My name is Nick Kembel and I’ve got a confession: I’ve been obsessed with Taiwan for 15 years!
After completing a BA in Cultural Anthropology and backpacking to over 50 countries, I came to Taiwan in 2008 as an English teacher. My plan was to stay for a year then move somewhere else. At the end of that year, I met my now wife on the Taipei MRT, and I just never left!
Over the years I transitioned from teaching to editing work for local publishers to travel writing, my true passion. I regularly contributed to local magazines such as Travel in Taiwan, Centered on Taipei, and Discover Taipei, as well as major networks like CNN and National Geographic.
Finally, I decided to focus solely on my personal websites, including my main travel site nickkembel.com and now this dedicated Taiwan travel blog, Taiwan Obsessed.
I’ve written two books about Taiwan: Taiwan in the Eyes of a Foreigner (2011) and Nick’s Taiwan Travel Guide (2025). I’ve also done presentations for Taiwan tourism and guest hosted a CNN documentary about Taipei.
My goal is to make this website the best resource available about traveling in Taiwan and Taiwanese culture. Besides working on this site, I also spend a lot of time answering questions from my readers in my Taiwan Travel Planning group on Facebook.
Some photos of me in Taiwan:
