Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary
Your Best Travel Photos of 2024
A MAASAI PROCESSION NEAR THE NGOROGORO CRATER, TANZANIA.
Photo by Jeannie Mullen Wendy asked me, as a former picture editor at The New York Times and the Associated Press, to single out ten of my favorite pictures that our travelers shot and sent in this year to go with their trip reviews. It wasn’t easy. There are many talented photographers in our WendyPerrin.com community!
One of the most unforgettable pictures is the Maasai torchlight procession above, photographed by frequent WOW List traveler Jeannie Mullen near the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. What an extraordinary scene! It’s like something out of an old black-and-white movie that came to life in color. It made me want to be there! And isn’t that the best thing you can say about a travel photo? Below are nine more of our favorites. Do they evoke that I-want-to-be-there feeling in you too? If so, we can help via the button below.
SUNRISE AT MACHU PICCHU Photo by Timothy Triche
I’ve seen a million photos of Machu Picchu, but never a view like this. Dr. Tim Triche describes it as “sunrise over the mountains overlooking Machu Picchu, where the sun rays on June 21 precisely enter the Temple of the Sun.” It’s a reminder that often the most memorable pictures are taken outside typical touring hours. While other travelers were sleeping or at the breakfast buffet, Dr. Triche was already in position for this rare shot.
Read about Dr. Triche’s trip to Peru here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
RED-FOOTED BOOBY IN THE GALAPAGOS Photo by Rebel Rice
How can you not immediately smile when you see this photo? Rebel Rice shot it on El Barranco, a nesting site on the island of Genovesa in the Galápagos Islands. It makes me wonder: Is it a photo of a woman with a bird in it? Or a photo of a bird with a woman in it? Love it!
Read about Rebel’s trip to the Galápagos here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
BALLOONS OVER CAPPADOCIA Photo by Lary Barton
This photo looks so professional that I could see a camera-gear company blowing it up to the size of a barn and using it to promote themselves at a trade show. Lary Barton says this balloon ride was the highlight of his Turkey trip. “The pilot actually landed the balloon basket on the trailer that would take the balloon away. None of the other 156 balloons made that magnificent landing.”
Read about Lary’s Turkey trip here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
MASHPI GLASS FROG Photo by Robin Madden
At Mashpi Lodge, in Ecuador’s rainforest, Robin Madden’s guide, Fernando, was a biologist who actually identified a new species, the “Mashpi glass frog.” He showed it to them on a night walk. Here it is, sitting on Robin’s eyeglasses. We love that this image shows how not all travel photos need to be of scenic vistas to tell the story of a journey.
Read about Robin’s Ecuador trip here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
NORTHERN LIGHTS Photo by Michael Ruma
Michael Ruma shot this view of the northern lights from the porch of his room at the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel in Finland. The trees make an excellent foreground frame for this image. Imagine getting a photo this good without even leaving your porch!
Read about Michael’s Finland trip here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
CAMELS IN THE OMANI DESERT Photo by Tracy Reller
A highlight of Tracy Reller’s family trip to Oman for spring break was spending the night in the desert. I love this shot because it’s so rare to see any animals, let alone camels, lined up in the same position, almost as if they were posed (or Photoshopped in). And Tracy’s photo gives just enough background context to show they were definitely not in a zoo.
Read about Tracy’s Oman trip here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
BOAT ON HALONG BAY Photo by Tina Blum
Tina Blum shot this photo from a small boat on Halong Bay, Vietnam, during a combo land-cruise journey through Vietnam and Cambodia. While hazy skies can make it a challenge to capture beautiful landscapes, they actually improve the look of sunrise and sunset.
Read about Tina’s Southeast Asia trip here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
WHALE TAIL IN ANTARCTICA Photo by Milinda Martin
“We met penguins and whales and seals. We kayaked among icebergs. We dipped into the water for our polar plunge…” writes Milinda Martin about her Antarctic adventure. The trip had everything in it that she wanted, and her photo’s also got everything: glacier field, blue ice, and water cascading from the whale, all on a sunny day.
Read about Milinda’s Antarctica trip here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
SELFIE IN MAKUNDUSI VILLAGE, TANZANIA Photo by Jeannie Mullen
A new face in a small village often brings out the kids. This shot reminds me of all the times Wendy and I have been mobbed by gaggles of schoolchildren. Jeannie Mullen took this selfie during a community visit in Grumeti Reserve, a stop on her East African safari.
Read about Jeannie’s East Africa trip here. To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.
Our Latest Newsletters
