See the winning images from the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

National Geographic Traveler has selected the winners for its 2016 Travel Photographer of the Year Contest, and the winning photos will take you on a journey around the world.

The winning image, "Winter Horseman," illustrates the harsh climate that the people of Mongolia must survive. Taken by Anthony Lau of Hong Kong, the photo won both the grand prize and first place in the People category.

Each of the winners wrote a caption describing the story behind the winning shot. Lau captioned his photo:

"The winter in Inner Mongolia is very unforgiving. At a freezing temperature of minus twenty and lower, with a constant breeze of snow from all direction, it was pretty hard to convince myself to get out of the car and take photos. When I saw Inner Mongolia horsemen showing off their skills and commanding the steed from a distance. I quickly grabbed my telephoto lens and captured the moment when one of the horseman charged out from morning mist."

As part of his grand prize, Lau will spend seven days getting up close and personal with polar bears at the Churchill Wild-Seal River Heritage Lodge in northern Canada.

Thousands of entries were judged based on creativity, photographic quality and composition. Winners were chosen in three categories: People, Nature and Cities.

Here are the other winning images with each photographer's caption.

First Place, Nature: "Wherever you go, I will follow you!!"

Taken in Biei, Hokkaido, Japan

"It was when I drove back home feeling disappointed with the fact that I had finished the day in vain without any anticipated subject that I heard the joyful voice from the car window like "quack, quack!" There they were: red foxes. Around the end of the winter, they meet the season of love; they care for and love each other enough to make us jealous."

First Place, Cities: "Ben Youssef"

Taken in Marrakesh, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, Morocco

"Marrakesh is an exciting city for any traveler, but I was tired of walking on the crowded street and being asked for money from local people, so I was looking for a place to settle down. Even though there were a lot of people in Madrasa, it was still a more quiet and relaxing place than outside. Suddenly a beautiful reflection appeared on the shallow pool when I was taking a rest. It was a cloudy day so I could only see it when the wind stopped blowing and sunlight hit this Islamic architecture."

Second Place, People: "Rooftop Dreams, Varanasi"

Taken in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

"It was 5:30 a.m. and I had just arrived in Varanasi, India, off a sleeper train. I got to my guesthouse and instinctively climbed the seven flights of stairs to see the sunrise over the famous Ganges River. As I looked over the side of the rooftop terrace, my jaw dropped in disbelief. Below were mothers, fathers, children, cats, dogs, and monkeys all sleeping on their roofs. It was midsummer in Varanasi and sleeping without air-conditioning was pretty difficult. Can you spot the curry?"

Second Place, Nature: "Double trapping"

Taken along the Rio Negrinho in Brazil

"I was in the Brazilian Pantanal along the Rio Negrinho. I realized that the river, at certain points of the loops, created places where there were many yacare caimans. I saw a yacare sink suddenly, and I immediately looked for the best location to photograph when it resurfaced. The whole thing lasted only a fraction of a moment."

Second Place, Cities: "Silenced"

Taken in Guangzhou, Guangdong Sheng, China

"This photo was taken on my last trip to Guangzhou, China. This place is the school dormitories of South China Normal University. When I was hanging around, most of them were taking a break. After lunchtime, they needed to go back to study."

Third Place, People: "Remote life at -21 degree"

Taken in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

"An old woman in a remote village in Himachal Pradesh, India, carries a big log back home to warm up her house."

Third Place, Nature: "Lagunas Baltinache (Atacama Desert)"

Taken in San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta, Chile

"I made this photo during my recent photographic expedition in Atacama Desert, in April 2016. I embarked alone on this adventure to find images not yet published of the most arid desert in the world and its contrasts. Despite the Atacama Desert being one of the best places on the planet to do night photography. Therefore, I sought one of the places recently discovered in the Atacama Desert and one that shows all the contrast of this desert to make night shots: the Baltinache Ponds."

Third Place, Cities: "Celestial Reverie"

Taken in George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

"Lightning seemingly strikes Komtar Tower, the most iconic landmark of George Town, capital of Penang state in Malaysia, during a thunderstorm. It is symbolic of the rejuvenation that the city, famous for a unique blend of centuries-old buildings and modern structures, has enjoyed in recent years. While many of its old neighborhoods fell into neglect in the 1990s and early 2000s, a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2008 sparked a transformation."

Honorable Mention, People: "Muscle Beach Gym"

Taken in Venice Beach, California, United States

"A weightlifter lifts a barbell loaded with heavy plates while a bodybuilder performs an aerial handstand at the Muscle Beach Gym in Venice Beach, California."

Honorable Mention, Nature: "Bears on a Berg"

Taken in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, Canada

"The location is on the sea ice in Davis Straight, off the coast of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic, on April 2, 2016. This mother polar bear and her yearling are perched atop a huge snow-covered iceberg that got socked in when the ocean froze over for the winter. To me, the relative smallness of these large creatures when compared to the immensity of the iceberg in the photo represents the precariousness of the polar bear's reliance on the sea and sea ice for its existence."

Honorable Mention, Cities: "Divide"

Taken in Manhattan, New York, United States

"From a doorless helicopter looking south on Central Park West, dividing the architecture and Central Park, on November 5, 2014, a day before my 27th birthday. The flight was my birthday gift."