How I Travel: Natalie Dormer Grew Up Visiting the Beaches in Wales

Her go-to plane outfit:
Knowing that I’m most likely going to fall asleep, it tends to be a loose dress or a baggy top over leggings. And I have to say, I do compression socks. It’s a habit that I got into when I was training for the marathon, in order to look after my body and my circulation. I tend to always have a pair in my bag. Not so sexy, ladies and gentlemen, but very good for you! Very healthy!

Her priorities when planning a vacation:
These days, I need the [whole] package. I need somewhere that’s child-friendly. Food is very important; my partner is big on going to a good restaurant, whether it’s Michelin[-starred] or something else that is an eating experience. Even if we’re going for a relaxing week, or two weeks, I always aim for one cultural trip. We recently went to Spain, sort of halfway between Granada and Seville, and even though it was a relaxing family holiday, we knew we were going to go to the Alhambra for one day. If you go to the Amalfi coast, you make sure that you go to Pompeii. That one-day pop of culture is important for your brain. But yeah, these days it’s like, is it child-friendly? Will David like the food? Oh, and is there a spa for me?

The strangest place she’s been recognized as Natalie Dormer:
A sauna in Atlanta. We were shooting The Hunger Games in Atlanta, and you’re like, Oh, please don’t bring this up now, when I’m nearly naked. It was one of those situations in a sauna or a steam room when you don’t want to leave too soon because it looks rude, like you’re avoiding the person, so you try and wait out. I mean, it’s a whole social mess.

The place in the United Kingdom she thinks more international travelers should see:

The Gower Peninsula on the south coast of Wales. It’s 70 square miles of outstanding natural beauty. My grandparents are Welsh, and I remember being taken there a lot as a child. There’s some stunning beaches and it’s really big for surfers. If you’re a camper, the Gower is really beautiful. Wide, sweeping sandy beaches are a novelty in this country. Although you can’t guarantee the Welsh weather. You just go with an open mind.

The country she could travel to a million times and never tire of it:
The Maldives. I’ve scuba-dived there three or four times now, and I just keep returning to it. The flora and fauna under the water is amazing. I was on the Baa Atoll recently, looking at manta rays, and it was just incredible. And the Maldivians are so hospitable! They’re such a kind, generous nation. Great food, too.

The hotel amenity she cares a lot about:
The bath. Obviously you hope for a view. But a bath, like a decent-sized, nice, hot bath that I can sink into at the end of the day, when I’m away from home and I’m shooting, I need that. That’s the place where I decompress. I like a shower, but it’s not a bath.

A quick way to ruin her vacation day:
I hate it when you go to a hotel that’s got a really stunning pool, but it’s freezing cold. That annoys me. Like in Europe, in August or whatever, the sun is going to warm the pool, so they don’t need to heat it. They don’t need to worry about it. But if you’re there in May or you’re having a late holiday in October and the weather hasn’t been generous and the pool is freezing? I hate that. The thing I’m realizing is that there’s a theme here of hot water.

Where she wants to go next:
So many places! I’d love to go to Tibet. I’d love to go to the Galápagos. I’m desperate to dive in Thailand. When I got to Australia, I never made it to New Zealand. And then French Polynesia! I’m sorry. There’s kind of a list. It’s all of these places. So much to do! So much wonderful world to see!