Drone technology has come a long way in the past few years, allowing travellers to capture stunning destinations from unique and compelling angles.

And while equipment plays a big part in being able to get the shot, you have to have the skills to back it up. One such example is Spanish filmmaker Andres Aguilera Morillas, who recently shared a thrilling video captured by a racing drone plummeting down a jungle waterfall in Indonesia.

Madakaripura Waterfall in Java
Madakaripura Waterfall in Java is a mix of lush greenery, powerful water and bright skies © Stanley Chen Xi, landscape and architecture photographer

The clip shows a drone travelling at top speed down Madakaripura Waterfall in Java, Indonesia. The footage begins with the drone shooting up towards the top of the falls, before it flips around and heads down, skimming the water as it hurdles towards the ground. It then takes a sharp turn and whizzes by a valley in the cliff that is covered with greenery.

“I try to capture angles that a few years back were impossible and where other kind of drones can’t go. It was filmed during a holiday trip with my parents to Indonesia. I thought that it was worth trying to get as close as possible to the waterfall to get the best angle, even with the risk involved of losing the drone. And I touched it!” Andres told Lonely Planet.

Andres said that the reaction to the footage has been incredible, with the clip racking up 25 million views between YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and Twitter. The filmmaker’s following went from 2.5k followers to 41k in less than four weeks.

“When you see the first waterfalls, you feel like you are on another planet, it’s just so overwhelming. I used one battery there for a three-minute flight. I did a couple of test runs and then I fully sent the drone out. I did another similar one, but going under the two waterfalls instead of going up. That one was even riskier!” he said.

More of Andres’ work from other locations is available at his Instagram page.

Explore related stories

Photography

Inside Indonesia's rainbow village in Central Java

Jun 5, 2017 • 1 min read