Gear Up and Play

27 November 2009 281 views One Comment Print This Post  Email This Post

Photo by Carlo Nikora (Flickr)

Having been on the road since January 2009, I’ve got to say I’ve pretty much seen and experienced a lot of it. Now I’m traveling with the girl I love and I couldn’t be happier. Whether you are looking for a few hookups, or something deeper, here are some tips that might get you what you want:

>>Atmosphere of the hostel
Having worked at a couple of hostels, this is perhaps one of the most crucial choices you will make. When looking through Hostelbookers or whichever site you use, pay close attention to two things – atmosphere and location. Here’s why: Atmosphere indicates the level of connection people felt when they were there – is it simply another chain hostel there trying to jam as many people in as possible, to make as much money as possible? Or was the profit motive balanced with good common areas where people found it easy to connect with each other?

And its not just about having a living room – its got to have an element where people can do things together without knowing each other yet, which will give them an opportunity to begin by engaging in small talk. Examples of this can be as simple as two Internet/computer terminals side by side, a pool table, a TV with a comfortable lounge etc etc. They all give opportunities for small talk and then it evolves from there.

Location of the hostel
The other really important tip, especially for hookups (:P) is, where is the hostel located is it in the middle of the city where people are likely to go off and explore and do their own thing for a couple of days, or is it in a pleasant but somewhat isolated area? The wildest hostel I’ve ever been to purported to be in the action, but in reality was 15 minute bus ride away. This meant that all the people that came to have fun, made fun with each other in the hostel itself.

When you have less distractions (ie Ancient Temples, Museums etc etc), you are more likely to stay in the hostel and make connections with the people who are around you. This builds a stronger group, when there is ‘us in here’ not so connected with ‘them out there’.

Go where you know people of your own culture are staying

I know this is going to get a lot of frowns from real backpackers who know the entire point of traveling is to experience different cultures, but the fact is, even tho people want to experience something different, they are still more comfortable with the familiar.

No matter how progressive and open minded you consider yourself to be, you are far more likely to hook up with someone of your own culture (generally speaking) or Enneagram type than with someone who speaks a foreign (especially if English is not your first language) simply because it is human nature to be more trusting of a person if there is a familiarity to them.
Being fluent in the same language also means you are better able to communicate with them – and if you are looking for love and not just sex, then this can be important.

This is not to say it applies all the time. Just most of the time, to most people.

Obviously, drink booze
This is an obvious but really important one – don’t get completely off your face where you regret what you did last night, but a little booze can really oil the wheels of communication and fun Drink at the hostel rather than going out – its not only cheaper, but having a comfortable bed is a lot more likely going to allow a girl to say yes than if the best you can offer her is the romance of a McDonald’s toilet, or the seedy back alley of a nightclub

Whether you’re male or female always carry some condoms. There’s no worse way to ruin a good holiday than to come home with a permanent sexually transmitted disease. Holidays are temporary, diseases can be permanent. Also, its a fact that a lot of girls say no to sex without protection.

Top places to have a good shag in a hostel
Places which tend to be deserted in the middle of the night include the kitchen, the roof, laundry room, or, you could be boring and get away from prying eyes by hiring a private room. I have a friend who became such good friends with the hostel owner, that the owner let him borrow a private room free of charge for a few hours every so often for his shag marathons.

Lewis is an Aussie who has been backpacking and living overseas continuously since January 2009. He presently writes for Gear Up and Play, but also has a Lonely Planet feautured travel blog which focuses on tips for backpacking on the cheaphttp://backpackingonthecheap.blogspot.com

Related posts:

1. Backpacking on the cheap: The real way to get Cheap Flights
2. The 5 things you must know NOW before travelling

Author: lewis2009 lewis2009 has wrote 4 articles for us. Last 3 posts by lewis2009 The 5 things you must know NOW before travelling - January 31st, 2010 Top 10 unique tips for a cheap holiday or backpacking experience - November 7th, 2009 Backpacking on the cheap: The real way to get Cheap Flights - October 22nd, 2009