The Best of Southeast Asia by Drone

For a first upload to AirVuz, rpj321 brings us this beautiful highlight reel of a trip through several countries in Southeast Asia.  Featured locations include (1) the fabled beach district of El Nido, on the northern end of Palawan Island in the Philippines; the town of Vang Vieng on the Nam Song River in south-central Laos, known for its caves as well as its striking surrounding limestone mountains; Hà Giang Province, one of the northernmost provinces of Vietnam, which borders China's Yunnan Province.  

In this striking compilation from timmolini, you'll be treated to aerail views of about 20 sites throughout Southeast Asia.  Some of the locations featured include Cát Bà, Hà Giang, Hoi An, Dai Lat, Huế, and Dan Nang in Vietnam; Yangôn, Inle Lake, Mandalay, and Bagan in Myanmar; Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia; Huay Xai, Kuang Si Falls, and Vang Vien in Laos; and Bangkok, Pai, Doi Inthanon and Lampang in Thailand.  If you want to know exactly what you are seeing, check his description for the exact sequence.  

Explore some of the most beautiful scenery in Southeast Asia in this drone video by AirVuz contributor giftforsenses, which was picked as a Finalist for the Drone Video of the Week.  The video features footage from the following locations in Vietnam and Thailand:  the Thai capital city of Bangkok; Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand; Chiang Rai, Thailand's northernmost city; Hanoi, the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam; and Ninh Binh, a city on the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam.  

Hong Kong enjoys a special status within the People's Republic of China, to whose control the city was transferred in 1997.  Since March of 2019, Hong Kong has seen a series of protests aimed at a new law that facilitates extradition to the mainland.  In this remarkable drone video by top contributor Droneland, you'll get a bird's eye view of one of these large gathering as it was disbursed by security forces. This video won the Narrative/Documentary category at the 6th Annual New York City Drone Film Festival.

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor hoancv@gmail.com brings us this DVOW nominated aerial film of Vietnam.  The video features footage from the following locations in this Southeast Asian country: the great capital city of Hanoi, located on the Red River Delta in the northern part of the country; the city of Da Nang, which lies about midway down the country's coastline; the central Vietnamese trading port city of Hoi An; the southern port city of Nha Trang; and the country's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City.

Top AirVuz contributor DiamondSky has multiple Drone Video of the Week nominations to go with well over 100k followers on Instagram.   All good reasons to check out this fantastic drone video from Indonesia.  Shot over the southern provinces of Bali and West Nusa Tenggara,  Some of the highlights include the cove-like Broken Beach on the Bali "satellite" island of Nusa Penida, the volcanic Mt. Rinjani on the island of Lombok, the rice terraces of interior Bali, Bali's volcanic Mt. Agung, and more.  

Southeast Asia is home to tens of thousands of islands.  In this excellent piece by top AirVuz contributor  victorintheworld, you'll get aerial views of some of the most famous of the region's islands, including Coron Island, just north of the larger island of Palawan in the western Philippines; the southern Indonesian island province of Bali, perhaps the most legendary Southeast Asian beach destination; the island city-state of Singapore, just off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula; and more.   

Check out this absolutely stunning aerial tour of Indonesia by top contributor and drone pilot backpackpassion, whose used a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone.  Ride along for some amazing bird's eye views of Java (the country's most populous island), Bali (the legendary tropical paradise to the east of Java), the "Nusa's" (a group of small satellite islands of Bali), and Lombok (an emerging rival to Bali, which lies immediately to its east in the West Nusa Tenggara province).  This film was a DVOW nominee in March, 2019.

With over 7,700 islands, it's not surprising that the Philippines has become such a magnet for drone pilots around the world  This three and a half minute video by contributor Bachir_Photo_Phactory shows off the best of the archipelgago from a bird's eye perspective.  Feast your eyes on tropical forests, crystal clear waters, Chocolate Hills, abundant waterfalls, and famous paraw sailing boats. It is easy to see why this video won both Drone Video of the Week and Drone Video of the Month. 

Traveling through Laos via motorcycle over a month’s span, pilot By_ewold was able to capture some remarkable footage of what makes the country so lovely. From Buddhist monks walking through the ancient temples, to aerial shots of the gushing waterfalls that surround the jungles, drone footage of farmland and historic structures, city shots, and so much more, the Southeast Asian country is shown off in a splendid way in this captivating aerial film. This video won DVOW in 2019.

Take an aerial tour of the great Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia in this excellent 4K piece by AirVuz contributor and drone pilot SKYRUN.  The video will give you a sense of Malaysia's tremendous diversity, including its teeming coastal cities, its stunning highlands and rainforests, and its emerging beach destinations.  Locations featured include the giant metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, the historical gem of Malacca, the palm-shaped Sepang Gold Coast Resort, the Kuala Terengganu Drawbridge, the Batu Caves, and more.  

Top contributor and drone pilot Jan Trnka Productions spent ten months doing aerial and ground filming of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia for over three years. He fell in love with Cambodia, the least well-known of the three countries. His drone reel of Cambodia will give you incredible views of this amazing Southeast Asian country and its people. His video takes you to farms, small fishing villages, and the bustling capital city Phnom Penh, as well as pictures of crushing poverty and environmental degradation.

Top content creator and pilot Fabio Knoll's masterpiece "Singapore" was nominated for the 2017 AirVuz Drone Video of the Year Awards in the Cities category.  This impressive video includes beautiful aerial views of the visually spectacular Gardens by the Bay, as well as the equally impressive Marina Bay Sands, both used as filming locations for the 2018 popular movie "Crazy Rich Asians."  The glow of these landmarks, mixed in among the imposing skyline is showcased here in this striking night footage.

Courtesy of this charming footage, we can all join top AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Mikezwijgers on his backpacking trip through Thailand. The combination of aerial and ground videography enables him to release the true cultural energy the country is known to offer. The video features footage from the length and breadth of this Southeast Asian country, formerly known as Siam. Watch it to get glimpses of Thailand's beautiful coastlines, Buddhist temples, dense jungles, and tropical islands.

In this drone video by content creator OneStopTrail, you will be treated to aerial views of some of the most well-known sights of the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam.  Some of the highlights include footage of the Tam Cốc-Bích Động scenic area near Ninh Binh (a UNESCO World Heritage site in the northern part of the country), an epic shot of the famous Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Chinese border, the skyscrapers of Ho Chi Minh City, the island of Cát Bà on the northeastern coast, and more. 

DVOW Finalist DigitalTravelCouple brings us this magnificent travel video from the ancient and mysterious Southeast Asian country of Myanmar.  The video opens with views of Inle Lake in the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar, the country's second-largest lake.  Then it's on to Bagan, the one-time capital of the Pagan Kingdom which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Other featured locations include the Mingun Pahtodawgyi and the Mya Thein Tan Pagoda near the city of Mingun, the southern city of Hpa An, and the U Bein Bridge in Mandalay.

Measured by the number of tall buildings, Hong Kong has the largest skyline in the world.  The city's skyscrapers are spread throughout the city - on Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, and along much of the shoreline of Victoria Harbor.  In this marvelous drone video by contributor Haussmanvisuals, you'll get a great aerial tour of the most vertical parts of the 430 square miles of the city.   This video was picked as a Finalist in the Cities category for the 2nd annual Drone Video Awards.

Harau Valley lies on the west coast of the massive Indonesian island of Sumatra (Sumatera) in Indonesia, between the important provincial cities of Pekanbaru and Bukittingg.  The valley is a magnificent area of canyons and rock formations with lush green forests and rice fields in between.  Contributor Riojaya's drone video of this amazing area of the world's sixth largest island (measured by land area) was selected as a Finalist for the AirVuz Drone Video of the Week Contest in August, 2018.

Yunnan is a province in southwestern China, in the area of Asia where the Himalayan region transitions to Southeast Asia.  It sits at the crossroads of several nations, cultures, and religions.  This video by top contributor Face du Monde, which was nominated for the 2017 Drone Video Awards in the "People" category, gives you an incredible tour of this mountainous region.  Using a combination of drone footage and ground footage, you will get an indelible impression of a magical land, which borders Tibet.

While many people associate the island nation of Taiwan with its capital Taipei, the country is actually quite large in terms of land area - it covers over 36k square km (14k square mi), only a small portion of which is part of metropolitan Tapei or the other Taiwanese cities.  In this video, top contributor and pilot NAVA used a DJI Phantom 4 Professional drone to give us an aerial tour of the island, including some relatively unknown yet spectacular spots far from the skyscrapers of Taipei.  

Aptly titled 'Above & Calm,' this remarkable drone video by AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Lasse Maltesen takes us on an aerial tour of serene, yet welcoming destinations in Southeastern Asia.  Scenes of both stunning resorts and gorgeous raw nature in Borneo, Bali, and Thailand show the multitude of places to find moments of sheer relaxation.  Watch for yourself and allow the remarkable views and soothing music provide your own temporary escape to this picturesque part of the world.

Ride along with top AirVuz contributor Mattcoq on this epic aerial tour of the central coast of Vietnam.  The first stop is Huế, the capital of the Đàng Trong kingdom which once ruled over much of Southeast Asia.  Here's you'll see the old Imperial City and the iconic Trang Tien Bridge.  Then it's on to the Cau Hai Lake and Lagoon in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province (part of the country's North Central Region), before ending up at Hoi An.  The last stop is one of the country's cultural treasures, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Top AirVuz contributor Moadh_Bukhash put together this marvelous 4k DVOW Finalist drone video from the storied province of Phuket in Southern Thailand. Consisting of one main island (Thailand's largest) and nearly three dozen smaller satellites, it's Thailand's smallest province but also one of its most well known.  Having recovered by the devastation suffered by its western coast on the Andaman Sea from the great Tsunami of 2004, Phuket remains one of the world's most sought-after beach destinations.  

See the Philippines and Vietnam by drone in this beautiful film by pilot and cinematographer Hofcut. He’ll use a combination of ground shots that feature people and foliage to give perspective, while filling the majority of the piece with aerial shots of the island nations. Consisting of over 7,600 islands, the Philippines are known for the cliffside, tropical jungles seen here. Vietnam, located along the South China Sea, is also known for its fabulous beaches like the ones in this video. 

Check out the sights and sounds of Indonesia in this excellent drone video compilation by AirVuz contributor and pilot coastal garage.  The video opens with shots of some of the coastal areas of this giant Southeast Asian archipelago, including the fabled island of Java.  From there you'll head into the interior of some of the country's 17,000 islands, many of which are volcanic in origin.  The video wraps up with shots of some rice terraces followed by an aerial view of a giant waterfall.  

If you are thinking about taking a trip to Southern Thailand, this outstanding travel video by top AirVuz contributor and DVOW finalist DigitalTravelCouple may well do the trick. The video opens with some epic shots of Phang Nga Bay, an inlet of the Strait of Malacca which separates the island of Phuket from the Thai mainland. Then you'll head north to  Ko Tao and Koh Phangan, two islands in the Chumphon Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand.  Other featured spots include the fabled island of Phuket and the beaches of Krabi Province.   

In this amazing aerial video by contributor Droneland, you'll get a tour-by-drone of China's great Pearl River Delta.  The estuary of China's third largest river is home to over a hundred million people and for decades has been one of the world's most important economic regions.  The area explored is that beyond (inland) from Hong Kong, which sits at the northern mouth of the river's mouth.  This is Guangzhou Province, whose largest cities (Guangzhou and Shenzen) are amongst the largest in the country.  

Prepare to be astounded by this magnificent first person view (FPV) drone video from Indonesia by award-winning contributor Timelab.pro.   The video opens with some jaw-dropping shots of the Mt. Bromo volcano complex in the province of East Java.  Starting at about the 1:00 mark, you'll soar over the famous Sekumpul Waterfall in the interior of the island of Bali.  Other highlights include a skimming run along the Bali coastline (2:08), a flyover of Bali's satellite island of Nusa Penida (3:30), and more.  

New contributor bugDreamer put together this epic reel of footage from across the expanse of Indonesia.  Locations featured include Mt. Bromo and the Ijen craters in East Java; Mt. Kelimuto on Flores in the East Nusa Tenggara province; tiny  Satonda, an island just off the north coast of Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara; the volcanic Banda Api island in the Banda Sea in Eastern Indonesia; North and South Komodo island, just off of Flores; Mt. Agung on Bali; Sangeang Api on Sumbawa; Halmahera Hera in the Maluku Islands; and more.

Award-winning content creator and drone pilot LukeMaximoBell blended aerial and ground camera footage to create this unforgettable video from the Southeast Asian island nation of Papua New Guinea.  PNG occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, the world's second-largest island, which it shares with Indonesia.  With long coastlines on the Solomon, Coral, and Bismarck Seas, the island is dominated by a chain of mountains and highlands which runs along its length and is home to some of the largest contiguous rainforest areas.  

Top contributor Jaxon_roberts, whose "Byron Bay" is the most-viewed video on AirVuz as of mid-2019, does it again with this stunner from Bali, Indonesia.  Using his trademark style of people-oriented videos filmed with a combination of drone and ground camera footage, he gives us a one-minute tour of this tropical paradise.  It's all here: beaches, rice terraces, bike trails, volcanoes, Balinese temples, stand-up paddleboarding, and more.  This video was a DVOW nominee in June, 2019.

Lying between the Sulu Sea and South China Sea, the Province of Palawan is an archipelago in the Philippines. It's believed that humans have lived in Palawan for more the 50,000 years and ancient relics have been found in the area that are approximately 5,000 years old. With so much history, it’s easy to see why people might want to travel there. After watching this drone video  by Laurent Paris, which was nominated for Drone Video of the Week, you'll be re-thinking your next vacation plans! 

Top contributor Inigui and his bride took a honeymoon trip to two of the most beautiful spots in Southeast Asia.  El Nido is an area in the northern part of Palawan Island, in the western Philippines.  It's considered one of the world's top beach destinations.  The second location is Sa Pa, Vietnam.  Situated in the Lào Cai Province in the northern part of the country, Sa Pa is a historical frontier township. The area is home to hundreds of petroglyphs dating back to the 15th century.

Check out this fantastic 2019 drone reel from Southeast Asia, compliments of AirVuz contributor FlyingAyam.  The reel features footage from the rather large country of Malaysia as well as the tiny nation of Brunei.  Malaysia is split between a mainland region on the Malay Peninsula as well as much of northern Borneo, one of the world's largest islands which is primarily part of Indonesia.  The oil-rich Brunei is Borneo's third country; it sits near the island's northern tip, otherwise surrounded by Malaysian territory.

China's Guangzhou Province has been the epicenter of the country's spectacular economic rise since the early 1990's.  Situated in the southeastern part of the country, it's now home to the most people of any Chinese province, and the population swells by tens of millions each year due to migrant employees. It is closely connected to Hong Kong, which it effectively surrounds, and which has served to connect China to the outside world.  Droneland gives us an amazing aerial look at this dynamic province.

The most recognizable site in Cambodia is the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat, in the Siem Riep province. Built in the early 12th century, the world’s largest religious monument was originally a Hindu temple before becoming tied to to the Buddhist religion 100 years later. Top content creator and pilot Fabio Knoll used a drone to create a visual masterpiece of this ancient temple, once the seat of the Khmer Empire which ruled much of Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 15th centuries AD.

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor jond brings us this excellent drone video from the two giant island nations of Southeast Asia: Indonesia and the Philippines.  The most populous island nation, Indonesia consists of over 17,000 individual islands spread out over a gigantic expanse of ocean; its east-west extent exceeds that of the continental United States.  The Philippines is a bit more compact, consisting of over 7,600 islands.  With a population of over 100 million, it's the second-most populous island nation. 

Myanmar, once known as Burma, is an enchanting Southeast Asian country full of beautiful beaches, scenic views of the Himalayas, tropical forests, and much more. This short film by top contributor Oliver Astrologo takes you on a mystical journey throughout the country.  Locations shown in the video include Amarapura, Ava & Sagaing, Bagan, Heho, Inle Lake & Indein, Kalaw, Kawthaung, MacLeod Island, Mandalay, Mergui Arcipelago, Mingun, Mount Popa, Pindaya Caves, and Yangon.

Top contributor hamzamuj created this magnificent 4k aerial tour of the Philippines which was a DVOW finalist in July 2019. The video features footage from the western region of Palawan as well as the island of Cebu in the Central Visayan Islands.  Specific locations featured include: Kawasan Falls on Cebu; Puerto Princesa, the capital of the Palawan province; El Nido, the famous beach area in the northern part of Palawan; and Osmeña Peak, one of the highest mountain peaks on Cebu and the most easily accessible.  

Check out this spectacular video of one of Indonesia's most famous volcanoes in a state of eruption, compliments of top AirVuz contributor and pilot diamondsky.  Mt. Bromo is the centerpiece of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java.  The mountain, which occupies an important place in Hindu culture, has a peak elevation of about 2.3k meters or around 9.1k ft. above sea level.  This video earned a nomination in the landscape category at the 6th Annual New York City Drone Film Festival.  

Top AirVuz contributor NI became a 2023 Drone Video of the Year Finalist brings us this fantastic drone video from the East Java region of Indonesia.  Filmed with a DJI Mini Pro 3 drone, the video will take you over this stunningly beautiful area, which covers roughly the eastern third of Java, lies at the opposite end of Indonesia's most populous island from Jakarta.  The video mixes shots of natural wonders such as the volcanic (and active) Mt. Bromo with urban views such as those of Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city.  

Top contributor haussmannvisuals brings us this stunning travel video from Indonesia.  The video primarily consists of FPV drone footage, with "establishing" shots from a DJI Mavic Pro 3.  Some of the locations featured in the video include the Krakatoa volcano in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra; the Tengger Caldera on Mt. Bromo in East Java; the Tumpak Sewu waterfall, also in East Java; the island of Padar, in the province of East Nusa Tenggara; Komodo National Park, just east of Padar; and more.