Best Travel Photos of 2017 - 1

A lightning bolt pierces the night sky over Mount Colima as a column of swirling ash erases the stars in its path. This photo won the grand prize of the 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest.

A food vendor squeezes through the congested second class compartment on the Vivek train. This photo originally published in "Life Aboard the Longest Train Ride in India," in August 2017.

The DMZ Peace Train carries South Korean soldiers and tourists from Seoul to train terminals closest to the DMZ. This photo originally published in "Korea’s Heavily Armed Border Is Packed With Tourists," in November 2017.

A man slides on tomatoes as he celebrates La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain. This photo originally published in "Is La Tomatina a Waste of Food?" in August 2017.

A sculpted supercell thunderstorm churns over the dusty farmlands near Lamesa, Texas. This photo originally published in "Nature’s Fury Revealed in These Spellbinding Time-Lapses" in April 2017.

Uncommon in mosques, the stained glass windows of Iran's Nasir al Molk in Shiraz illuminate its Persian carpets with a kaleidoscope of patterned flecks of light. This photo originally published in "See the Most Exquisite Mosques Around the World" in May 2017.

The sun sets over the Košuta ridge with Veliki Vrh mountain in the distance. The mountain pass offers a lovely, hidden way to cross the border to Austria. This photo originally published in "Discover Slovenia's Lesser Known Alpine Paradise" in August 2017.

The northern lights stream down above Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This photo originally published in "7 Magical Places to View Auroras" in February 2017.

The Harmony of the Seas features several multistory waterslides, including the tallest one at sea. This photo originally published in "Quirky Photos of the World's Largest Cruise Ship" in February 2017.

Harar’s old town is a maze of alleys lined with colorful walls. This photo originally published in “Best Trips 2018” in November 2017.

A security guard crosses brisk in front of the first fallen petals in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This photo originally published in “Embrace Spring With Pictures of Japan's Cherry Blossoms" in March 2017.

This large winged sculpture in Podgarić holds a crypt with the remains of hundreds of Partisan soldiers who died while being treated at nearby hospitals. This photo originally published in “Haunting Relics of a Country That No Longer Exists" in August 2017.

Most global fashions are not fads. This photo originally published in "Striking Photos of Cultural Fasihons You Must See" in February 2017.

A hiker looks over the Ko'olau Range in Oahu, Hawaii. This photo originally published in "Find Paradise in Oahu" in November 2017.

On the edge of Lake Ohrid, a Greek Orthodox shrine hides inside a bunker in Lin. This photo originally published in “Paranoid Dictator Built Thousands of Military Bunkers—See Them Now” in October 2017.

A Burning Man attendee walks on stilts across the desert, leaving tall art structures behind him. This photo originally published in “These Photos Prove How Wild Burning Man Really Is” in August 2017.

The Duomo, or cathedral, is one Milan’s most iconic monuments. It is one of the largest churches in modern Europe, able to accommodate more than 20,000 people. This photo originally published in “Italy's Unexpected Cultural and Artistic Hub” in September 2017.

The sun sets over the beach near the Fort of São Sebastião, the oldest standing fort in sub-Saharan Africa. Locals take advantage of the waning heat and swim in the rose gold ocean. This photo originally published in “Photos of a Paradise Island, Frozen in Time” in November 2017.

Yemen’s Old Walled City of Shibam is the oldest metropolis in the world to use vertical construction. This photo originally published in “This Ancient Mud Skyscraper City is the 'Manhattan of the Desert'” in April 2017.

A calenda to celebrate a wedding in Oaxaca City unfolds on the street. This photo originally published in “Discover Color and Culture in Mexico's Most Vibrant State” in November 2017.

Long before it helped to inspire Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, Neuschwanstein was a refuge for Germany’s King Ludwig II of Bavaria who spent much of his kingdom’s fortune building castles. This photo originally published in “Top 10 Castles of Europe” in March 2017.

Cathalina Liebel, descendant of a 16th-century circus family, dangles from the mouth of her family's African elephant, Nosey, during a performance at the Great American Family Circus in Mattoon, Illinois. Nosey is at the center of a growing campaign against the Liebels' circus, at which the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found numerous animal welfare violations. Many of those violations relate to poor treatment of Nosey, including a lack of veterinary care, tight confines, and poor feeding. This photo originally published in "The Death of One of the Oldest Shows on Earth," in May 2017.

A young girl peeks through the stained glass windows which adorn the Ghriba synagogue, believed to be built around 500 B.C. This photo originally published in "Thousands of Jews Make an Annual Pilgrimage to This Muslim Country," in June 2017.

Chilean cowboys known as baqueanos have a deep connection to nature and treat their horses with a parental tenderness. This photo originally published in "11 Breathtaking Photos from Torres del Paine National Park," in May 2017.

Two men work hard on a fishing boat docked in the village of Howth, a penninsula east of Dublin. This photo originally published in “Going Beyond Guinness: What to Do in Dublin” in November 2017.

The Mea She'arim and Damascus Gate areas of Jerusalem offer tourists a lot of insight into the city's multiculturalism. This photo originally published in "Visit the Crossroads of Jerusalem's Most Unique Neighborhoods," in September 2017.

Black-clad festivalgoers stroll outside of Whitby Abbey during Whitby Goth Weekend, the United Kingdom’s largest goth event. This photo originally published in "This Goth-Filled Seaside Town Inspired ‘Dracula’," in October 2017.