Winning photos from the National Geographic Traveller contest 2025
PHOTOGRAPHY
Chance encounters and otherworldly beauty feature in these images taken by amateur and professional photographers. Which is your favourite?
The Times
The Times
The intricate embroidery of the Red Dao minority people of Lao Cai province, northwest Vietnam, is a skill passed down from mother to daughter. Here a child appears sleepy as her great-grandmother works on her embroidery (people category — grand prize winner)
JUSTIN CLIFFE/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
One of the winning images in the portfolio category, which celebrates photographers who present a cohesive story with depth and multiple layers in a set of ten images
JOSHUA MALLETT/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Vines envelop the walls of a staircase at a hotel in Singapore, with a view of a yellow rain tree at the top, showing that nature always finds a way to reclaim beauty in the city (city life category)
SCOTT ANTCLIFFE/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Birds take flight after ice cracks at the glacier in Ilulissat, Greenland (landscape category — runner-up)
EDWARD HASLER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
An endangered female lynx drinks from a pond while a honeybee buzzes near her ear, in Ciudad Real, central Spain (wildlife category — runner-up)
HARIKUMAR PRASANNAKUMAR/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Car lights illuminate the snaking road beneath Ra Gusela in the Dolomites, Italy, as a torch lights up the peak on a cold winter's night (landscape category — runner-up)
CHRISTOPHER WEST/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
The door of a yurt frames a view of rolling hills and animals casually walking past in Kyrgyzstan (portfolio category — runner-up)
LAUREN WINSLOW-LLEWELLYN/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Time seems to pause at Fort Louvois, a fortification built between 1691 and 1694, during the reign of Louis XIV (portfolio category)
JOSHUA MALLETT/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Locally produced yak meat, noodles and cheese were some of the ingredients used to create authentic Tibetan dishes in this family-run restaurant in Barkhor Square, Lhasa, China (food category)
PRABIR KUMAR MITRA/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
An aerial view of the Hveravellir geothermal pool in Iceland, captured by a drone, appears to resemble a dragon's eye. Its sapphire-blue centre is surrounded by shimmering rings in hues of vibrant orange, yellow and earthy browns, a result of the mineral-rich deposits formed over centuries of geothermal activity (landscape category)
PAWEL ZYGMUNT/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
A rainy day on rainbow-coloured steps in Nantes, France (city life category — runner-up)
JORDAN BANKS/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Feeling small on the shoreline of a turquoise, glacial-fed lake in Kyrgyzstan (portfolio category — runner-up)
LAUREN WINSLOW-LLEWELLYN/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
This image in Changsha, Hunan, offers a glimpse of what China has to offer travellers (portfolio category — runner-up)
DYLAN MCBURNEY/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
More than 300 snow bunting congregate on a patch of snow on the hillside in Alberta (wildlife category — runner-up)
JO NOON/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
A member of the Suli Muli tribe in Papua New Guinea, known for their black face paint and headdresses made from moss, feathers and human hair, at their national independence day festival. The tribe come from the rugged Enga province in the country's highlands (people category — runner-up)
BIANCA GOLDMAN/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
A monk's life is woven into his surroundings at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, India (portfolio category)
JOSHUA MALLETT/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
A couple hold hands framing the road in this photograph which captures the chaos, beauty and complexity of city life in Shinjuku, Tokyo (city life category — runner-up)
Chefs prepare their dishes in front of passers-by in Shimbashi, Tokyo, which is a popular spot for local businessmen to unwind after a busy day (food category — runner-up)
JAMES MALONEY/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Solomon Islanders, in the South Pacific, visit a boat to sell their fresh fruit and vegetables. The blond hair of the indigenous children in their dugout canoes, right, is a result of a genetic variant distinct from the gene that leads to the same hair colour in Europeans (food category — runner-up)
MARK CARWARDINE/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan is known for its towering sandstone pillars (portfolio category — runner-up)
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Why getting married abroad could land you with a HUGE bill from the taxman
Couples marrying abroad could be landed with a huge inheritance tax bill if their foreign wedding is not legally binding, a couple has warned. Antonia Medlicott, 49, and Tim Pindar, 44, tied the knot in 2009 in the wedding of their dreams in Spain. The couples families flew out for a 'big Catholic wedding' on the continent, but were unaware that they had 14 days to register their marriage at the town hall, they told The Telegraph. The priest who officiated the wedding had tried to warn the couple that their marriage would be null and void, but the couple did not understand Spanish and the priest did not speak any English. The couple found out their marriage was not legally binding some months later, but decided to ignore it for the next 13 years. However in 2023 the couple were forced to remarry, after discovering they could be set to lose a huge amount of money if one of them passed away. The spousal exemption allows married couples to avoid paying inheritance tax when passing assets to their wife or husband when they die. Unmarried couples however, do not have the same privilege and those who leave assets worth over £325,000 have to pay 40 per cent inheritance tax on the amount over the allowance. Unmarried couples may soon lose out on pension savings too if their partner dies, under new plans by Rachel Reeves. Pension savings can currently be left to an unmarried partner without any inheritance tax being paid, but this is set to end in 2027. Ms Medlicott and her husband discovered that they could be set to lose thousands after speaking to a lawyer about their wills. She said: 'He pointed out that if something happens to either one of us, there's a massive inheritance tax bill coming our way. So we decided we would have to just get on with it.' The couple estimated they would have had an £80,000 inheritance tax bill on their house alone. With potentially more coming from pensions, savings and a business owned by Ms Medlicott. If the worst had happened, the surviving spouse would have been forced to sell their family home to cover the bill. Far from their extravagant Spanish wedding in 2009, the couple opted for a quieter affair in 2023. They described their second wedding as 'bare bones' costing around £1,000 all in - including a bottomless bunch with six friends. Ms Medlicott wore a brown dress and borrowed boots from a friend as the couple finally officially tied the knot at a civil wedding in their local registry office. Claire Trott, head of advice at St James's Place, said: 'Getting married for tax purposes isn't a new concept, particularly in the world of pensions. Many defined benefit schemes have restrictions on who death benefits can be paid to, sometimes depending on when a couple marries. 'My own father married my stepmother just before his defined benefit pension came into payment, because under the scheme rules, death benefits were only payable to the spouse at the date of retirement. Had they married after that point, even after 30 years together, she wouldn't have been entitled to anything.' She said that marriage could soon become an even more valuable planning tool to deal with inheritance tax, particularly with pensions being brought into the scope for the levy. Ms Medlicott said she felt 'resentful' about having to remarry just to save thousands of pounds. She said that marriage 'isn't for everyone' and felt it was 'ridiculous' that a piece of paper could be the difference between huge sums of money for couples.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
It's showtime in Andalucía! How I found my voice on a musical theatre retreat
'Do you prefer alto or soprano?' asks Steve Moss, poised at his electric piano. My mind goes blank. I'm usually more of a pinot grigio girl, but that's not the answer the former musical director of Les Misérables is looking for. Although I struggle to carry a tune in a bucket, I'm an enthusiastic karaoke singer, a big musical theatre fan and a shameless show-off, so Sing the Greatest Showman, a residential singing retreat in Spain, is right up my street. Founded by Zane Rambaran, a veteran concert promoter with his roots in musical theatre, Sing Eat Retreat offers a choice of breaks here throughout the year (from Sing Les Mis to Sing Mamma Mia), with 30 hours of tuition by West End professionals. (In October, Sing The Sound of Music will be held in Salzburg too, with guests recording tracks in a studio and performing in the actual movie locations. I've already packed my dirndl.) Our base in Spain is Huerta Belinda, a gorgeous Spanish finca close to the surfing mecca of Tarifa, where we'll have five days of one-to-one and small group sessions on vocal technique, acting through song and performance preparation. The villa has eight rooms and some of the 21-strong group (mostly women in their 40s and 50s – and 60-something Ray, the only man) stays in Mesón de Sancho, a charming hotel nearby, but all of us eat together. I'm no stranger to pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone, but staring at a musical score – all impenetrable squiggles to me – under the expectant gaze of a West End director, I think I've pushed it too far this time. As Steve, who has been musical director of Mary Poppins as well as Les Mis, takes us through the song This Is Me!, breaking it down into easy chunks, I struggle to follow the music and can't decide which octave to sing in. I end up squalling up and down the bars like an angry seagull. I ask Steve if I'm a lost cause. 'I don't necessarily think that everyone can carry a tune, but I think everyone can improve,' he says, kindly. 'People always leave the retreats a better musician in some way, whether it's an improved singing voice or just learning to stand still when they're performing.' Well, I can definitely stand still. All retreats induce a naturally bonding environment, but there's something rather special about singing together. Much of our group has choir or am-dram experience, while others – like me – are complete beginners, and about half have come alone. Prior to arrival, guests fill out a questionnaire about their singing ability, what they want to achieve, and a clip of them singing Happy Birthday so tutors can assess abilities and arrange groups, but all levels are welcome. Our group includes guests from Switzerland and Spain; sisters Trish and Janet from Ireland, who sing in a choir; Emma, a teacher from Cambridge who runs musical theatre groups; and Miracle, a self-proclaimed 'nomad' who is on her fifth retreat here. One thing we all have in common is our love of musicals. Days start with breakfast in the villa, followed by a group warm up before we splinter off for workshops. The week is run along the same lines as preparation for a West End show, with vocal coaches, musical directors and choreographers. 'In the first week of a new show we do vocal calls,' says Steve. 'We start with note bashing, recording it on our phones and making notes on the music, then the cast can go off and practise. By the Friday we do a sing through of the show, have a sit through with the orchestra, then the directors and choreographers start working their magic.' Performance practice is led by Maria Graciano, who appeared in Miss Saigon and Wicked! and was the resident choreographer for Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Vocal coach Zev Chaplain teaches us about the physiology of singing and importance of warming up our vocal cords with lip trills, owl hoots, and ho, ho, ho's in the style of the Jolly Green Giant. One of the (many) highlights is a three-hour masterclass with Luke Bayer – who starred in Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Rent in the West End – giving us priceless advice and feedback on our performances. Over the week, singers are picked out for solos – not me – and all of us can have a one-to-one session with a tutor. There are plenty of breaks – it's a holiday after all – and this is where friendships blossom, with the contagious sounds of singing around the villa as people practise their scales. Any free time is spent by the pool, sunbathing in the gardens and soaking up the glorious views across the Strait of Gibraltar. There's little opportunity to venture farther afield, but most guests arrive a day or two early to explore the beaches and sand dunes of Tarifa. If you ask Zane, he may take you along when he walks Charlie, his dog. Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion Eating is a big part of the retreat too, and the food is delicious: Spanish breakfasts, fresh salads and soups for lunch, roast chicken, paellas, curries in the evening, along with plenty of wine and beer. After dinner, we congregate in the lounge and chat over more wine, before someone inevitably fires up the karaoke machine. When I arrived at Huerta Belinda, I was tempted to sit at the back and mouth the songs, such was my lack of confidence in my singing ability. But as the week progresses, I find I enjoy singing more and want to belt the tunes out with the rest of them. Thanks to Zev, I learn to breathe properly and really notice an improvement in my vocals. Part of it is because I don't want to let the rest of the group down. No one is coming into this half-heartedly; we want to put on The Greatest Show. It isn't just me who finds her voice. Elinor from Barry, a hardcore musical theatre fan (she won the quiz), loved to sing but lost all confidence after being criticised at school. 'This week has been life-changing for me. It's given me back my voice,' she says. The crescendo of the week is a concert on Friday night, with a real audience. During the day, our nerves start to show as we rehearse. But come 8pm, as we step on stage and sing the first 'whoahs' of The Greatest Show, they're quickly replaced with dopamine as the altos, sopranos, and Ray the tenor – and all the soloists – bring their A-game. It feels incredible. Waiting in the wings before our final song, I look around at my new friends, hugging, laughing, congratulating each other on their performances. It's been an incredible week both musically and emotionally. And it turns out I can hold a tune, after all. While it's far (very far) from West End-worthy, it doesn't make Charlie howl, which I'm taking as a win. The trip was provided by Sing Eat Retreat. Trips from £995, including tuition and performance practice, seven nights in a villa or hotel (five days full-board, one day half-board, including drinks)
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Country diary: There's peace to be found in flying kites
At first glance, while getting my binoculars to focus, it could have been a Liverpool v Newcastle football match. The black-and-white wing discs of the two lapwings twisted and fanned round the pivoting tale of the red kite. Corvids are often seen mobbing a kite, but lapwings? Recently, when I have begun to worry about the cares of others and grown weary of my own voice, I have sought out a pair of red kites nearby. My intention is to follow the example of Wendell Berry, the poet and farmer, in his poem The Peace of Wild Things. In it he speaks of waking at night fearful, and seeking solace by lying down 'where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds'. 'For a time,' he continues, 'I rest in the grace of the world and am free.' Even when mobbed, the graceful flight of a red kite brings me a sense of peace. This pair started to nest in March, though I wasn't sure where. In April only the male was showing; I could see where he disappeared into the edge of the wood through leafless trees, but still I could not locate the nest. So I went to see Roy the woodsman. I knew Roy would know, and sure enough he took me up a track – and there she was, sitting on a nest made in a fork of an ash tree. Now, in May, with the leaves fully unfurled, she and her eggs are protected from the intrusion of people with binoculars. Watching these birds is full of nostalgia for me. In the late 80s, as a countryside ranger in the Cambrian mountains, I helped to look after the last remaining indigenous kite nests. It was a serious operation – the previous year, to deter egg thieves, Gurkhas had sat camouflaged under the nest for the 31 days of incubation. Though many of our kites today were part of the reintroduction programme from Scandinavia, I like to think the pair I have been watching are distantly related to those last few that survived in the Cambrians. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
