The images in this Lonely Planet pictorial represent the work of photographers who have travelled to the most distant reaches of the globe in their quest to document the incredible diversity of our planet and its people. The theme that unites them is that of connection: the similarities we share in a world of different cultures, experiences and environments. The images in this collection depict universal expressions of human emotions shared in very different contexts.The multiplicity of landscapes featured here unveils a planet that is beyond our imaginings-sometimes extreme, alienating and fearsome, as in the freezing zones of wildest Antarctica, and at other times warm and verdant, as in the lush and colourful autumnal trees of New England. Within these vastly different landscapes, connections are still found in the relationships that exist between people, as well as animals, and the small part of the planet they inhabit and care for.Above all, Lonely Planet carries one simple message: "see it for yourself."