"Traveling has given me an empathetic heart and a connection to people's lives that I would never have gained otherwise," Nicole Kidman recently told the American magazine L’Officiel. "I don't think it's good to live only in your own little world." The Hollywood star is certainly far from doing that. Born in Honolulu in 1967, her Hawaiian name is Hokulani. Her father, a psychologist and biochemist, conducted research in Washington, D.C., before the family moved back to their homecountry Australia in 1970.

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Kidman’s mother, a nurse, and her father encouraged a worldly education from an early age: “I was raised to always strive to understand, learn, and see different perspectives. That’s probably why I travel so much. It helps me better understand how people view their country in relation to the rest of the world.”

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Her time in Morocco, while filming Werner Herzog's Queen of the Desert, left a lasting impression on her. “Everything was so magnificent and overwhelming: the desert sun, the camels, the souks, the tents we slept in. But above all, the hospitality of the people and the sense of community—something we have so little of in this technology-driven world.”

From Kashmir to the Himalayas

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Nicole Kidman’s passion for globetrotting started early—she first traveled to India at the age of 17 and has returned to the country many times since. “I’ve visited Goa and Rajasthan and filmed scenes for The Eighth Wonder in Udaipur.” However, she hopes to explore even more of India: “I’d like to see Kashmir, though I’m unsure how safe it is; also Kerala—and backpack through the Himalayas.” From the mountains to the desert: Africa is also far from crossed off for the 57-year-old. In fact, going on safari is at the very top of her bucket list.

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Kidman owes many of her unique adventures to her diverse films and roles. “I’ve hiked through Swedish forests in the middle of winter with Lars von Trier (Dogville, 2003), trekked through the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland in Viking gear under extreme conditions—freezing cold and mud everywhere (The Northman, 2022)—and ventured deep into the jungles of Thailand, where prisoners of war were held during World War II (The Railway Man, 2013). How else would I have experienced that?”

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As impressive as her experiences are, so is her career. Among the numerous accolades of the charming actress are an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, six Golden Globes, and two Emmy Awards. This year, she became the first Australian actress to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award. Beyond her work as an actress, Kidman has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 1994 and a UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador since 2006, with a strong focus on advocating for the rights of women and children.

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Kidman, who was married to Tom Cruise in the ’90s, now lives with her husband, country musician Keith Urban, and their two daughters in Sydney, Nashville, and New York—though she is rarely home. For this reason, she does her best to bring her daughters, Sunday Rose (16) and Faith Margaret (13), along whenever possible. They share her passion for travel: “My kids even claim they have more stamps in their passports than most people over eighty.” No surprise with a mother like hers.

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