National Geographic's Best Photos of 2013

(Source: s)

Every day, National Geographic Travel selects its favourite travel photo submission to create a daily photo feature of beautiful images from around the globe. The standard of the photography is unrivalled – from a diver swimming in a sea of jellyfish and a surfer riding a wave in Tahiti, to San Galgano Abbey in Tuscany and a Kyrgyz wedding in Afghanistan – and the variety of photos extensive. National Geographic has taken a look back at the past year in photos and picked its favourites. Here are 10 to whet your appetite – but you’ll have to visit the site to see the whole set.
 

Grand prize winner: Paul Souders' polar bear peering from beneath melting sea ice on Hudson Bay as the setting midnight sun glows red from the smoke of distant fires.
 

Andrew Lever's bulls sunbathing on Tarifa Beach, Andalucia, Spain
 

Julie Fletcher's electrical storm on Lake Menindee, New South Wales, Australia
 
Kacper Kowalski, Panos Pictures - Fall colours 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 farmland—and vast swaths of forest.
 
Gabriele Forzano, Reuters - A rare snow shower falls on Rome's Colosseum, built 2,000 years ago to host gladiator duels, battle re-enactments, and other public spectacles. Today the 50,000-seat amphitheatre serves Rome in another capacity: as a major tourist attraction.
 
Pronob Ghosh, National Geographic Your Shot - A Bangladeshi fisherman flings open a traditional blue net to catch tiny shrimp. His village, Gabura, is in south-western Bangladesh and has been studied for the effects of climate change.
 
LOOK/Alamy - The observation deck at the Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world at 2,716.5 feet – offers 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 storeys, highest outdoor observation deck and tallest service elevator.
 
Cory Richards, National Geographic - A camp on Pumori offers a stunning view of neighbouring Mount Everest, the highest peak on Earth at 29,029 feet. Before being named Mount Everest by the British in 1865, the mountain had gone by many names in many languages over the centuries. Tibetans call it Chomolungma, often translated as 'mother of the universe'.
 
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.
 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: