How to Make Friends in Goa Without Trying Too Hard

Goa is full of people and somehow still easy to feel alone in, especially in your first few months. The beaches are gorgeous, but a sunset is a hard place to start a friendship from scratch.

The trick most settled folks will tell you: stop trying to network and start sharing meals. Conversation flows differently when there is food on the table and nobody is checking the time.

Say yes to the small gatherings, not just the big parties. A table of six strangers over fish curry will get you further than a hundred-person rave. Bring a story from home, ask people how they ended up here, and offer to help with the dishes.

That is the whole idea behind Grubshup. Pull up a chair at a local's table, and by dessert you will have numbers in your phone and a standing Sunday invite.