Our National Geographic contributors were tasked with documenting the enduring essence of travel. They opened their apertures on innovative conservation efforts, vibrant cultural communities, and underappreciated destinations. Here are some of our best travel photos of 2022: 📸 @tamaramerino_photography An ice climber ascends one of the dozens of glaciers in the remote, wind-whipped terrain of Chilean Patagonia. With its ice-carved peaks and fjords, southern Chile remains one of the wildest places on Earth. 📸 @christianziegler A hummingbird gathers nectar from a cactus flower near Hermosillo, Mexico. In Aztec mythology, the bird represents the sun god Huitzilopochtli, conceived by his mother after she clutched a ball of hummingbird feathers that fell from the sky to her chest. 📸 @aitorlaraphoto Alba Heredia, a dancer from Granada, Spain, performs at Tablao Flamenco la Carmela in Madrid. Originating in Andalusia about a thousand years ago, flamenco has evolved into a semi-improvised art form of percussive footwork, plaintive singing, and flurries of acoustic guitar. 📸 @putu_sayoga After a two-year pandemic pause, the Bali Kite Festival returned in August. Hundreds of colorful, fluttering designs, such as this janggan (dragon kite), filled the sky above Mertasari Beach in Bali, Indonesia. 📸 Víctor Zea @victorz3a In the Peruvian Andes, the ruins of the ancient Inca city of Choquequirao, a cousin to higher profile Machu Picchu, can be reached only by foot or mule. A proposed cable car could make the site more accessible to travelers. See more of our best travel photos from 2022 at the link in bio.