Hi, everyone! Starting from this week, I will share about my belated birthday solo trip to Kashmir, India. Okay, let’s start with the Amritsar day trip and my review of Welcomhotel Amritsar!
Actually, my birthday was in January, but I decided to go in April because I didn’t like the snow and cold.
I thought April would be good for Kashmir (and India in general) as it wouldn’t be too cold and the flowers may start to bloom.
Since there was no direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Srinagar, I decided to fly to Amritsar because I’d never been there, stayed for two days, then took a domestic flight to Srinagar.
Upon googling Amritsar, I found out that the city was rich in culture and history! ✨ ✨ ✨
There was a famous golden temple, and according to the day trip that I found, there was an interesting guard changing ceremony at the Wagah Border — a border of India and Pakistan 🤩 🤩 🤩
Wooow! I’ve heard disputes between the two countries, but that was exactly why I was very interested. In fact, I also knew that last year there was a terrorist shooting in Kashmir, but I still booked the tour 😛
Am I crazy or overly positive? I don’t know, haha… But the main drive of this trip was… believe it or not, an IG post.
One day, when I was on the train to my office, I saw a Travel + Leisure Instagram post about beautiful hotels with Himalayan views.
I was hooked by The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa’s swimming pool, which overlooked the Himalayas. At that time, I decided to see the Himalayas!
After that, I did some research about Kashmir and local tour companies for my 2026 birthday trip. Yup, I’d planned this trip since last year 😄 😄 😄
So, I prayed every day no more shooting, and thankfully, the trip went well and was safe. Btw, I told my mom that it was a group tour and told my dad that I went to Vietnam 😂 😂 😂
Like, a woman, solo trip to India? Girl, are you crazy???
Honestly, I always felt safe when I was in India. I even took a pre-paid airport taxi to my hotel when in Amritsar. Ah, back to Amritsar!
I really looked forward to it because I booked a very beautiful hotel near the airport, Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels Amritsar 😍 😍 😍
Since I arrived at night, I thought this hotel would be convenient so I could rest early.
Morning Photoshoot at Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels Amritsar
I chose to stay at Welcomhotel Amritsar because it was beautiful and I felt it was safe.
As a solo female traveller in India, I’d rather spend a bit more on accommodation and a tour company than save money but end up disappointed.
It was a big hotel chain, so I assumed the safety was guaranteed.
When I was checking in, the Amritsar day trip tour guide messaged me (finally). He said someone would pick me up from the hotel tomorrow and he would meet me halfway.
Yaaaay! I was happy because I didn’t have to go to the meeting point = more time for breakfast ❤️
Some people would be like… Girl, aren’t you suspicious? What if he kidnaps you?? 😨 😨 😨
Well, I booked this Amritsar day trip via Get Your Guide and the reviews were great, so I felt it would be safe. People who worry too much can stay at home 😄
The next day, I woke up early to do a photoshoot. Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels Amritsar had a beautiful interior design, so I wanted to capture it through photos.
I wore an extravagant Indian set that I bought in Little India, Kuala Lumpur many years ago but never had a chance to wear. Finally, the time had come for these clothes to shine!
Then, I roamed the hotel with my phone and tripod. This hotel had 101 rooms, but luckily, it wasn’t busy that day. Morning sunlight — can’t miss the natural lighting for the photoshoot! ☀️ ☀️ ☀️
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Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels Amritsar: Superb Breakfast and Super Worth It
OK, so the room at Welcomhotel Amritsar was very comfortable, the bed was great, the interior design was elegant, the hospitality was perfect… what else?
Oh, did I tell you that Welcomhotel Amritsar was a green hotel? It ran on solar power and cut back single-use plastic. But the most important thing was the breakfast.
God, the breakfast.
It was so d🌸mn good I almost cried 😭 😭 😭 To be specific, the local Indian food at Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels Amritsar was very delicious.
However, steer clear of the pastries and desserts. I tried the donut and some pastries, but they weren’t my cup of tea. Precisely, the dough wasn’t chewy and soft.
Alright, by this time, some of you may be curious about how much I paid for staying 3D2N at Welcomhotel Amritsar.
Staying at this historical haveli turned into a fabulous hotel for 3D2N + breakfast cost me around RM520 / 133 USD (same price for a solo traveller or a couple).
You won’t get this price for staying even one night at a 5-star hotel in KL!! 🤩 🤩 🤩 Btw, I signed up for a free membership and booked directly on its website to get this special price.
Okay, so I had plenty of time to enjoy my breakfast before the driver picked me up for my Amritsar day trip. Amritsar, here I come! 🌻 🌻 🌻
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Amritsar Day Trip: Jallianwala Bagh, a Garden That Holds Grim History
Alright guys, your blogger friend was safe in Amritsar! The tour guide met us halfway and surprise, surprise… I was the only guest!
It turned out that I was the only person who booked the Amritsar day trip for that day. No wonder they could arrange hotel pickup and drop-off for me, even though my hotel was outside the pickup area!
See? Think positively and you’ll enjoy your holiday 😁 😁 😁
When we entered Jallianwala Bagh, I thought it was a normal historic garden, so I smiled and took a selfie. My bad, I should’ve done some research beforehand!
🤦♀️ 🤦♀️ Wearing a top from a brand called “British India”
My tour guide, Preet, sat down and asked me to sit down near him. Then, he explained that this garden witnessed a massacre on 13 April 1919.
So, that day was Baisakhi, a festival when merchants and people gathered for celebration.
While gathering, some people gave speeches protesting the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act (the Rowlatt Act) during the British India period. It was a peaceful protest.
However, the British army thought the gathering would lead to rebellion, so General Dyer of the British army had his soldiers ready at the gate (there was only 1 way in and out).
And then, Michael O’ Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, ordered General Dyer to shoot the civilians. Without any warning, the soldiers opened fire for about ten minutes, killing children and adults.
In the garden, I could see the walls filled with bullet holes. As there was only 1 gate at Jallianwala Bagh, many were desperate to climb the walls to escape the gunfire… but they failed.
Others decided to jump into a well to avoid being killed, but it was too deep and too many people jumped into it. After the massacre, around 120 bodies were collected from the well…
Around 1,000 people were killed that day (or more?).
OK, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre story didn’t end here. This is India, guys… There should be a dramatic, Bollywood ending, right?
Apparently, a 20-year-old Udham Singh survived the Amritsar massacre and decided to take revenge. He went to Michael O’Dwyer and said that he would kill him.
Michael and others laughed at him. What could a young, orphan man do?
Udham was then involved in revolutionary politics, imprisoned, and under constant surveillance. He then shaved his beard and probably removed his turban as a makeover to escape surveillance.
His goal? To go to London and kill Michael O’Dwyer.
According to my Amritsar day trip tour guide, Udham entered London from South Africa/America (recollection may vary).
Finally, after waiting for 21 years, Udham Singh managed to kill Michael O’Dwyer by shooting him twice when Michael was about to make a speech at Caxton Hall, London.
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Amritsar Day Trip: Visitting the Golden Temple
Alright, what’s next? After Jallianwala Bagh, I went to the famous Golden Temple. Actually, there was a shuttle bus from Welcomhotel Amritsar to the Golden Temple.
But I wanted to join a tour so I could visit more historical places and listen to the story behind them.
It was getting very hot in Amritsar. Luckily, I wore a loose-fitting, breathable top from British India, my favourite Malaysian brand… which I only buy during big sales 😂 😂 😂
Everyone (locals and tourists) was welcome at the Golden Temple. You can sit on the floor, sleep, and enjoy free food and drink.
It was amazing and very heartwarming to see hundreds of volunteers at the Golden Temple Amritsar. Young and old, they arrived early in the morning and did their job dutifully to serve others.
The volunteers were grouped into some categories, such as:
- Cook
- Onion peeler
- Dishwasher
- Bread maker
- Drink server
- Food server
- Cleaner, etc
There was a very long queue to see the real holy book (my tour guide said around 1.5 hours), so I decided to skip it.
Now, it’s time for lunch! My guide took me to The Yellow Chilli, a popular local restaurant.
I was glad that he joined me for lunch, as I could order more food. We ordered fish, naan, black lentils, and chicken tikka. The chicken tikka in this restaurant was very juicy and nice!
And most importantly, the place was clean and comfortable. It may be touristy, but as long as I didn’t get a stomachache, I didn’t mind paying a bit more. It also served Western and Chinese food, by the way 😉
Later, while writing this blog post, I realized that the restaurant was owned by an Indian celebrity chef, Sanjeev Kapoor. Wow, glad that I went there!
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Amritsar Day Trip: The Unique Attari-Wagah Border Ceremony
After lunch, the guide took me to a souvenir shop since we still had time before the Attari-Wagah border ceremony, which starts at 5:30 pm.
Actually, I wanted to buy a pashmina. The salesman said that the price he offered was lower than the prices in Kashmir, but I didn’t want to buy yet.
Since it was my 2nd day in India, I didn’t buy anything in case I found something similar elsewhere at a cheaper price.
Fyi, the real, high-quality pashmina could be pricey… It’s not the same as the ones you see at Pasar Seni/Central Market.
So I looked at some stuff while enjoying the AC, then walked out with nothing in my hands 😌
We arrived at around 4:30pm, just nice before the Attari-Wagah border ceremony. It’s better to arrive early so you can choose your seat and enjoy the vibe.
Oh, the vibe! It wasn’t a solemn, formal guard-changing ceremony. Even before you stepped into the stadium, you could feel the football match vibe.
Snack vendors everywhere, adults and children arrived with Indian flag painted on their cheeks, big smiles on their faces… Wow, I couldn’t wait for it!
The Attari-Wagah border was also a symbol of rivalry and brotherhood between India and Pakistan. Although the Attari-Wagah border ceremony was held daily, the crowd from the Indian side was always massive.
Like, guys, it’s not even the weekend!
I was there on Wednesday and people, mostly locals, drove almost 30km to the Attari-Wagah border with high enthusiasm to support their national football team… I mean, the Indian troops 😮 😮 😮
After several attempts asking random locals to help me take my photos, finally, I met some locals who could take good photos of me outside the stadium 🥲 🥲 🥲
When I stepped in, I saw a huge crowd dancing in the middle to loud music, as if it were a wedding party. People cheered, blew trumpets… and it was almost a full house!
Remember to apply sunblock and bring a big hat or umbrella, guys… The sunlight stung so hard my allergy flared up after that, even when I used my hat + pashmina as “shields”.
The Attari-Wagah border ceremony lasted for 45 minutes. Five minutes before the ceremony ended, I got up from my seat and quickly went out of the stadium.
I remembered what my guide told me: “After the flag went down, you should come out quickly. Otherwise, we would be stuck for more than 1 hour in the parking area.”
I’d seen and taken enough photos and videos, so I didn’t mind not seeing both flags lowered. I’d rather reach my hotel early, have dinner, and rest before my early morning flight the next day.
OK guys, that’s the end of our Amritsar day trip! I hope you enjoy our trip and find my Welcomhotel Amritsar review helpful 🌷 🌷 🌷
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