When Rachel Décoste traveled to West Africa’s Republic of Benin in 2018, she was anticipating a life-changing trip. Then she jumped on the back of Benin local Honoré Orogbo's motorbike and the trip changed her life in more ways than she ever co

“After that night we were instantly like best friends.”

Mar 10th, 2025 20m 52s

Adopted from South Korea to the US as a baby, Linsay DeBates returned to her birth country for the first time in 2000, aged 19. By chance, she met fellow American Doug Gist during the trip and a friendship began that continues 25 years later.

“I found the guy I'm going to marry on a trail.”

Mar 3rd, 2025 19m 6s

Trish Salazar and Aaron Toro connected instantly while trekking in Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park. Within days, they were committed to a long-distance relationship and planning a future together. Then life took another unexpected turn.Read

"We went out skinny-dipping that night."

Feb 24th, 2025 20m 15s

Canadian student Bianca Gignac only had a few days left in Italy when she crossed paths with Italian local Alessandro Morelli in the beautiful Cinque Terre region. Here's what happened when she decided to stay longer.Read Bianca & Alessandro'

" We started flirting in Mongolia. We kissed in Siberia, somewhere on the train."

Feb 17th, 2025 16m 41s

Frenchwoman Marie-Claire Martineau and American traveler Elaine Comerford were thrown together by fate on board the Trans-Siberian Railway in the summer of 1991. Here's how that serendipitous railway journey turned into a decades-spanning roman

“Just a brief second can change things in a wonderful way in life."

Feb 10th, 2025 16m 55s

Italian traveler Cristina Farina arrived in London in the summer of 1984, only to be stood up by a man she met on an airplane. But then Cristina started chatting with American stranger Matt Reineke in London’s Trafalgar Square, changing the cou

Trailer

Introducing Chance Encounters - Trailer 2

Feb 7th, 2025 1m

The unexpected connections you make while traveling can change your life: from romance that sparks at 30,000 feet to unlikely friendships that begin on the road. Chance Encounters - the hit column on CNN.com from Francesca Street - chronicling