Norway Photos

Polar Bear, Svalbard

A young polar bear leaps between drifts of Barents Sea ice in Svalbard, Norway’s Arctic archipelago. Glacial ice covers more than half of the island chain, which lies 400 miles (640 kilometers) north of the Norwegian mainland.

Brünnich’s Guillemots, Svalbard

Brünnich’s guillemots plunge into the ocean near Bjørnøya Island to snatch schooling fish, sometimes reaching depths of 500 feet (150 meters). These stout seabirds breed in Svalbard by the hundreds of thousands, most dispersing to Iceland or Greenland in winter.

Jordan Travaling Photos

Jordan Photos

Carved Rooftop, Petra

The Nabataean capital of Petra is one of the many spectacular historical sites in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a country of deep traditions that has worked to preserve its ancient inheritance and natural beauty while navigating modern realities in a region of continuing conflict.

Reclining on a rooftop carved two millennia ago, a Bedouin surveys the realm of the Nabataeans, beckoning from the sands of southern Jordan. Forgotten for centuries, Petra still echoes with mysteries of the past; this immense building, Al Deir (the Monastery), was probably a Nabataean shrine

Uncovering Mosaics, Petra

Petra’s heyday ended when the Romans rerouted trade in the second century A.D., sending the city into a long decline. In a fifth-century Byzantine church, archaeologists found detailed mosaics

Egypt Best Traveling place in the World

Here are some new cool images, if you like traveling so i think you should try to go egypt.

In egypt have too much cool places, because these are amazing and hand made thing no machine techniques and nothing else.

Many years ago these places become on earth and all are amazing. you should try to visit there.

Ultimate Adventure Bucket List 2012

Twenty of the world's top athletes and explorers share their wildest dream trips—a dazzling list of never attempted feats daunting to even these world-class competitors. For the rest of us, consider their must-do adventures—and start planning. 

Dream Trip: Ski South Georgia Island

,On his legendary quest to rescue the sailors of the Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton undertook one of the hairiest small-boat crossings ever recorded—800 nautical miles across the insane-making conditions of the Southern Ocean. Then he topped it off with an arguably more insane trek across rugged snow-buried South Georgia Island. Since then, the unsettled island hasn’t changed much at all, which is why it remains one of the last great unknown adventure destinations. 

“My current dream trip would be to hire a sailboat with five or six of my friends, skiers, photographers, and filmmakers and document a trip to South Georgia Island,” says Chris Davenport. “The goal would be to try and re-create the amazing traverse of Sir Ernest Shackleton.” Along the way, they’d cross glaciers and snowfields, spot penguins and fur seals, and ski descents on peaks that top 9,600 feet. “This would be a monthlong trip to one of the world’s most beautiful and remote islands,” says Davenport.

Dream Trip: Climb 8,000-Meter Peaks in the Himalaya

Ueli Steck is fixated on a goal that is perhaps more difficult than a summit: testing his personal limits. This is not so simple when it comes to the Swiss Machine, whose limits are preposterously extreme. It has led him to set his sights on scaling 8,000-meter summits—at top speeds. 

“You know, 8,000 meters, they’re the highest peaks,” says Steck. “It’s the thinnest air and it’s the biggest challenge.” Steck, naturally, doesn’t want to walk up them—“I’m a bad hiker,” he says. Steck is aiming for the mountains’ bold, highly technical routes, such as the south face of 26,545-foot Annapurna. He already stood on the top of Cho Oyu (with mountaineer Don Bowie) and Shishapangma (in 10.5 hours) in 2011. Perhaps Everest isn’t so far-fetched.

Travel Photos of the Week

Bwindi Park, Uganda

A mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park peeks through the brush. The park in Uganda is home to 340 of the endangered gorillas, half the world's population

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Giza, Egypt

If a camel ride doesn't appeal, visitors to Giza can take in the Great Pyramids and surrounding sites astride an Arabian horse. Memorials to Egyptian kings, the Pyramids have risen above the desert outside Cairo for more than 4,000 years. Stone—not sun-dried mud brick—gave permanence to these monuments, the last of the world's ancient wonders.

For more photos like this, see our full gallery of Egypt pictures submitted to My Shot by users like you. Plus, take a quiz on ancient Egypt, discover more about the World Heritage site of Ancient Thebes, and find all of our Egypt features in our complete guide to this fascinating nation

Travel Photos of the Week P 1

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Maasai Village, Kenya

A visit to a Maasai village on a Kenyan safari

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Námafjall, Iceland

The sun rises over a field of solfataras (sulfurous mud springs) at the geothermal site of Námafjall, Icela

Travel Photos of the Week P 2

Mount Bromo, Indonesia

A view of Mount Bromo, part of Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia

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Karnataka, India

A man pours water on the feet of the Gomateshwara statue in Karnataka, India.

Australia's Travel Photo Galleries

 Travel Photo Galleries

Ayers Rock in Uluru National Park

,Lightning flashes over Ayers Rock, a landmark red sandstone monolith that draws tourists to Australia's center. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park houses the rock, called Uluru by Aborigines, the continent's original inhabitants

Baby Kangaroo

A joey gets a ride from its mother in Victoria. A national symbol of Australia, the eastern grey kangaroo has been known to leap up to 29.5 feet (9 meters) in a single bound as it traverses eastern mainland Australia. The eastern grey is one of approximately 63 species that are native to Australia.

Thailand Photos

Inextricably joined with a bodhi tree—the same type of tree under which Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, achieved enlightenment—a Buddha head greets visitors to the ruins of Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya. The temple is part of Ayutthaya Historical Park.

Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai

"Elephants are pushed to the edge," says activist Sangduen Chailert, who runs the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary north of Chiang Mai. Once common throughout Thailand, wild elephants now live in small, isolated groups

Best of The Oman Photos

Oman Photos

Wedding Henna

Flush with wealth from its oil fields, the Sultanate of Oman has catapulted from Arabian Peninsula backwater to modern nation—while keeping alive traditions such as lailat al henna, a women-only celebration to honor a bride on the eve of her wedding. Her hands bear fanciful filigrees executed in henna, which will wear off in several weeks.,

Matrah

Glittering crescent on the Gulf of Oman, Matrah beckons west of Muscat, the capital. Most places are now reachable by motor vehicle; as recently as 1970 the nation had only six miles [9.7 kilometers] of paved

Travaling Photos of Egypt

 Best of The Egypt Travaling Photos

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Colored Canyon

Visitors navigate a narrow path through the Colored Canyon in the Sinai. Long both a holy land and battleground, the triangular peninsula’s historical sites and natural beauty today make Sinai a popular tourist destination.

Gulf of Aqaba

The blue waters of the Gulf of Aqaba ripple between Saudi Arabia (far shore) and resorts lining the eastern coast of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. A historical site of spirituality and conflict, the wedge of desert has become a mecca for pleasure-loving travelers and profit-seeking developers.

Best of The Egypt Travaling Photos

Egypt Photos

The Pyramids of Giza

,From any angle, Giza's Pyramids inspire awe. Memorials to Egyptian kings, the Pyramids have risen above the desert outside Cairo for more than 4,000 years. Stone—not sun-dried mud brick—gave permanence to these ancient monuments.

Whirling Dervish

A whirling dervish is framed by his colorful robes as he twirls. The traditional dance of the Sufi Muslim religious order is performed throughout the Arab world in local variations.

Germany Photos

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Ballerinas, Berlin

Ballerinas prepare to hit the stage at a theater in Berlin. In the past decade, an emergence of world-class ballerinas and choreographers has led to a rising interest in German ballet.

Oktoberfest, Munich

Originated in 1810 as a wedding celebration for two Bavarian royals, Oktoberfest now marks the start of the harvest season each year. Instead of gathering corn, though, participants in the two-week-long festival gather in Munich to consume some 1.8 million gallons (7 million liters) of beer produced by local breweries

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Once marking the turbulent division of East and West Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate now stands at the head of a pedestrian plaza just blocks from the German parliament. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, a physical and social reinvention has taken place throughout the city, visible in the bold lines of new architecture juxtaposing mementos of eras past.

Wangen Town Center

Though post-Communist Germany has seen a rapid expansion of its capital and an embracing of modern architecture, many smaller towns—such as Wangen in the country’s south—preserve their cultural heritage with traditional storefronts and cobblestone alleys.

Bavaria Winter

.Snow creates a winter wonderland scene near Linderhof Castle in Bavaria, Germany's largest state. Mountain peaks and lakes dot Bavaria, which shares a border with Austria, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland

Residenz Palace, Würzburg

The extravagant rococo chapel of the Residenz Palace in Würzburg excites architecture buffs and novices alike. Designed by young architect Balthasar Neumann, the space surrounds visitors with an embrace of twisted columns and wavy walls punctuated by tall windows..

Café, Berlin

Two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the capital city of Germany has created its own blended culture in the art districts of Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte. A steady economic climb throughout Berlin has encouraged many small business owners to open shops in the city.,

Market Goods, Berlin

Originally born in the year 1200 as a pair of trading villages, Berlin still enjoys markets full of local produce and wares for sale.

Hainich National Park, Thüringen

,Originally a military training camp for Soviet and German armies, Hainich National Park—set in the middle of a primeval forest in central Germany—now welcomes civilian visitors who walk its many trails

Katholische Hofkirche, Dresden

.After being severely damaged during World War II bombings, the ornately decorated Katholische Hofkirche, or Catholic Court Church, underwent significant reconstructions to restore its roof and upper levels.,,,,

South Africa Photos

A male lion nuzzles a female during a moment of repose on the African plains. Lions are the only big cats that live in groups—prides are extended families that include up to three males, a dozen or so females, and their young. As recently as the 1940s some 450,000 African lions lived in the wild but today only about 20,000 remain, scattered across an ever shrinking range

Vineyards, Franschoek Valley

,Franschoek Valley (French Corner Valley) was settled by French Huguenot refugees in 1688, when Old World traditions of winemaking and fine cuisine were transplanted to Africa’s rich soils. They’ve taken root with glorious results here in one of the world’s most picturesque wine regions.,

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dem. Rep. of the Congo Map

Iceland Photo Gallery

Iceland Photo Gallery// Map

Iceland Map»

Visitors create their own heat at a thermal zone at the Krafla caldera in northern Iceland. Lava flow from the 1980s (upper left) still mars the landscape.
Read more about Iceland in “Life Atop a Cauldron” in the April 2011 issue ofNational Geographic Traveler

Mongolia Travaling Best of the 2011

MongoliaPhotos

Pageant Contestant

A young woman in an elaborate traditional headdress participates in a beauty pageant in Darhan, one of Mongolia’s largest cities. Nearly half of all Mongolians live in cities; a third (about one million) live in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar,

Nomadic Herders, Darhad Valley

When fall comes to northern Mongolia’s Darhad valley, hundreds of families load up their oxen and move their sheep, goats, and cattle over 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) mountains to winter pasture. The twice-yearly trek has shaped nomadic life here for centuries.

Best of the World 2012 P 1

Best of the World 2012

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What places are calling your name for 2012? Whatever your mood, Traveler magazine has a recommendation for you—from the romantic hills of Croatia to the perfect beach in Thailand.

Virunga Volcanoes

Africa's Green and Fiery Heart

Perhaps nowhere on Earth is the dual creative and destructive nature of volcanoes more evident than in central Africa’s Virunga Volcanoes Massif. Straddling the borders between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the eight-volcano chain is one of Earth’s most active volcanic regions and a veritable salad bowl for mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and other wildlife. Landscapes in all three countries conjure visions of both Eden and hell.

In Congo, the swirling plume of the active Nyiragongo Volcano (above) beckons. Check on the security situation in the troubled country before going, but those who make the steep five-hour hike up Nyiragongo are rewarded with heady vistas of the world’s largest lava lake. Spend the night on the rim to fully experience the crater’s fiery light and sound spectacle

Muskoka, Ontario

Just two hours by car—but a world away—from powerhouse Toronto beats the heart of Ontario’s cottage country, Muskoka. Families have gathered here for generations to revel in true wilderness. The 2,500-square-mile area includes 8,699 miles of shoreline, 17 historic towns and villages, and innumerable waterfalls and lakes (like Kahshe Lake, above) framed by the peaks of Algonquin Provincial Park to the east and the isles of Georgian Bay Islands National Park to the west.