A Different Kind of Paradise: Lombok Indonesia From Above
After two whirlwind weeks traversing Bali and the Gili Islands, I found myself unexpectedly transformed not by sea or jungle, but by sky. Bali’s beaches had felt congested, its charm weighed down by scooters and selfie-sticks. But crossing the channel to Lombok brought clarity — not just with the landscape, but within.
And nothing crystallized that clarity quite like taking to the skies with an ultralight flight from Selong Belanak.
The Freedom of Elevation
The moment the propeller buzzed to life and we lifted off, everything changed. The world below shrank into magnificence. As the ultralight aircraft climbed, Lombok unfolded beneath me like a forgotten masterpiece: layered rice paddies arranged like emerald origami, ribbons of coast unbroken by development, and volcanic ridgelines slicing the horizon.
I remember my hand clutching the edge of the seat as we banked slowly over Mawun Beach — heart thudding, cheeks wind-bitten, laughter spilling out involuntarily. Below, turquoise waves curled rhythmically onto sugar-white sands, utterly untouched. The din of traffic and touts melted away into the silence of the windstream.
That’s the magic of aerial views — they quiet the noise, both outside and in.
A Living Map Painted by Nature
Flying above Lombok forces you to reinterpret scale and detail. From the ground, Rinjani is a distant force; from the air, its majesty looms unmistakable. Its crater, etched like a cosmic fingerprint, hints at the island’s volcanic origin story. You see how villages nestle deliberately along valleys, how rivers carve their way toward the southern coast, how ancient traditions and pristine nature shape one another.
I vividly recall drifting over Sembalun, where the patchwork fields underwent a golden-hour metamorphosis. Amber light struck the fertile soil with precision, illuminating every contour. Through my camera lens, the patterns resembled an oil painting in motion — no two moments the same. For photographers, Lombok’s aerial palette is infinite: sulfuric blue calderas, ochre thatched fields, and coral ringed lagoons glowing through crystalline shallows.
Ultralight vs Paragliding in Lombok
Both ultralight flights and paragliding offer distinctly exhilarating ways to greet the sky, but the experiences diverge in tone and possibility. Paragliding in Lombok — often launched from the cliffs near Prabu or Are Guling — feels like dancing with the wind. Silent, intuitive, and superb for short coastal glides and intimate aerial swoops.
But when it comes to traversing distances, gaining altitude, and photographing a wide spectrum of topographies in a single flight — ultralights win hands down. On one outing, we traversed from the southern beaches to Mount Rinjani’s foothills in less than forty minutes. That’s something essentially impossible with paragliders.
And yet, even the best-laid airborne adventures may flirt with chaos. On my second day of flying, an unexpected squall rolled in just as we were concluding a westward pass beyond Awang Bay. Visibility dropped; my pulse surged. Our seasoned pilot calmly adjusted altitude and momentum, skillfully reading the skies like an old friend. Within minutes, we tucked beneath overcast layers and landed safe — adrenaline still crackling in my breathless laugh. A small mishap, perhaps, but also a timely reminder: the sky rewards respect.
Seeing the Familiar Anew
One of the most surreal aspects of aerial travel is how it redraws the world you thought you knew. That little beach café in Kuta suddenly becomes a pinprick between cliffs. The red-roofed fishing villages I’d passed by on foot become textural strokes in a grand coastal mural.
The notorious traffic of Bali never seemed further away. Up here, there were no horns, no erratic scooters. Just the hush that only air and awe can summon.
Unlike some corners of Southeast Asia oversaturated by mass tourism, Lombok still feels raw and real — especially when explored by air. There are no queues at cloud-level. No entrance fees to peer into the island’s soul. This is sustainable travel at its most profound; minimal footprint, maximal revelation.
Book Your Skyward Journey
It’s rare to find experiences that feel both thrilling and meditative — powerful yet gentle. Flying over Lombok delivered precisely that duality. Whether you’re a photographer, an adventurer, or simply a seeker of wonder, viewing Lombok Indonesia from above will calibrate your compass anew.
If you're ready to rise above the ordinary and witness the extraordinary, I cannot recommend FlyLombok.id enough. Their ultralight adventures capture the essence of what made me fall in love with this island — not from its shores, but from its skies.
Let your perspective shift, and let your spirit soar.