The Best Drone Videos of Southern Asia

Following a series of suicide bombings in early 2019, the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka imposed a total ban on drones out of concern that UAV's could potentially be weaponized by terrorists. Contributor DigitalTravelCouple visited the country before the ban went into effect, and created this stunning video using a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone. The video features footage of some of the top sights of this tropical paradise, including the Nine Arches Bridge, Diyaluma Falls, the Indian Ocean coastline, and more. This video was a DVOW winner in December 2019.  

Top contributor hamza_mujtaba created this stunning tour of Bangladesh.  The video features a mix of aerial and ground camera footage of the following locations: (1) the capital city Dhaka, including footage of the annual Shakrain festival; (2) the city of Narayanganj in the central part of the country; (3) Comilla, a city near the eatern border; (4) Baluchor, an island on the Meghna River; (5) Chittagong, the country's #2 city; (6) Cox's Bazar, a beach area south of Chittagong; and (7) the hill district of Rangamati.

Jodhpur is an important city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, lying close to the western Indian border with Pakistan.  Surrounded by the Thar Desert, Jodhpur is perhaps best known for Mehrangarh, a giant 15th century fortress which overlooks the city.  In this video, NGrey captures a woman practicing yoga against the distinctive blue buildings of the skyline of Jodhpur including its hilltop fortress.  Jodhpur appeared in the 2012 Batman superhero film (and box-office blockbuster) The Dark Knight Rises.

The Hunza River runs through the Himalayan Mountains in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Northern Pakistan, near the borders with Afghanistan and China.  In autumn the trees throughout the Hunza valley turn to fire as their leaves turn gold, red orange and bronze, contrasting sharply with the barren mountains.  Contributor Abdul Hanan gives us a spectacular aerial view of this area with this amazing drone video.  Prepare to be amazed by the aerial views of some of the world's most spectacular scenery.

Contributor scientik brings us this awesome drone video of Pakistan's K2 mountain.  The country's highest mountain and one its most recognized sites, the Himalayan peak is the world's second highest mountain after Mt. Everest.  With summit elevation of about 8.6k meters (just over 28k ft.) above sea level, the part of the mountain actually sits in China's remote Xinjiang region.  It's a famously dangerous mountain to climb; the ratio of deaths to successful climbs is about 1:4, the highest of any major peak.   

With no roads to speak of in the higher elevation areas, truly experiencing the Himalaya Mountains generally involves a multi-day trek.  In this fantastic video, top contributor jeon.donghee used drone and ground camera footage along on one of the most challenging of these treks: the Three Passes Trek in Nepal.  The 16 day hike covers 160 km (around 100 mi.) and crosses the Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La mountain passes; as you'll see in the video, the trek affords clear views of Mt. Everest.  

From boating to surfing, to waterfalls of the rainforest, and to golden horizons, the naturally diverse landscape of Sri Lanka is a drone pilot’s paradise. There is nothing like a birds eye view of the endless coast lines and rich culture of this Indian Ocean island, so close to the Indian mainland and yet so different.  Top contributor and drone pilot Joe Images, who was a finalist for the 2017 AirVuz Drone Video Awards, put together this epic highlight reel of his drone footage of Sri Lanka. 

Thimphu is the principal city of the Himlayan Kingdom of Bhutan.  The city is situated in the Himalayan foothills at an altitude of 2.2k meters (7.4k ft) above sea level.  The city, and the country of Bhutan, are remote enough that Thimphu does not have its own airport.  AirVuz contributor and pilot Enrico Pescantini used a drone to create this amazing aerial video of the city's giant Buddha statue.  Only completed in 2015, it's already one of the most recognized sites in this ancient and distant city.  

Tamil Nadu is the southernmost Indian state, occupying the eastern side of the southern tip of India.  While home to some large cities (its capital Chennai being the sixth largest city in the country and the center of the fourth-largest metropolitan area), it is mostly a rural state, characterized by mountains and dense jungle areas.  Contributor Prtzy used a drone to create this marvelous aerial tour of the great state in the south of India, which was formerly known in British colonial times as the state of Madras.   

This drone video by contributor and pilot Kishor Neel will give you a good feel for the great Southern Asian country of Bangladesh.  Although not nearly as large in area as India or Pakistan, the country still covers an impressive 147k square km (about 57k square mi.).  The video features footage of some of the highlands areas in the north of the country, the many rivers which run through it, as well as a brief look at the capital city of Dhaka.  The last is now the center of a metropolitan population of over 20 million, one of the largest in the world.

Contributor Drrazaali used a DJI Mavic 2 drone to create this stunning aerial video of Hiran Minar, a Mughal era complex in Pakistan's Punjab Province.  The structure is situated near the city of Sheikhupura, one of the largest cities in this important northern province which lies a short distance from the state capital of Lahore.  Hiran Minar was built on the site of an older game preserve by the 17th century Mughal Emperor Jahangir.  The Mughal Empire was the most powerful on the Indian subcontinent for over two centuries.

Srabon_07 created this magnificent aerial tour of his native Bangladesh, about half of which is devoted to the great capital city of Dhaka.  This one-time Mughal Empire capital city, whcih sits on one of the country's many rivers in the great Ganges Delta.  The video provides amazing bird's eye views of this giant metropolis, now one of the half-dozen largest cities in the world.  Highlights include amazing shots of the boat traffic on the Buriganga River, the graceful Pink Palace, and more.

Contributor A Kid with a Gun used a drone to create this stunning aerial view of Somapura Mahavihara, the great Buddhist monastery in the South Asian nation of Bangladesh.  Located in the northwestern part of the country, near the Indian border, it played an important role in the eastward spread of Buddhism from India.  The 1,200 year old structure is considered on of the most important cultural sites on the Indian Subcontinent, and is one of just three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Bangladesh as of 2018.

Check out this magnificent drone video of Nepal, compliments of Fit Lam Studios.  The video incorporates both drone and ground camera footage to create a stunning visual overview of this ancient land.  The video features extensive shots of the mountainous rural areas of the country as well as some of its larger cities - with a population of almost 30 million, Nepal has substantial urban areas.  Some of these are very old cities, and are full of cultural treasures such as ancient buddhist temples and monasteries.  

Shot with his DJI Mavic 2 Pro, top content creator and pilot Hamza Mujtaba takes us on a magical journey through the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka. This Drone Video of the Week Nominee features the port city of Trincomalee; the small towns of Ella, Buttala, Hatton and Demodara; Yala National Park and Kumbuk River; Nuwara Eliya, the city nestled in the hills of tea country; the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya; the famous railway line Nine Arches Bridge; and the holy mountain Adam's Peak.