Guardian readers April 1, 2009

Photo competition March 2009

From Route 66 to camel trekking in Jordan, the entries for our monthly photo competition captured the spirit of road tripping beautifully

Monument Valley, Utah, USA — Radhika Piramal: "Driving through Monument Valley earlier this year showed me that the American landscape of my imagination, inspired by imagery from old Western movies, is very much real." Photograph: Radhika Piramal/guardian.co.uk

Orsmörk Valley, southern Iceland — Ross Alexander: "Orsmörk Valley, southern Iceland. Our trusty Defender took us to a number of remote corners of Iceland, but this valley was perhaps one of the most spectacular. The icecap creates essentially permanent weather front producing these amazing cloud formations. It was made even more satisfying by the fact we'd left an American couple in a little Yaris several miles back at the first of many fords." Photograph: Ross Alexander/guardian.co.uk

Uyuni salt flats, Bolivia — Cameron Christie: "Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. We rented a truck and took off across the largest salt flats on Earth. The rainy season gave the flats a couple inches of reflective surface, blurring horizons and making it feel like we were driving though a funhouse mirror room." Photograph: Cameron Christie/guardian.co.uk

South Utah, US — James Cotton: "After about 100 miles of flat, straight road in South Utah, we came across this sight. Down below, you can just see the same road that we're on disappearing into the distance. It looks like Mars!" Photograph: James Cotton/guardian.co.uk

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam — Sarah McLaughlin: "Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. The rain held us captive in a flooded restaurant. The moto's engines became submerged & wouldn't start so everyone battled for the taxis that drove past to get anywhere." Photograph: Sarah McLaughlin/guardian.co.uk

Reykjavik — Amanda Benson: "On the way out of Reykjavik the coach we were on pulled over to help someone who's car had caught fire. I took the opportunity to nip out into the freezing cold and capture the road seeming to disappear into the terrain." Photograph: Amanda Benson/guardian.co.uk

Peru — Ben Peers: "An impromptu football match during a road trip through Peru. We stopped because of rocks on the road, put there by protesters!" Photograph: Ben Peers/guardian.co.uk

Ganden Monastery, Tibet — Colin Bartlett: "Ganden Monastery, Tibet. The photo shows the road winding down to the Kyi Chu valley. The road brings travellers to Lhasa along the Kyi Chu river. Stunning views from the monastery of the surrounding countryside." Photograph: Colin Bartlett/guardian.co.uk

Alcantara, Extramadura in Spain — Maggie Le May: "On the road to Alcantara, Extramadura in Spain, June 2008. A storm coming towards us, minutes later we were unable to drive because of the ferocity of the rain." Photograph: Maggie Le May/guardian.co.uk

The Taormina to Castelmola road tunnel, Sicily. — Nick Board: "The Taormina to Castelmola road tunnel, Sicily." Photograph: Nick Board /guardian.co.uk

New Mexico, US — Marcus Tate: "New Mexico, US" Photograph: Marcus Tate/guardian.co.uk

Wadi Rum, Jordan — Vickie White: "Wadi Rum, Jordan. The 'road trip' was a camel trek for four days across the Wadi Rum, I loved the view of the back of my camels head." Photograph: Vickie White/guardian.co.uk

Seligman, Arizona — Richard Charles Cowling: "Seligman, Arizona, long before the Route 66 revival. Road Trips in the States can mean days of relative monotony or days of high drama - storms, extremes of temperatures, terrain or just plain remoteness. Even a run down truck stop can be a visual feast - this photo is one of many I have taken over the years - photographs of and about the road, not just from the road. It was hard to pick my favourite." Photograph: Richard Charles Cowling/guardian.co.uk

Bali — Esme Marshall Oz: "My brother Maximilian came to visit when I lived in Indonesia and we decided to drive from south to north Bali on a Honda Bebek, the national mode of transport." Photograph: Esme Marshall Oz/guardian.co.uk

Ullswater, Lake District National Park — Matt Capper: "Ullswater, Lake District National Park. Descending to Ullswater on a drive through the Lake District, the fog nestled low in the valley, while above a beautifully crisp winter's day drew to a close." Photograph: Matt Capper/guardian.co.uk

The Wadi Mujib Gorge, Jordan — Sarah Ackner: "The Wadi Mujib Gorge, Jordan. This spectacular gorge stretches across Jordan, from the Dead Sea inland for 70 km. Moses was believed to have walked this gorge when it was called the Arnon Valley.We drove it to reach the King's Highway, it was a journey through the centuries." Photograph: Sarah Ackner/guardian.co.uk

Whittier, California — Marsha Coupé: "You can't have a proper road trip without authentic road trip food. In America, road trip food means a fifties-style diner on the east coast, and a fifties-style drive-in on the west coast. Driving some 900 miles between the two Californias (Southern and Northern) we stumbled on Ricks Drive In & Out in downtown Whittier, California. The menu is huge. The food cheap and tasty. Order up a basket of chili cheese fries with a turkey burger; breakfast burrito, taquitos and fried zucchini with a side of ranch dressing, or a pastrami sandwich, with a stack of onion rings and strawberry shake." Photograph: Marsha Coupé/guardian.co.uk

Jujuy, South America — Dermot O'Reilly: "Taken near Jujuy, the region is Salta which is in North Eastern Argentina. I have been all over South America and apart from the Uyuni Salt flats in Bolivia, Salta is the most beautiful place I have seen there." Photograph: Dermot O'Reilly/guardian.co.uk

Havana, Cuba — Alice Anderson-Gough: "Havana, Cuba. Whilst road-tripping around Cuba in a two-door Hyundai, I took this photo. The pictured car - cool and classy, albeit overtly touristic - captures everything my car-hire wasn't. Slightly jealous, I swore that next time, I too, would cruise around in a convertible. For me, road-tripping is about the constant interplay between the moving (vehicle) and the fixed (landscape); with a touch of irony, this symbolic, American Dream car set against Communist propaganda succeeds in displaying this. " Photograph: Alice Anderson-Gough/guardian.co.uk

South Africa — Hayley Easton-Street: "This photo was taken on my first ever safari trip in South Africa. It was early morning when we drove out in our jeep on the first day and came across these giraffes. As I watched this scene I fell in love with Africa forever." Photograph: Hayley Easton-Street/guardian.co.uk

Bolivia — The winning shot by Sheonagh Ravensdale: "A spot of bother on the main road between Uyuni and Oruro in Bolivia. A challenging ten hour ride that included 20km on this soft sandy road and several river crossings. But we made it - two women in our fifties on a 15,000 mile ride through South America."

Caroline Hunter, deputy picture editor of Guardian weekend magazine, said: "I chose this as the winning image as to me it perfectly expresses a certain moment in time, which is what good photography is all about. It's a candid behind-the-scenes reportage shot that reveals the realism and vulnerability involved in making a road trip when there is only oneself and the challenge of an open road ahead of you, until you reach that picture-perfect location that enticed you to make the trip in the first place." Photograph: Sheonagh Ravensdale/guardian.co.uk

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