Jian, China

“The local people who walked on the pilgrimage road were pious and pure.” Image source: He Jian

#22 Tranquillity, Commended, Scott Portelli, Australia

“Dusky Dolphins travel together in great numbers in the deep canyons of the Kaikoura in search of food.” Image source: Scott Portelli

#23 Natural World - Highly Commended, Marsel Van Oosten, Netherlands

"The Qinling golden snub-nosed monkey is listed as Endangered by the IUCN as only some 3,800 individuals still exist. Most people have never seen these creatures" Image source: Marsel van Oosten

#24 Travel,commended, Mauro Di Bettio, Italy

“Taj and Akash travel every day from station to station with their mother, begging to make a living.” Image source: Mauro di Bettio

#25 Natural World - Runner-Up, Fuyang Zhou, China

Image source: Fuyang Zhou

#26 Travel Portfolio, Winner, Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

"The morning mist rises mystically from the valley towards the small town in the Haraz mountains" Image source: Matjaz Krivic

#27 Travel Photographer Of The Year, Overall Winner, Stefano Pensotti, Italy

"Széchenyi Baths, built in 1913, is the most popular the inhabitants of Budapest who come here to relax with friends" Image source: Stefano Pensotti

#28 Hot/Cold, Runner-Up, Philip Lee Harvey, United Kingdom

"Snow seldom lays for long in London, but when it does, people make snowmen all around the city" Image source: Philip Lee Harvey

#29 Faces, People, Culture - Special Mention, Ben Mcrae, Australia

Image source:  Ben McRae

#30 Smart Shot, Commended, Josien Van Geffen, Netherlands

"This photo was taken on a stormy day when a father threw a towel toward his son to see how hard the wind was blowing.” Image source: Josien van Geffen

#31 Travel Portfolio, Winner, Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

"Kids playing on the main minaret of the Grand Masjid in Bani, Burkina Faso, during Eid al-Fitr" Image source: Matjaz Krivic

#32 Faces, People, Cultures, Highly Commended, Tariq Zaidi, United Kingdom

“Elie, 45, struts his stuff in the streets of Brazzaville. He has been a Sapeur for 35 years and his elaborate outfits bring joy to himself and his community.” Image source: Tariq Zaidi

#33 Travel Portfolio, Winner, Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

“Onno, a teenage girl from the Arbore tribe.” Image source: Matjaz Krivic

#34 Trave, Highly Commended, Magdaléna Straková, Czech Republic

"A young mahout rests in the shade underneath his elephant Shanti" Image source: Magdaléna Straková

#35 Hot/Cold, Highly Commended, Joshua Holko, Australia

"Joshua photographing polar bears during winter storm in Svalbard" Image source: Joshua Holko

#36 Hot/Cold, Runner-Up, Andrew James, United Kingdom

"Snowy meet-cute between an elephant seal and a Gentoo penguin" Image source:  Andrew James

#37 Travel Portfolio, Winner, Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

Image source: Matjaz Krivic

#38 Travel - Special Mention, Paul Sansome, United Kingdom

"Iceland is simply extraordinary - a unique wilderness of volcanic landscapes, stunning waterfalls, vast, empty beaches and great bird life.The Icelandic people are defined by their relationship with this land and the human impact of remote farms, isolated churches and fishing villages contribute to the photographers subject matter" Image source: Paul Sansome

#39 Trave, Highly Commended, Magdaléna Straková, Czech Republic

Image source: Magdaléna Straková

#40 Natural World, Special Mention, Antwan Janssen, Netherlands

Image source: Antwan Janssen

#41 Smart Shot, Winner, Nicola Young, United Kingdom

Our trip to Mauritius in was accompanied by Cyclone Berguitta, causing stress and drama to everyone on the island. We escaped from the stormy beaches to explore the markets of Port Louis, including the Fish Market. Read more at http://www.australianphotography.com/news/2018-international-travel-photographer-of-the-year-award-winners-announced#j1GXiq5QGPqLdS01.99 Image source: Nicola Young

#42 Faces, People, Cultures, Commended, Sue O'connell, United Kingdom

Image source: Sue O'Connell

#43 Trave, Highly Commended, Magdaléna Straková, Czech Republic

Image source: Magdaléna Straková

#44 Travel,commended, Mauro Di Bettio, Italy

Image source: Mauro di Bettio

#45 Beauty Of Light,commended, Oscar Tarneberg, United Kingdom

This is a famous highway intersection in Shanghai where two of the city’s core arteries meet. Image source: Oscar Tarneberg

#46 New Talent, Festivals & Events - Winner, Jose Antonio Rosas, Peru

Jose Antonio Rosas was born and raised in Lima, Peru. Photography became a serious pursuit for him in 2007, when he first traveled to Antarctica and fell in love with its wildlife and landscapes. During the next eight years, he combined his love of photography and the outdoors with a career in finance. In 2015, he made the decision to take a year off from his career and enrolled in the Online Low Residency Program at the International Center of Photography. During this program, he was encouraged to expand the range of his interests, and started photographing people. After the program, he decided to dedicate more of his time to photography and is currently enrolled in the One-Year, Full Time Creative Practices program at ICP. Image source: Antonio Rosas

#47 Travel,commended, Mauro Di Bettio, Italy

Char Kaliganj in Dhaka, slum and home to one of the largest shipyards of Asia. A city made by giant skeletons of old ships which employ around 15 thousands souls that work to both break down massive shipping vessels as well as create new ships from the parts. The age of laborers ranges from 8 to 80 and they all work together. The work is hard, crude, dirty and dangerous but it gives thousands of them employment and wages to feed their families. Image source: Mauro di Bettio

#48 Travel Portfolio, Winner, Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

Matjaz Krivic is a documentary photographer capturing stories of people and places. For 25 years he has covered the face of the earth in his intense, personal and aesthetically moving style that has won him several prestigious awards, including World Press Photo in 2016. He has portrayed poor parts of the world characterised by traditions, social unrest and religious devotion. His photographs sensitively reflect the images of the marginal word – the voices of the neglected. Because of the artist’s directness and respect for individuals, the people photographed are spontaneous, natural and open.Their 'soul' is captured and the viewer is encouraged to observe and think. Image source: Matjaz Krivic

#49 New Talent, Festivals & Events, Runner-Up, Diana Buzioanu, Romania

Image source: Diana Buzioanu

#50 Travel Portfolio, Winner, Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia

Image source: Matjaz Krivic