‘Peculiar’ author seeks the obscure

Filmmaker andNewYork Times bestselling author Ransom Riggs is best known for his “Miss Peregrine” books for young adults (“Miss Peregrine’sHome for Peculiar Children” and “HollowCity: The SecondNovel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children”).

An avid traveler, Riggs, 35, says his ideal vacation is to “somewhere I’ve never been before, and preferably, someplace I can’t pronounce. Madagascar has been onmy list for a long, long time. While I can pronounce the name of the country, just give its capital city, Antananarivo, a try.”

Fansmay followRiggs onTwitter at https://twitter.com/ransomriggs. (This is an edited transcript.)

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination? A: Iceland in the summer. Q: To someonewhowas going there for the first time, whatwould you recommendthat they do during their visit?

A: Rent a car and drive. It’s like driving on the moon. Specifically, drive to a national park in the north of Iceland called Jokulsargljufur, whichwas formed after a subterranean volcano exploded beneath a glacier and caused massive, sudden flooding, carving out a beautiful, river-crossed canyon where, today, one of Iceland’s rarest resources grows: trees. Youwon’t find many of them anywhere else in the country. TheVikings cut them downfor firewood, but there’s a whole forest of ash and birch trees here, and they’re startlingly beautiful.

Q: What untapped destination should people knowabout?

A: Vanuatu is one ofmy favorite countries in theworld. It’s a South Pacific archipelago, and its many islands are blessed with beautiful reefs, friendly people and fascinating culture. For instance, the people of Pentecost Island invented bungee jumping long ago, by building giant land towers, tying stretchy vines around the ankles of young initiates and shoving them off. I can’t wait to go back and discover more.

Q: Whatwas the first trip you took as a child?

A: The first one I rememberwas a visit