Towards the end of April is about the time we start dreaming of the December holidays, so we may as well look at a few entrants from the 2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest.

That cracker above was taken by Xiaoheng Luo in Madagascar, and rather obviously shows a gecko hiding on a tree trunk.

As things stand, the competition is still open until May 3 at 6PM, SA time, and you can submit your entries here.

Let’s start with a few of the editors’ favourite submissions from Week Five in the ‘Nature’ category:

Rachel Stewart, New Zealand – “My best friend was surrounded by a school of blue mao mao fish as she took photos from above and I took photos from outside the sea cave…With numerous caves, tunnels and an abundance of marine life, the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve is a haven for many underwater species.”

Alexis Castillo, Maun, Botswana – “On the morning of September 1, 2018, this scary lioness tried to reach the other shore right in front of us and just a few minutes before two crocodiles began patrolling the area.”

Rob Darby, Kansas – “Monochrome version of a supercell thunderstorm that was one of the most photogenic I have ever seen.”

Back to Week Four and the ‘Nature’ category:

Jonathan Lee, South Georgia Island – “St. Andrews Bay, Sub Antarctic, South Georgia Island: It is moments like this that make the arduous expedition worth it. It takes three and a half days at sea to get to South Georgia—truly a final frontier. So, when you do get there, you just hope conditions work in your favour. You better be prepared to make it count.”

Michelle Valberg, Cape Churchill, Canada – “On the frozen tundra in Cape Churchill, we watched polar bears wait for the ice to come in on the edge of the unfrozen water. This arctic fox approached a polar bear to have a sniff. The bear lifted its head and took a glance. Was it worth moving for? Nope. Back to resting.”

Nice. You can snoop around here for all of the current editor’s picks.

Traveller24 have picked some of their own favourites, so let’s dip a toe in that water:

FLORENT SERFATI – The Arrow of Notre Dame: The flaming Arrow had just fallen onto the structure below, creating an explosion.

MUN KHEAN WONG – I waited for the man to pass between us, while he took his smoke break in Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam.

FIRDAUS LATIF – Visitors are seen walking on the 272 stairs leading up to Malaysia Batu Caves and temple in Kuala Lumpur. The Batu Caves are home to 13 Hindu temples and received a major makeover in August 2018. The 272 steps leading up to the caves were painted a rainbow of colours, as part of site-wide renovation project.

Marvellous. You can see the rest of Traveller24’s picks here.

You can also download the images for wallpapers (desktop, tablet and phone), if you’re looking for something artsy.

[source:natgeo&traveller24]