Traveling can be such an awe-inspiring, eye-opening adventure. If you’ve hung around the blog long enough, you know that our little family loves to travel and hopes to inspire others. However, it doesn’t come without its share of stressful and even downright dangerous times. Kevin Heath said, “Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference.” I’ve asked travel bloggers to share random acts of travel kindness that they’ve experienced from around the world. Inspired by own heartfelt story, these true travel tales will restore your faith in humanity. So grab a box of tissues, and read on for some uplifting and inspiring travel stories.
1. Stranger on a Plane
This occurred just after my daughter’s first birthday, in 2014. We were military dependents, slowly making our way back to the U.S. from our temporary home in South Korea. In a seriously misguided effort to save a few hundred dollars on our return flights, I booked a trip that took us from Seoul, South Korea, to San Francisco, California, across the States to Washington D.C. for no apparent reason, back to somewhere in Michigan, before finally landing in Chicago. (Seriously, never again).
Before the trip, I felt relatively confident I could handle it no problem. At the last minute, the military extended my husband’s orders. This meant he had to stay behind in South Korea, and I would be flying alone. However, my toddler was already a frequent flyer thanks to the military lifestyle. I thought I had it handled.
I didn’t realize that I would have to retrieve my baggage when we arrived in San Francisco. There was no way of knowing I would have to lug all of our bags, her stroller, carseat, and carry-ons, back through security by myself. Or that my daughter would be teething at the time and scream through most of the red-eye flight leaving Korea while weary passengers glared at me as I desperately tried to calm her by walking her up and down the aisles.
Tip: If you see someone traveling with young kids and you’re able to help, please offer. They may not accept, but will be grateful you did!
By the second leg of our journey, it had been over 48 hours since I’d slept. I could barely keep my eyes open. I mean, exhausted. Unfortunately, my daughter slept through our harried airport fiasco. On the next flight, she was a tiny energizer bunny.
If I wasn’t so tired, I could have cried the entire flight. Instead, I found myself next to a military officer, maybe a few years older than myself. The first kind stranger I encountered on my journey shared that he and his wife had been stationed in Italy. He told me about their own children, and how he imagined his wife might have gone through something similar when traveling home alone with their kids to visit family.
Then, he offered to watch my rambunctious one-year-old so that I could get some sleep. At first, I objected. I wasn’t trying to pawn my baby off on someone else. As tired as I was, this was on me. Fortunately, he persisted. I think he knew I was lying to myself, and I finally agreed. As I began to finally cave in and drift off, I watched my daughter happily play a game on his ipad next to me.
I’m sorry to say I don’t know his name or anything about it. I have never forgotten this incredible gesture. In the years since then, I’ve tried to pay it forward. Any times I’ve seen someone in an airport who seemed to be struggling, especially those with young kids, I’ve offered to help. So, to the stranger on the plane that day in 2014, I was too exhausted then to put it into words but I hope somehow you know, that I am eternally grateful. Those seemingly small random acts of travel kindness meant a world of difference.
2. Stranded in India
My random acts of travel kindness story takes place in India. Catching public transport in India can be a challenging adventure, as I learned on my journey from Delhi to Kanha National Park where I was hoping to spot some tigers in the wild. My train departed Delhi 3 hours late and from a different platform to the one printed on my ticket. But this was only the beginning.
The second leg of the journey was a bus ride from Jabalpur to Kanha. But this time, the bus wasn’t late, it wasn’t coming at all. According to the ticket seller, it was held up at a police station somewhere on route.
That same ticket seller convinced me to jump on the already departing bus to Mandla. They promised that there would be a bus to Kanha from there. By the time I arrived in Mandla, the sun had already set. This town I’ve never even heard of before was lost under the cover of darkness. When I enquired about a bus to Kanha, I was assured there was not going to be one. Not today at any rate.
Tip: If you see someone who looks lost and you know the area well, don’t be afraid to ask if they need directions or help getting to their destination.
I was too mentally exhausted to start looking for accommodation. Instead, I simply sat at the bus stop feeling sorry for myself. And then, after about an hour, a man came up to me. He announced that the bus was leaving for Kanha shortly. Hardly believing my luck, I climbed into the empty bus. It wasn’t until it took off that I realized I was going to be the only passenger. The conductor, who was the man that approached me at the bus stop, collected my 30-rupee fare. For the next four hours, we drove in silence through the night.
When we finally arrived at Katya village on the outskirts of Kanha National Park, I was so grateful to the two men (the driver and the conductor) who sacrificed their evening to drive me across the state, that I offered them a generous tip. Yet, the conductor politely refused. Instead, saying: “You are a guest in my country, so I look after you.” This bus ride was perhaps the kindest thing a stranger ever did for me. And symbolized India for me. It can drive you mad with its ways and then stun you with the beauty of its spirit.
– Margarita // The Wildlife Diaries
3. A Culture of Kindness in Thailand
When I first started travelling, I was horrified by the number or people I was seeing in my hostels having suffered from bike injuries. I made a vow to myself that throughout my six weeks travelling in South East Asia I would not, under any circumstances, rent a bike. No way, safety first.
Two weeks before my time in Thailand was due to end I was walking down the street on a particularly hot day in Chiang Mai. As I passed by a motorbike I accidentally stood too close and the exhaust pipe singed my leg. I stood crying at the side of the road. A Thai woman saw me and walked me to the local pharmacy.
Tip: When you can, buy local! It helps support the community and the families who live there.
Once there, the pharmacy staff started applying this white ointment to my leg and told me it would take the heat out. When I asked them what this mystery cream was called they replied with one word: “toothpaste.” To this day, I still don’t know whether it actually worked or whether the shock of what happened lessened the pain. Either way, it’s a pretty funny story to share. Not only did I experience this act of kindness while traveling, I’ve been left with this crescent moon shaped scar that’s actually begun to grow on me!
– Efia // Effy Talks Life
4. Heartwarming Hospitality in China
Tip: If you have any special skills, training, or knowledge, use it when you can to help others when possible, even while traveling!
I had to stay in the hospital overnight and was put on drips to hydrate. I remember falling asleep a few times, but whenever I woke up for whatever reason, Echo would still be sitting by my side. What really touched my heart is that she selflessly stayed with me long after her hotel shift had ended. She never asked, expected, or even accepted payment or a reward for it either.
5. Lost in the Dominican Republic
So, these random acts of travel kindness didn’t happen directly to me; it happened to my best friend, but it was at the start of a trip we were going on together and it has always served as a reminder that there are wonderful, kind people everywhere. I was living in the Dominican Republic (DR) for a summer for my PhD research, and I distinctly remember, before I left, becoming extremely anxious due to all of the warnings about the country. In general, there was a sense that the only safe places were in the resorts, and that women shouldn’t drive themselves anywhere, especially at night (all things that are ridiculously untrue, although the driving is kind of insane regardless of gender).
Anyway, I quickly learned that staying safe there was about the same as staying safe anywhere else. However, my anxiety returned when my best friend came to visit me. She was planning on grabbing a taxi and coming to my apartment from the airport. An hour after her flight had landed, there was still no word from her, and she wasn’t answering her phone. As time dragged on, I still had no idea where she was. I slowly started remembering all the bad things that people had said about the DR and I became increasingly afraid. But before I could start calling the police, my friend appeared at my door in the company of a Dominican woman.
Tip: Using common sense, offer assistance if you see someone or a vehicle on the side of the road!
Apparently, the taxi had dropped my friend off at the wrong house. She was stranded in the rain, and alone. She was in the middle of trying to figure out what to do, without cell service, when a woman came out of her house and asked my friend if she needed some help. With what Spanish she could remember, she explained what had happened. This dear woman took her to our apartment building and went with her to every door, looking for us. I’ve never seen someone take so much time out of their day to help a stranger like that before. I will never forget that sweet lady. Her sweet gesture proved yet again that there are supremely good-hearted people everywhere.
– Aireona // Nightborn Travel
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6. Unexpected Luck in Lebanon
When I started my year off to travel, I visited Jordan and Lebanon as the first stops. After Jordan we flew into Lebanon and using our trusty Lonely Planet, we were trying to figure out a way to get a bus, rather than a more expensive taxi, from the airport. It looked like no one at arrivals would let us join a bus, they all wanted to hire themselves out as drivers. Being very wary of overcharging (which had already happened in Jordan), we decided to head to the departures level and walk to a local bus instead.
Getting into the lift, that also served the car park, an airport employee joined us. After a very brief chat, where we shared our plan to walk out of the airport and find a local bus outside, he said he would drive us! We were very lucky. It just so happened that he had broken his wrist and got off work early for a doctor’s appointment to remove the cast. He was more than happy to drop us off in central Beirut. This welcome and unexpected help from a stranger certainly got our visit to Beirut and Lebanon off to a good start!
– Katie // What’s Katie Doing?
7. Sicilian Scene
In Taormina, Sicily we had a bit of a scrape with another car on a narrow street. The man in the other vehicle didn’t speak any English and our limited Italian was too poor to handle this situation. We were failing miserably at using a translation app when a lady on a scooter stopped to see if everything was alright.
She was on her way to an appointment, but stayed long enough to explained the law, translated for us, and made sure we knew where we were going. After her appointment she came back and found us to make sure that we were alright. These random acts of travel kindness transformed a bad situation into something manageable and I am extremely grateful.
– Patricia // Savvy Exploring
8. Italian Saviors in Spain
Once I read a quote online, that got stuck in my head: “Be kind. Always. People are fighting battles you have no idea about.” And this is so true. Last year, I went on a 5-day trip to Madrid after spending 3 days in Lisbon. Well, at least, I was supposed to be there for five days.
After some hours walking in the scorching weather, the next stop in my itinerary was the Almudena Cathedral. So I took this chance to rest for a while. I put my day pack next to me on the bench and was admiring the striking architecture of that place.
The problem was sneaky people were probably watching me. In the short period that I was concentrated on the itinerary in my hands, my backpack simply disappeared. Not a single soul walked or sat near me. For this reason, I even thought that I didn’t have a backpack at all because there was just no one in a 15 feet radius from me.
Silly (and very naive), I had all bank cards and money in that day pack, instead of leaving them in my accommodation. I know, huge mistake. This is mainly because when they took my day pack, they also took everything. I had to purchase water, food, and reach the airport in three days. Try to imagine how hopeless I was.
Tip: Pickpocketers and thieves can frequent areas heavily populated with tourists. Keep a sharp eye on your belongings, as well as watching out for others nearby!
On the way to my hostel, I called my husband and asked him to purchase a ticket for that day or the day after. My flight was then only on the next day at 12 pm. “Nice. What will I eat until tomorrow and how will I ever get to the airport?”, I thought. Luckily, I had left my passport in my room.
When I finally arrived at the hostel, two young Italians saw me and realized something wasn’t right, so they asked if I was ok. After I explained, sobbing (‘cause I couldn’t hold it back anymore), they invited me to eat with them as they were going to cook for themselves, and also gave me the money to go to the airport on the next day. My saviors. I couldn’t thank them enough. These small, random acts of travel kindness made me feel much better, physically and mentally.
– Bruna // Maps ‘N Bags
9. Generosity in Turkey
Have you experienced random acts of travel kindness of your own? Let us know in the comments below!
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hopelessromanchick says
Such amazing stories! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Christina says
I’m glad that you liked it! Hopefully it will bring happiness to others or inspire some to create their own random acts of kindness!
Sarah says
Such heartwarming stories! Will look for opportunities to spread kindness when I travel!
Christina says
That makes me so happy to hear that you are inspired to do so! Together we can make the world a better place! 🙂
Rachel says
It is really nice that people help out. I do try to offer help when I can. I like to believe not everyone is looking for a scam in an airport.
Christina says
That is so wonderful to hear, and I imagine that you might be making a bigger impact in others’ lives than you realize! Although there are scammers everywhere, I like to believe in the good of people as well.
Rhonda says
I love the tip of helping others with little ones. My husband and I were taking our son on the plane and we definitely needed help. A kind woman helped us carry our things onto the plane while I carried our litle one. Will never forget that kind act
Christina says
That is so kind! After my own story of being helped with our toddler on a plane by a stranger, my husband was inspired and helped a stranger carry her bags throughout the airport after he witnessed her struggling with three small children. I didn’t have the chance to meet her but I can imagine she was grateful for the gesture!
Cristina - Memories of the Pacific says
Amazing stories! I remember being in France with my parents when I was little. My shoes were hurting me and a girl noticed and offered me a plaster. It’s something I’ll never forget.
Christina says
That is so sweet! This reminded me that so often in my own life, a lot of the seemingly small random acts of kindness from others can leave such a lasting impact!
mammabearsays says
how sweet. I remember traveling by myself with an infant and strangers seriously saved my trip. It was so nice to see people willing to lend a helping hand.
Christina says
Yes! I have been out on my own and struggled enough with both kids so much that I really try to go out of my way to at least offer to help other mamas when I see them out and about. It really is true that it takes a village!
Natalija S says
Love this! So inspiring to read. I remember while living in Peru when I was robbed and had no access to money for food until my family was able to western union me some funds. A woman who lived next door to the small room I rented, offered to share her food with me. She had three small children, her husband was one of the disappeared from days of the shining path occupation, and she had next to nothing. She offered me the only food she had so I wouldn’t go to bed hungry. I too declined at first, but she insisted and wouldn’t let me go to bed on an empty stomach. Once I received my funds from western union, I made dinner and home made hot chocolate for all the kids on our floor of our flat to say thank you for such hospitality that was shared with me.
Christina says
Reading your story made me tear up. What a wonderful gesture for you to return the favor as well. There really are some amazing people in this world!
Bea Adventurous says
What wonderful stories! It’s lovely to read these stories of strangers helping one another. It definitely restores some faith in humanity!
Thank you for sharing!