I have the travel bug and am itching to get on a plane and fly far, far away to a place with no WiFi or laptops and lots of tropical drinks and sand. As I spend my Friday nights scouring the Internet watching videos of other people’s adventures with my 37 cats and pink bunny slippers, I keep finding these gems that are absolutely stunning. (Okay, so I have no cats and it’s too hot for bunny slippers, but it is Friday, and my life is just not that exciting).

Anyhow, the following two videos were taken in two very different countries halfway around the world from each other – Iceland and China. Both are breathtaking and both utilize drones for some or all of the footage.

[REWIND: THINGS TO CONSIDER IF YOU’RE THINKING OF GETTING A UAV [DRONE]]

Rising China

Rising China was shot using the DJI Phantom 3 and Sony A7s. Andrew Breese of District 7 Media traveled 10,000 miles to the city of Lanzhou and for 20 days, filmed the city from above – from the remotest villages to the highest mountains, through ancient temples and historical sites. Though it rained more than half of the time they were there, Andrew and his travel companion were able to capture some magnificent footage of a city that rarely draws visitors.

Other Gear Used:

Canon – Cinema Prime Lenses 
Sony – A7s
Adobe – Premiere Pro CC15, After Effect CC15 
Manfrotto 
Kessler – Second Shooter and Cineslider
DJI – Phantom 3 

Powerful Iceland

In a very different part of the world, photographer Garder Olafs spent the last few months capturing footage around and above Iceland. Breathtaking fog rolls off of a mountain as the video begins and takes you on a journey through jaw-dropping waterfalls, colorful lavender fields, passing churches and lighthouses along the way. Garder used the DJI Phantom 3, Canon 6D, Sony A7s and GoPro Hero 4 Black and edited all the footage in Final Cut Pro X.

Both videos are beautiful, and both are places I’d love to visit. Which was your favorite?

[Via Rising China from Drew Geraci (District 7 Media)/Powerful Iceland from Garðar Ólafsson]