Last year, we asked you to submit the best shots taken on your travels over the preceding 12 months

With more than 135 brilliant entries, featuring diverse destinations around the world, picking the top shot was decidedly tricky.

But after a fair bit of head-scratching we managed to choose a winner – Ben Smith, who sent in this spectacular photo of “Milford Sound on the South Island in New Zealand”.

Ben wins a copy of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009, the definitive guide to the best places to visit and things to do over the forthcoming 365 days, combined with superb travel photography and special guides to topical subjects. This year's Best in Travel features 850 trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the year ahead. Find out more on the Lonely Planet website.

Check out some of the other amazing pictures submitted, and if you think you could do better, find out how your travel photos could feature in our galleries.