Okay I used to be very intimated to make friends while traveling internationally...
...I would see videos of people at hostels or all traveling together and was like?? how?? Once I realized how many other solo travelers are there to also make friends it made sense.
You don’t need to be staying in the hostel to join in on the activities! If you would prefer to stay in a hotel or other nearby place, you can still go over to the hostel and put your name on the list for whatever activity or tour they may have going on.
Things to look for when booking a social hostel:
• gatherings/events
• family dinners (this is a big one!! this is how I made a great group of friends at my previous hostel)
• reviews!! the reviews will tell you a LOT
