Olga Lydia: A diving lover

Starting out as a model, presenter

Olga Lydia shot to fame after hosting a politically charged television show.

The entertainment industry is not her only passion as the 34-year-old also owns a restaurant in Kemang, South Jakarta, and is busy campaigning to promote Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara as a tourist destination and conservation area.

“If I only have a little free time, I usually do not do anything that requires much energy. I will just sleep or watch television. However, if I have more time, I like reading books and going to the cinema.

My reading preference is novels. I recently read Ayu Utami’s latest novel, Manjali dan Cakrabirawa. When I go to the cinema, I enjoy various movies. I just watched the sequel of Kung Fu Panda. Believe it or not, I have already watched the film three times! The first Kung Fu Panda was good and the second was even better. They are real family films that contain family values. They also carry deep meaning, which can be enjoyed by adults.

I also watch Indonesia’s latest movies such as Hanung Bramantyo’s Tendangan Dari Langit [Kick from the Sky] and Rudi Soedjarwo’s Lima Elang [Five Eagles]. The films are cool.

I never have a long holiday, like two weeks off, so I usually try to make use of the time when I have a job in other cities or abroad. When the opportunity comes, I will arrive earlier to the city and extend my visit for some days. I love diving, so usually I will look for a chance to go diving after finishing my work.

Recently, I went to Sydney to promote the Komodo National Park with the Culture and Tourism Ministry. I did not go diving after work because the weather in Sydney was too cold. The best diving sites in Australia are in the Great Barrier Reef, which is located off the coast of Queensland in the North East. It is way too far from Sydney though.

Diving in Indonesia is a five-star experience. I like to go diving in the Komodo National Park. I have visited Komodo Islands around eight or nine times on various occasions, such as for a shoot for a television commercial and an opening of a library.

The temperature on Komodo Islands from June to August will be very cold, around 17 degrees Celsius. At that time, Komodo dragons move from one island to another, so there is a chance that you may swim with them.

There is a well-known diving site there called Crystal Rock, where you can see big fish like parrot fish, small pink crabs and many others. In another diving spot, Karang Makassar, you can get up close with big Manta Rays and swim with them. Beside diving, I also visited Kalong Island, or Bats Island, where you can see thousands of bats at 5 p.m.

Every diving site in the country has unique characteristics and ambiances, so it’s hard to tell which one is the best. Derawan Islands in East Kalimantan, for example, have a very beautiful jelly fish lake.

But the one thing that makes me concerned about the diving sites here is pollution in the water. All places should pay attention to this matter by not dumping trash into the sea.  

— As told to Indah Setiawati