Where is this? We are sitting in an open safari vehicle amid pale, parched bushland. Cicadas hiss. Vultures wheel drowsily in the dusty sky. There is a skittish herd of antelope in the distance, every individual looking our way, ears trained in our direction like satellite dishes. On our other side, much closer, lounging in tree shade, is a pride of lions.

Where is this? The temperature is below freezing. We crunch over snow, weaving our way between excited children cocooned in bulky winter coats. When an impromptu snowball fight starts, we retreat to a safe distance.

Where is this? We are in tranquil gardens beside a river. The midday sun beats down ferociously. In the middle of the cropped lawn there is a statue of one of the most important figures of the 20th century. A garland of flowers is draped around his bronze neck.Where is this? We are in salty marshland. The terrain is dazzlingly white, fractured by heat haze. Three seemingly disembodied animals canter across the horizon. As they progress, the warping effects of the mirage relent, and the creatures are reunited with their legs. Our naturalist guide gives them a name: “Khur. Asiatic wild ass.”

So we are in Asia. More precisely, India. More precisely still, in the western state of Gujarat.

Gujarat is one of the forgotten corners of the Indian subcontinent. The main tourist routes are to the north and east. The great city of Mumbai lies south, more than 250 miles down the Arabian Sea coast. Aircraft vapor trails crisscross the Gujarati skies, carrying travelers from far-flung continents to other parts of India. Few passengers give this largely arid, flat land a second glance as they fly over it.

But for connoisseurs of Indian travel, Gujarat is a destination in its own right, full of treasures and surprises. Although the state boasts the highest gross domestic product in India (and its economy is the fastest growing in the country), its success has been built on oil, industrial production and agriculture. Tourism remains a minor sector, and there is a relative lack of infrastructure and facilities.

Intrepid travelers prepared to brave bone-shaking roads and makeshift accommodations will find a region of India in which local traditions resisted the march of globalization. Nomadic tribes continue to ply the routes they’ve used for centuries. Ancient temples and mosques reflect a long history of religious diversity. And the national parks protect some of India’s most remarkable wildlife.

Gir Forest National Park is the last wild refuge of the Asiatic lion, a species which once ranged throughout India and across Greece. By 1880, the remnant population was entirely confined to this one fragment of wilderness and had fallen to just 12 individuals. Thanks to intensive conservation, the park now supports 411 lions.

A game drive at Gir can be disorienting, especially for veterans of African safaris. The park’s patchwork of savannah and teak forest is reminiscent of Africa, an impression compounded by the presence of leopards, hyenas, jackals, honey badgers, gazelles and antelope — all species more typical of the African wilderness.

When you enter Gujarat, there is a sense that you’re not quite in India anymore. Geographically and culturally, the state sits slightly outside the mainstream. Most noticeably, it is the only state in India in which the sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited (though foreign nationals can obtain a month-long alcohol permit for use in designated bars and restaurants).

The underlying sense of displacement is perhaps at its most pronounced during a visit to Diu Island on Gujarat’s southwest coast. Ironically, because the island is directly administered from Delhi, it’s the one place where alcohol is openly available and therefore attracts plenty of booze-tourists across the tidal creek that separates it from the Gujarati mainland. But the most striking oddity is the architecture of Diu Town, which is more reminiscent of Lisbon than India; Portugal ruled the island from the 16th century until 1961.

Even when you cross back onto the mainland, you are confronted by the legacy of an alternate historic path. Diu is linked by bridge to the vast Kathiawar Peninsula, which was never directly part of British India but instead consisted of 217 princely states governed by maharajas. When India became independent in 1948, Kathiawar (also known as Saurashtra) hesitantly joined the new country. Echoes of the region’s proud history survive in the city of Rajkot.

Ahmedabad, the fastest-growing city in India, dominates modern Gujarat. It boasts enough attractions to make it a worthwhile destination in itself. The Calico Museum of Textiles houses a world-class collection of Indian textiles, though visitor numbers are severely restricted and it is essential to book a tour in advance. One of Ahmedabad’s most splendid structures is Bhadra Fort, which stood impregnable from the city’s founding in 1411 until it was badly damaged by an earthquake in 2001. It is currently the focus of a major restoration project. There are architectural manifestations of Ahmedabad’s religious diversity throughout the city, with numerous important mosques as well as Hindu and Jain temples.

Gujarat’s cities are unmistakably rooted in India, but even here there are unlikely juxtapositions. Snow in the Indian summer? On the western fringes of frenetic Ahmedabad you will find the Snow Park at Maniar’s Wonderland.

American visitors should calibrate their expectations to local standards. Indian theme parks are not intended to rival Disney. However, the language of fun is universal, and here you can share enjoyment with Indian families as you try zorbing, quad biking and bumper cars.

The centerpiece of the park is contained within a refrigerated shed. Once you’ve put on
the provided warm clothing, you venture into a cavernous room inches deep in snow. This is the first experience of the white stuff for most local children. Jaded Western travelers will find the kids’ sense of wonder infectious.

From the surreal to the sublime. Three miles north of downtown Ahmedabad, beside the
Sabarmati River, is the ashram from which Mahatma Gandhi led the nonviolent resistance movement against British rule in India. Gandhi founded the ashram at a nearby site in 1915, moving it to the present location in 1917.

Now preserved as a particularly humbling museum, the Gandhi Ashram represents an oasis of meditative calm within this burgeoning city of 6 million people. Two permanent displays record aspects of Gandhi’s life and teachings, while the house in which he lived and worked until 1930 has been preserved almost exactly as it was.

On a wall in the museum, one of the great man’s most profound quotes is inscribed in his own handwriting: “My life is my message, MK Gandhi.” Under dappled shade in the surrounding gardens, visitors can contemplate that message while birds chirp, squirrels scamper in the undergrowth and the sounds of modern Ahmedabad are reduced to a distant hum.

Back in the center of Ahmedabad — as is the case in all Indian cities — it is difficult to
comprehend that any refuges of calm remain in this crowded country. Pedestrians, livestock, cyclists, auto rickshaws, cars and trucks jostle for the same road space. Yet out in the countryside it all falls away until, a two-hour drive northwest of Ahmedabad, we reach a place in which it is impossible to imagine anything other than silent solitude.

This is the Little Rann of Kutch, a saline mudflat that extends over an area of 2,000 square miles. (Rann is the Hindi word for “desert” and Kutch is the name of the local district.) Shimmering, open scrubland extends to the flat horizon in all directions. On first impression, this inhospitable land appears devoid of life.

But as we tour the harsh landscape by Jeep, we discover salty wetlands populated with huge flocks of lesser flamingoes, beautiful demoiselle cranes, pelicans and storks. Within thorny scrub we glimpse a herd of nilgai, an antelope species, and then, out in the arid salt flats, three Asiatic wild asses materialize out of the heat haze. To protect this highly endangered species, the Little Rann is designated as the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, India’s largest wildlife sanctuary.

Kutch is also home to a colorful tribe of pastoral nomads, the Rabari. Although they
have herded their cattle and camels across this terrain for centuries, their detachment from mainstream society is enshrined in their very name: Rabari means “outsiders.” Their strong cultural traditions make them instantly identifiable. The men wear large turbans, while the women are invariably dressed in ornate fabrics and wear intricate jewelry.

In this parched environment, life for wildlife, nomads and permanent settlers inevitably
revolves around water. Many of the towns and cities owe their existence to freshwater wells, and the vital importance of these wells has given rise to a spectacular architectural tradition: the baoli, or stepwell.

There are numerous breathtaking examples of these incredible subterranean buildings
throughout Gujarat, which bestow on the humble well a cathedral-like grandeur. Flights of
steps and forests of decorated colonnades descend from ground level down to the water. Fine examples in Ahmedabad include the 16th-century Dadi Hari Vav and the even older Mata Bhavani’s Well.

Ahmedabad’s remarkable stepwells are one chapter in the city’s living encyclopedia of
architectural heritage, which spans centuries, continents and styles. Throughout the 20th
century, the city became an unlikely playground for some of the superstars of world architecture.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Calico Mills administrative building in 1946, which, had
it been built, would have been Ahmedabad’s first skyscraper. The proposal was thwarted by local politics, but eventually on the same site the Calico Dome was constructed, a geodesic structure inspired by Buckminster Fuller.

The great Philadelphia architect Louis Kahn was responsible for the striking design of
Ahmedabad’s Indian Institute of Management, while the French-Swiss genius Le Corbusier
gave the city four buildings, including the City Museum.

Whether in the wilderness, the cities, the contemporary suburbs or the ancient backstreets, this diverse state consistently challenges you: Where is this? Once you’ve become conditioned to expect the unexpected, the answer is obvious. It could only be Gujarat.

Info to Go

International and domestic flights arrive at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD), five miles north of downtown Ahmedabad. It is one of India’s most modern airports, with a main terminal inspired by Singapore’s celebrated Changi Airport. For independent travelers, getting around Gujarat can be a challenge involving long hours on trains or buses. Local travel companies such as The Colors of Gujarat can tailor-make
a comprehensive tour with a car and driver.

Lodging

The Gateway Hotel Gir Forest

Operated by Taj Hotels, this 28-room lodge, extensively refurbished in 2011, provides a
comfortable base from which to explore adjacent Gir National Park. Junagadh $$$

The House of MG

Built in 1924 as the home of textile tycoon Sheth Mangaldas Girdhardas, this beautifully restored property immerses you in local heritage. Opp. Sidi Saiyad Jali, Lal Darwaja, Ahmedabad $$$

Le Méridien Ahmedabad

Plunge into the real India the moment you step out of this refuge of international luxury on
the Sabarmati River. Near Nehru Bridge, Ahmedabad $$$$

Dining

Agashiye

This terrace restaurant in The House of MG offers refined, contemporary Gujarati cuisine with international influences. Opp. Sidi Saiyad Jali, Lal Darwaja, Ahmedabad $$

Mirch Masala

You don’t have to be a Bollywood fan, but it helps. Local movie posters and memorabilia adorn this popular franchise; five city locations. Opp. Femina Town, Near Swastik Char Rasta, C.G. Road, Ahmedabad $$

Vishalla Village Restaurant

This is a cultural experience as much as a restaurant; sit outdoors on mats on the mud floor to enjoy exceptional food served on leaves. Opp. Vasna Tol Naka, Ahmedabad $$

Weblinks

Agashiye

Calico Museum of Textiles

The Colors of Gujarat

Diu Island

Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati

The Gateway Hotel Gir Forest

Gir Forest National Park

Gujarat Tourism

The House of MG

Maniar’s Wonderland

Le Méridien Ahmedabad

Mirch Masala

Vishalla Village Restaurant