Amazing entries to the National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

The Arrow of Notre Dame: The flaming Arrow had just fallen onto the structure below, creating an explosion.
Photograph: Florent Serfati/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

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 colors, as part of site-wide renovation project.
Photograph: Firdaus Latif/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

In Zhenfeng, Guizhou, China, several Buyi women were ready to take a bus to the county town.
Photograph: Fan Chen/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

A gecko hides on a tree trunk and blends in with his environment.
Photograph: Xiaoheng Luo/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

South Georgia Island is one of the few places I have visited in my life that is still truly wild. The density of the animal populations is staggering and while working on a research project there, I did my best to keep an appropriate distance from the animals. This shot was taken on my last morning on the island. I was up at sunrise taking photos of the ice you see in the background and this fur seal pup charged out of the water to give me this ferocious yawn.
Photograph: Darryl Macdonald/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

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.
Photograph: Alexis Castillo/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

I rode an icebreaker along the Beaufort Sea in Kaktovik, Alaska to capture these two cubs playing in the snow. I was fortunate to grab this high-five moment, among so many other favourites. It's difficult to photograph the bears in snow at eye level on the ice and this close, because once the water freezes, the season is over for small skiffs. If you go to early, you only capture polar bears on dirt.
Photograph: Michelle Theall/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

The holy grail of underwater encounters -- the bait ball. I have worked for years to try and see a static bait ball. On my first day of the sardine run last year, I saw it. Here we see a shark feeding on the frantic fish that have formed a bait ball.
Photograph: Nadia Aly/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

It was the first full moon night in the Chinese lunar year, symbolising unity and perfection. People in Meizhou performed a fire dragon dance that showered molten iron, spewing from fireworks -- sparks to celebrate the Lantern Festival. This celebration has been performed since the Qing Dynasty and is designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Photograph: Leo Kwok/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

On safari in the Mara, these Maasai men were going to perform a morning dance for us, but before they did, I saw this man taking a selfie with his smartphone. It seems technology invades every space of our world.
Photograph: Michelle Theall/2019 National Geographic Travel Photo Contest