The 12 most stunning entries from the National Geographic Travel photo contest

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"Winter Horseman." Anthony Lau /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

Every year, National Geographic holds a prestigious photography contest that attracts thousands of entries.

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This year, its sister magazine, National Geographic Travel, launched a similar contest: the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest.

Photographers submitted some stunning images of places they had visited, and the magazine awarded their winner with a weeklong adventure.

Whether you're a photographer or just someone who enjoys seeing the world in a new way, scroll through to see the incredibly inspiring photos that won accolades.

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Two foxes race in northern Japan.

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Hiroki Inoue /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Wherever you go, I will follow you!!" by Hiroki Inoue.

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A scene from the Brazilian Pantanal, the world's largest wetland.

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Massimiliano Bencivenni /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Double trapping," by Massimiliano Bencivenni.

Residents in Varanasi, India, sleep on their rooftops to beat the heat.

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Yasmin Mund /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Rooftop Dreams, Varanasi," by Yasmin Mund.

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Lunchtime at a university dormitory in Guangzhou, China.

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Wing Ka H. /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year ContestSilenced

"Silenced," by Wing Ka H.

Moonlight on two of the Hidden Ponds, a group of seven saltwater ponds in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

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Victor Lima /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Lagunas Baltinache (Atacama Desert)," by Victor Lima.

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A Kinnaura tribeswoman carrying wood back to her home in the highlands of northern India.

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Mattia Passarini /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Remote life at -21 degree," by Mattia Passarini.

Lightning at Komtar Tower in Malaysia.

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Jeremy Tan /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Celestial Reverie," by Jeremy Tan.

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A weightlifter at Venice Beach in California.

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Dotan Saguy /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Muscle Beach Gym," by Dotan Saguy.

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A polar bear and her year-old cub perch on an iceberg near Baffin Island.

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John Rollins /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Bears on a Berg," by John Rollins.

A Mongolian man herds horses during the harsh winter. This photo won the grand prize.

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"Winter Horseman." Anthony Lau /National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

"Winter Horseman," by Anthony Lau, who won "a seven-day Polar Bear Photo Safari for two at Churchill Wild–Seal River Heritage Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World."

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