It can be daunting moving to a new country and staying in a hostel with people you have never met before, but there are ways of avoiding that awkwardness and having the time of your life. Do not expect to just bond with these people straight away, this is very unlikely and it takes time to get to know people and find out who you can relate to and who has very different personalities and interests. Below are some great activities (both inside and outside the hostel) that will help you bond with your bunkmates and have fun at the same time.
Movie Night
You could have a movie night where you transform your hostel room into a cozy cinema- with duvets, blankets, snacks, popcorn, and drinks. While this does not allow you to get to know one another as you won’t be talking, it may be a good way to find things in common- such as movie genres, actors you are crushing on, or maybe impressive Disney knowledge! and maybe a less awkward and intense bonding activity- where you can enjoy each other’s company and share some laughs, tears or maybe even be hiding behind pillows with the other one of your bunkmates that also pretended they liked horror movies!
Pamper Night
Same sort of vibe as the last activity but this one definitely requires you to get more up close and personal and will most likely involve a lot more chatting! Everyone loves a pamper evening and I’m sure your skin will thank you for it- you can all lay with some relaxing music on with cucumber on your eyes, do each other’s facemasks, and maybe even some massages if you want to take your bonding to the extreme!
Board Games
Board games are a great one- you can all choose your favorite game and if someone doesn’t know how to play… even better! You can teach each other how to play and this is a great ice breaker and time to bond. Some games don’t even need a board or a pack of cards such as 21 questions where you can find out lots of facts about your bunkmates and maybe even find things you have in common.
Explore the local bars
Your bonding does not always have to happen within the hostel, let’s be honest… that’s probably not where you’re going to spend most of your time! You could go on a bar crawl to explore the cities nightlife and the places that do happy hour! You are likely to feel more comfortable after a few drinks, so this is a great way of avoiding that awkwardness and having a laugh and if you are the unlucky people that get hangovers, you can struggle through this together the next day and grab a McDonald’s breakfast!
Crazy golf
A fun and interactive activity that you could do together is crazy golf! And you don’t need to worry about your actual golf skills as everyone can have a go at crazy golf- if you’re not very good, no need to worry as it’s all about having fun! It actually makes it funnier if it takes you 7 goes to put your ball! A lot of crazy golf places have now chosen to incorporate a nightclub vibe, where there are neon lights and party music- so this will make it more exciting.
Sightseeing
It is possible that you and your bunkmates have come from all over the world and may not have visited the country you are currently staying in, therefore- I’m sure you’d all love to do a bit of sightseeing… and your parents would expect you to, right? So, immerse yourself in the cities culture in various ways. Going on a group guided tour is a great way of ensuring you visit all the landmarks and find out the history of the city. You can take silly selfies in front of all the famous buildings and make it a trip to remember.
Shopping
Now, this is one that probably won’t be popular with everyone, although if you’re a group of girlies then I can imagine you can’t wait to hit the shopping malls and spend until your heart’s content! This would be a really good day out if you all love shopping, as you can find out everyone’s preferred style, their favorite shops and maybe even find a coffee shop to give yourselves and your bank cards a break!
