Atlas Obscura

Text: Toby Marlow


This week for You & Your Blog we spoke to Dylan Thurlas and Joshua Foer about their travel site Atlas Obscura which covers “the strange out-of-the-way places that get left out of traditional travel guidebooks and are ignored by the average tourist”.

What do you hope people will get out of Atlas Obsura?

We want people to have the travel resource we always wanted to have. For us, the Atlas Obscura is not just about collecting oddities. It’s about creating a lens through which to see the world. In an age where people think everything has been explored and there is nothing new to be found, we want to remind people just how wondrous and amazing the world really is!

As a wiki site have you ever had to reject any articles you felt were too inappropriate?

Nothing so far has been too inappropriate. If it is wondrous, curious, or esoteric, we will accept it, provided the place is real and its story checks out. If we reject something it’s usually because the history and interesting background isn’t really there, or it is just too commonplace. But people seem to really get it. More than 90% of what gets submitted is right on and makes it in.

What has been your favorite article so far?

Well, we have a new favorite everyday, but right now my mind was just blown by these incredible root bridges in India grown over a period of 10 to 15 years. They are literally living bridges, and look like something out of Lord Of The Rings. We are regularly astounded by the quality and time that people have put into their entries. It is such a thrill to read about a new, wondrous place. The Atlas wouldn’t be possible without the work of everyone that has added to it.

Visit Atlas Obscura