The winners of the 2026 Penda Travel Photography Competition are officially in, and yeah… they go hard. This year’s winning images don’t just show places — they pull you inside them. From soul-stirring cultural moments to raw wildlife encounters and landscapes that stop you mid-scroll, the 2026 winners prove that travel photography is still one of the most powerful storytelling tools out there.
The competition drew entries from photographers across continents, each frame loaded with emotion, atmosphere, and intention. Judges had the tough job of narrowing it down to images that didn’t just look beautiful, but meant something. The final selection is a visual mixtape of humanity, nature, and the quiet magic found between destinations.
At the heart of the competition is Penda’s mission: celebrating visual storytelling from every corner of the world. With categories like People & Cultures, Wildlife, and Landscape, the awards welcome photographers of all backgrounds and styles. It’s not about gear flexing — it’s about vision, patience, and knowing when to press the shutter.
The Overall Winner for 2026 is Tanveer Rohan for his striking photograph “Kartika Vrata.” Judges praised the image for its bold angle and masterful composition, describing it as “a vibrant mosaic of color where light guides the eye through the frame.” Rich fabrics, layered details, and a carefully chosen perspective transform a fleeting moment into a scene that feels alive. For his win, Tanveer earns a coveted spot on a Botswana Photo Safari — a dream reward for any storyteller with a camera.
Behind the scenes, Penda Photo Tours continues to fuel this creative energy by crafting photography-first travel experiences. Designed by photographers for photographers, their small-group trips focus on being in the right place at the right time — ethically, respectfully, and with serious artistic intent. Penda Photo Tours is part of the Impact Travel Group, blending exploration with purpose.
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#1. People & Culture Category and Overall Winner: "Kartika Vrata" by Tanveer Rohan
Feedback from the judges: "The angle and composition, make this scene into a beautiful vibrant mosaic of colour where the lights draw the eye through the frame. The rich coloured fabrics and furniture create a huge amount of interest. The angle helps create a viewpoint to appreciate how so many small details can be unified to create a huge visual impact." – Alan Hewitt
Tanveer Rohan wins a place on our Botswana Photo Safari
#2. People & Culture – Second place: "Circles of Life" by Pranab Basak
Feedback from the judges: "This photograph has such strong visual clarity, the blue of the water provide a beautiful contrast to the warm tones of the nets and colourful clothing. My eye moves from one person to the next and none dominate making each as interesting as the next. It captures a story of tradition, effort and functional activity. Together, these qualities make the photograph incredibly compelling." – Alan Hewitt
Pranak Basak wins a camera strap by Vincov.
#3. Wildlife – Winner: "Lioness Eyes Behind Birds" by Willem Kruger
Feedback from the judges: "This image works incredibly well because the shallow depth of field is used as a storytelling tool rather than a technical byproduct. The Cape Sparrows are are isolated as they fly toward the camera immediately commanding the attention, while the lioness sits just outside that focal plane. The result is a layered narrative: bird, predator and space all existing within a single frame. The lioness is not the subject in a conventional sense, yet her presence changes everything. Her softness does not weaken the image; it strengthens it, creating the tension which is the story. It’s perfect timing too, or great use of a camera’s burst mode. Fractions of a second sooner or later, the lioness’s eyes would be obstructed by wings or birds and the photograph would lose some of the tension. It’s a wonderful photograph." – Alan Hewitt
Willem Kruger wins a camera bag by Vincov.
#4. Wildlife – Second Place: "Life Hangs by a Thread" by Xiaoping Lin
Feedback from the judges: "Good wildlife photography is more than just an excellent photograph of an animal. Excellent wildlife photography captures an extraordinary moment that gives us a glimpse into the world and lives of the wildlife subject itself. In this, Xiaoping’s image is absolutely extraordinary. To see such a scene in and of itself is rare. To be able to photograph it; not just simply record the moment, but actually photograph the moment with skill and creativity is rarer still. Xiaoping’s image of Egret and fish is true astounding." – Emil von Maltitz
Xiaoping Lin wins a camera strap by Vincov.
#5. Landscape – Winner: "Money Tree" by Xu Zhang
Feedback from the judges: "Xu’s image immediately jumped out in the judging process. It is a unique viewpoint with an intended double meaning or interpretation in the image itself (as evidenced b the title ‘Money-tree’). The composition is beautifully balanced, lending itself to the double interpretation of the scene, but also incredibly simple at the same time. The orange and blue colour balance is also extremely effective in grabbing the viewers eye initially. Then there is the requisite fine detail in the photograph which invites the viewer to pick out details and look at the scene for longer (I really would love to see this blown up large). It’s a mesmerising image that makes you want to explore it visually. It’s a superb photograph and well deserving of its win." – Emil von Maltitz
Xu Zhang wins a camera bag by Vincov.
#6. Landscape – Second Place: "Bozzhira" by Galip Cetiner
Feedback from the judges: "Galip’s image of Bozzhira is immediately eye-catching. The fantastic colour juxtaposition between orange and blue lends itself really well to increasing the drama to the atmosphere within the image. The range of tones from the dark shadows also increases the drama with the warm light striking the limestone massif in the centre of the image, and drawing the viewer in. The vignetting effect of the dark sides is perhaps a touch strong though. Added to the glowing Orton-like effect (which robs the centre of the frame of some it’s extraordinary detail) and the post-production of the image starts to lean towards being slightly over-edited. It’s an extraordinary scene and the Galip’s beautiful image of it can only make other travellers want to explore this otherworldly landscape themselves." – Emil von Maltitz
Galip Cetiner wins a camera strap by Vincov.
Highly Commended
#7. "Color Contrast" by Anna Sadowski
#8. "Crown of Thorns" by Alia Noordin
#9. "Jai Ho" by Sanjoy Bhattacharya
#10. "Albatros Argument" by Simon Roberts
#11. "Here Comes the Sun" by Frederic Dumortier
In Summary
What is the Penda Travel Photography Competition?
- An annual global competition celebrating powerful travel storytelling across people, wildlife, and landscapes.
Who won the 2026 Overall Award?
- Tanveer Rohan for his photograph “Kartika Vrata.”
What did the winner receive?
- A place on a Botswana Photo Safari with Penda Photo Tours.
Who can enter the competition?
- Photographers of all backgrounds and experience levels worldwide.
What makes Penda different?
- A strong focus on ethical travel, visual storytelling, and photographer-led experiences.
