Torres del Paine National Park, Chile(01 of12)
Open Image ModalRunning of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain(02 of12)
Open Image ModalSpace is tight for onlookers during opening day of the San Fermin Festival's Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Held since 1591, the event attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year for nine days of revelry, morning bull runs and afternoon bullfights. The festival gained worldwide fame after appearing in Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises." This photo was taken by David Ramos. (credit:David Ramos/ Getty Images)
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming(03 of12)
Open Image ModalFrost paints Yellowstone's Lower Geyser Basin white early one January morning. The world's first national park doesn't shut down during the long winter -- cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are popular snowy activities. This photo was taken by Jeff Vanuga. (credit:Jeff Vanuga/Corbis)
Yoshino River, Japan(04 of12)
Open Image ModalFishermen wait for glass eels to be drawn to the bright lights they're shining on Japan's Yoshino River. When the eels are close, the fishermen scoop them up. This type of traditional fishing is best done on the darkest nights. This photo was taken by The Asahi Shimbaun. (credit:The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images)
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia(05 of12)
Open Image ModalAn elaborate mosaic under the central dome in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia, draws the eye up. The church contains nearly 1.9 acres of mosaics. This photo was taken by Sasse. (credit:Sasse, laif/Redux)
La Réunion National Park on Réunion Island(06 of12)
Open Image ModalUnder a stormy sky, hikers round a small lake in La Réunion National Park, located on the French island of Réunion in the southwest Indian Ocean. Added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2010, the 247,000-acre park features dramatic, rugged landscapes and valuable ecosystems -- including cloud forests, subtropical rain forests, and heaths -- that are home to many threatened and endangered species. This photo was taken by Spani Arnaud. (credit:Spani Arnaud, Hemis/Corbis)
Lake Bogoria, Kenya(07 of12)
Open Image ModalLesser flamingos take flight over Lake Bogoria in Kenya. The alkaline waters of Bogoria and other Rift Valley lakes support the cyanobacteria that the birds feed on. This photo was taken by Martin Harvey. (credit:Martin Harvey, Corbis)
Iceland(08 of12)
Open Image ModalThe aurora borealis sets the Iceland sky alight with an otherworldly glow. This phenomenon is triggered when the sun sends charged particles coursing to Earth. The best time to see the light show in Iceland is on a clear night in winter -- visibility improves the colder it gets. This photo was taken by Daniele Boffelli. (credit:Daniele Boffelli)
Binche, Belgium(09 of12)
Open Image ModalThe town of Binche, Belgium, takes its Mardi Gras silliness seriously, with street performances, costumed revelers, music and dancing. UNESCO calls the centuries-old event a "masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity." This photo was taken by Sergi Reboredo. (credit:Sergi Reboredo, VWPics/Redux)
San Rafael Falls, Ecuador(10 of12)
Open Image ModalThe Coca River roars over the San Rafael Falls, the largest waterfall in Ecuador. Tucked into a cloud forest, San Rafael is near Baeza in the country's northeast region. This photo was taken by Ivan Kashinsky. (credit:Ivan Kashinsky, The New York Times/Redux)
Cape Town, South Africa(11 of12)
Open Image Modal"I took this picture at an amusement park down by the [Victoria and Alfred] Waterfront in Cape Town," says Philip Grube, who entered the 2015 Traveler Photo Contest. "It was a clear blue sky when I saw these kids crawling, running, and trying to balance themselves in these shiny plastic bubbles in a pool of water. The reflection of the water in combination with the effect of the bubbles under the blue sky looked somehow surreal." This photo was taken by Philip Grube. (credit:Philip Grube)
Kota Bharu, Malaysia(12 of12)
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