Travel

Travel videos have the power to move you. Sometimes they move you emotionally. Other times you end up so inspired to visit the subject destination, they actually end up moving you physically, too. It s a wonderful thing, inspiration.

And 2014 was a brilliant year for visual inspiration. Here, we ve rounded up the biggest, the most beautiful, the most inspirational and the most moving videos we ve seen over the past 12 months. It s not comprehensive by any means, but we reckon it s a pretty solid list.

Koh Yao Noi, Philip Bloom

Koh Yao Noi from filmmaker Philip Bloom focuses on one of Thailand s least developed islands. Filmed with a Phantom 2 camera (a type of heli-cam) and a GoPro, the Bloom captures some of the most stunning footage of Thailand we ve ever seen. You can find out more about the filming process over on his official blog .

Cuba: The Island Lost in Time, Max Griffin

This one tugs on the heartstrings. Max Griffin was actually travelling on a Geckos trip when he shot the footage for this film and he emailed us a link to it upon his return. We were blown away by how well Max managed to capture the smiles, the streets and the struggles of Cuba in such a short space of time. Easily one of our favourite videos of the year. Thanks Max!

Venture Out, Adventure.com

Inspiring footage? Check. Thought-provoking voiceover? Check. Adventure.com s latest visual statement is as bold as it is beautiful, with the voice of English philosopher Alan Watts (reciting an excerpt from his The Nature of Conciousness essay) helping it stand out from the swathes of other videos released this year. You ll remember this one long after it s finished playing.

The Watchtower of Turkey, Leonardo Dalessandri

This one may just be the most successful travel clip of 2014 and boasting incredible cinematography and breathtaking editing, it s not hard to see why. Director Leonardo Dalessandri not only captured Turkey in three and a half minutes he captured the imaginations of countless millions of viewers. Unbelievable.

Danny Macaskill: The Ridge, Cut Media