How I Travel: Natalie Dormer Grew Up Visiting the Beaches in Wales
Given her packed professional schedule and busy home life with a toddler, maybe Natalie Dormer really does just want to chill out with a magazine when she’s alone. Or maybe she’s buttering up her interviewer. “I’m not just saying this: My treat to myself when I get on an airplane is a hard copy of Condé Nast Traveler. I swear to god!” says the actress, who made her name as Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones. “And invariably I read about two articles and I fall asleep.”
She’s forgiven for the weariness: This week, her psychological thriller The Wasp hits theaters, of which she is both star and co-producer, and later this year she stars in Audrey’s Children, a biopic about the pioneering pediatric oncologist Dr. Audrey Evans. Ahead, she chatted with Condé Nast Traveler about her most awkward encounter with a fan, why she makes time for the Alhambra, and the region of her native United Kingdom that more international travelers should see.
The coolest film locations she’s ever had:
I've been very lucky in my career. I've really worked in some outstanding places. Casanova, one of my first jobs, was shot entirely on location in Venice, which was pretty special. In The Forest, I found myself in Tokyo and below Mount Fuji. Croatia with Game of Thrones—I'm a lucky lady. But I think the real standout for me is Hanging Rock in the region of Victoria, Australia, when I shot Picnic at Hanging Rock. It is the most incredible, sculptural, and weirdly esoteric-feeling place, and it has a stunning view from the top. It's really a very powerful place, as the book suggests. Standing up on the top of Hanging Rock, looking out across the epic Australian landscape, playing a character that was about to jump off, is a standout moment in my memory.
Her favorite mode of transportation:
I like trains. I think most of us do. There's something very calming about a train journey, and watching the changing landscape in front of you. But you can't beat a plane. It’s magical getting into this little compartment, [letting] however many hours go past, and getting out and being somewhere else. I’m still very childlike in my excitement about the doors opening on a plane and stepping off into an unknown place.
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!
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
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