Have you ever been offered a beer by a local in a shebeen or been shown the sights of a city when you’ve been totally lost? Well most of us have been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of an act of kindness while travelling (mine was to be given shelter in a 12th century castle in Syria for the night).

GlobalGiving, the online charity marketplace, recently held a competition to find the most compelling act of kindness travel story. GlobalGiving offers travellers the ability to make a real difference to the communities in the developing world that have helped them during their travel experiences. Through making donations to individual projects in specific communities, GlobalGiving enables people to keep a connection with places in the world that hold important memories for them.

Here’s a selection of stories from some media celebraties: http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/kindness/

Do you have an act of kindness travel story?