‘It feels like I’ve only just started to enjoy taking holidays in the past couple of years. I went to Fiji on a diving trip this summer, and somehow it was just more fulfilling than the one I went on in the Caribbean 12 years ago. Maybe it’s just the stage of life I’m at. I met some people who invited me on this official dive in the Beqa Lagoon Resort. It’s in the middle of nowhere, and I had to take two planes, a bus and a boat to get there. It was worth the journey, though, as we did four dives a day, with one big shark dive as the highlight.

Two days before, every possible scenario was running through my mind. I might cut my finger on a piece of coral, the blood would seep out and the sharks would come and get me ... But once we were down in the water, it was cool. We started at 100ft, with the nurse sharks. We weren’t in cages or anything, but nurse sharks don’t have any teeth, so it’s not a big deal. Then we went up to 40ft – that’s where the tiger sharks hang out, and they’re 15ft long, and deadly.

They swam right by us, but they don’t really care about humans, unless the humans are wounded – they’re more interested in cleaning up the garbage and the crap at the bottom of the ocean. You cut one of them open and you’ll find everything from licence plates to kitchen sinks. We stayed down an extra-long time to see them properly. It was amazing. A shark dive is something I never thought I’d do, and it does make you face certain fears and anxieties. I came out of the water a different person.

I didn’t take my kids with me on that trip, but going on holiday with them really shows me the meaning of life: the point is to have some fun, not just to work all the time. Last year, I took my son on safari in South Africa. It was the greatest adventure I’ve ever been on. We went to Ulusaba, which is owned by Richard Branson.

Once we arrived, we were in acres of bushland, which felt like the animals’ territory completely. We’d get up at ... all right, nine (I was going to say six), go out in the 4WD and see some incredible stuff: a 10-week-old leopard in a tree with its mother; rhinos and elephants; giraffes and buffalo. We even heard a lion roaring when he was right next to us, which freaked my son out. The villagers of Justicia gave us an incredible show, with dancing, bonfires and traditional dress. It was a thrill for me to introduce my son to all that. He was just seven at the time.

I took my daughter to Cape Cod over the summer, where I used to go as a child. I still love it. My grandmother lived there and now my uncle lives in her old house. The buildings are all preserved beautifully and the area has kept its charm. I took my daughter to the same pond that I used to play in when I was five, and it’s identical to how it was then, which is weird, but great.

I’ve had some excellent holidays, but, funnily enough, the one I don’t have the fondest memories of is my honeymoon. We went to Kauai, in Hawaii, which is beautiful, but it was a confusing time because we had our child with us, and a nanny. A young child on your honeymoon is really not what you want, you know? You want to have some “alone” time. So that made it a little tricky. I might try it again at some point, but maybe do it differently.

I’ve been staying in London for four weeks now and I fall more in love with it every day. I love walking through St James’s Park and the theatre district and Leicester Square. It’s classy, elegant and traditional. The English are so polite, well mannered and respectful; I find it quite charming, something America could learn from.

I stopped off in Edinburgh before coming here. That train ride up there is lovely – the last 30-40 minutes before you pull in to Edinburgh station is phenomenal, because you’re cruising right along the coastline and passing castles and cathedrals. Edinburgh is beautiful, but I’ve only seen the city in festival form, which is buzzing and crazy. I’d like to go back when it’s more tranquil and there aren’t, like, banners everywhere with pictures of Ricky Gervais. No, he’s great, really ...’

— Christian Slater talked to Harriet Perry