OT: What does a vacation mean to you?
Penelope Cruz: Ah, it is life! It is learning, it is fun, it is living! I am a compulsive traveller and I find a way to put in a bit of vacation even in my work-related travel.

OT: Elaborate…
Penelope Cruz: Like, I will take off walking all by myself with a huge hat and some amount of disguise. I often wear a set of removable braces to make my face look less noticeable so I can go and check out a few touristy places and lots of lesser-known ones.

OT: What are the lesser-known places you like to go to?
Penelope Cruz: Karaoke is a non-negotiable part of my travel experience. I’ve gone to karaoke bars in almost every city I have been to. Every time I am on a movie location, we find a karaoke bar and take the crew.

OT: One holiday every woman should try at least once in her life?
Penelope Cruz: Scuba diving—with sharks. I’ve done it in the Caribbean and Brazil. I think they were lemon or reef sharks. It is such a sense of exhilaration. I want to do it again, with a great white shark, when I can gather enough courage to look one in the eyes. In any case, if I do it, it will be in a cage. I’m not crazy.

OT: What do you never leave home without?
Penelope Cruz: Trésor perfume. I got my first bottle on my 13th birthday from my parents. It’s been such an addiction since then. Now I always take a small bottle with me when I travel.

OT: What was your most memorable holiday like?
Penelope Cruz: When I was 22, I volunteered in Kolkata at one of Mother Teresa’s orphanages, meeting her several times. It changed the way I saw the world.

OT: What is your favourite destination?
Penelope Cruz: To be on the beach, in the sun, lying on the sand. So anywhere beachy is ideal for me.

OT: And what about places that you would like to visit?
Penelope Cruz: I would love to visit Patagonia, and then I would go to the Amazon, because I’ve never been there.