ADVENTURES
OF A LIFETIME
N
early 22,000 entries poured into
National Geographic Traveler’s
photo contest to document
the greatest adventures on the planet.
The winning image (opposite; see story
online) frames an idyllic sunrise scene
on Siargao Island in the Philippines.
MARKETA KYNCLOVA AND MATT FIELD,
from Perth, Australia, were exploring the
island interior when they encountered
young locals leaping into the Maasin
River from a rope swing. They happily
joined in, leading to a fast friendship.
“We wanted to keep this moment alive
forever,” Field says, and the next day
they rose before dawn to get this shot.
Traveler’s director of photography, Anne
Farrar, loves the picture’s sense of adven-
ture. “It feels like the beginning of an
epic journey,” she says. —The EditorsShow Us Your
Epic JourneysWe asked for your most spectacular
travel photos—and you delivered- Jason Speth
HANG SON DOONG, VIETNAM
California-based Speth returned three times
to get this shot of the sunbeams that rarely
enter the vast cave of Hang son Doong.
“Kudos for continuing to go back to capture
the image you envisioned,” Farrar says. - Alex Dawson
TASIILAQ, GREENLAND
In this otherworldly picture, Dawson,
who lives in Sweden, caught a free diver
beneath the pack ice. “This is such an
adventurous frame—it’s a beautiful capture
with a ton of technical difficulty,” Farrar says. - Carmen MacLeod
LAUTERBRUNNEN, SWITZERLAND
“Is this real?!” Farrar first thought. “Who
spliced together Yellowstone and a quaint
European village?” It is real—the Swiss Alps
hamlet of Lauterbrunnen, which MacLeod,
from Canada, calls “hands down one of the
most magical places I have ever been.”
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