National Geographic: The best travel photos of 2018

Reiko Takahashi: Mermaid // "I was happy when I saw a (tail) whale on the first day of diving near the Japanese island of Kumejima."

Hao J: Flamingos Taking Off // “This photo was taken from a helicopter. Thousands of flamingos take off from the colorful Lake Natron in Tanzania. They have to run through the water to gain speed before taking off. At this moment, their long red legs create water waves on the surface of the lake.”

Marco Grassi: Mars // “These natural sand towers are known as the earth's Platten pyramids. They are located in the north of Italy. They were created centuries ago after several storms and landslides, which look like a landscape from space."

Hiro Kurashina: Another Rainy day in Nagasaki // “This is a view of the main street from a tram in Nagasaki. The tram is very old but equipped with modern ticketing equipment. The windscreen on the tram caught my attention as this street view is different from busy urban centers in Japan such as Tokyo and Osaka.”

Enrico Pescantini: Geometry of the Sun // “Teotihuacan means the place where the gods were created, and that's exactly the feeling visitors get when they walk the Avenue of the Dead at this Mexican archaeological site. This pyramid was dedicated to the sun god.”

Gaanesh Prasad: Reflection // “Early in the morning, I wanted to photograph the fog that is present in Dubai every year from December to January, but unfortunately I did not get access to the roof, so I blew on the foggy window on the lower floor. I was blown away by how beautiful the city looked. I opened the window and created a photo with my arms outstretched.”

Gary Cummins: Alone in the Crowds // "In this photograph I tried to show the intense and 'trapped' living conditions that Hong Kong is famous for."

Alessandra Meniconzi: Tea Culture // “For a long time I was interested in the ancient Mongolian method of hunting golden eagles. This year I joined a family of hunters during the move from the winter camp to the eastern camp. Mongolia is sparsely populated, but the people are very loving. For them, tea is not just a drink, but a mixture of tradition, culture, relaxation, ceremony and pleasure."

Tati Itat: Leida and Laelle – I Will Lift You Up // “Since 2016 I have been working with immigrants and refugees living in my town Estrela. I became friends with some families, especially two sisters, Leida and Laëlle. They say that life in Brazil is like paradise, because it is very different from life in Haiti. One wants to become a model, the other a teacher - on the day I took the photo, they were improvising exercises to develop imagination and creativity in front of their home."

MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan: Challenging Journey // “I took this photo at the train station at Dhaka Airport during Ramadan. People were returning home to spend Ramadan with their families. One man tried to board the train, at that time it started to rain and the train started to move slowly. The family had train tickets but could not get to their seats.”