Like most cities in Gujarat, Vadodara (formerly Baroda, among other names) has its roots in medieval Hindu kingdoms, followed up by a long era of Muslim rule. Unlike many, however, it retained a degree of autonomy under the colonial British, remaining under the jurisdiction of the (phenomenally rich) Hindu Maharajas of Baroda until Independence in 1947.

Some of Vadodara’s historic buildings are truly outstanding. Take Tambekar Wada, for instance. We’ve been inside a few havelis in our time, you can be sure, but this one’s something special. Its interior murals of Krishna’s life and the Anglo-Maratha war are extraordinary. Maharaha Sayajirao University is striking for its black domes (including the second-largest in India), looking like something out of Tatooine with their porthole-like windows. Laxmi Vilas Palace, meanwhile, beats the pants off of any other Raj-era residence. Four times the size of Buckingham Palace, it’s an architectural mish-mash built to the tune of 6 million rupees (about 6.5 million USD in today’s money). Genuinely, no photo can do it justice.

And yet for us, Vadodara’s architecture isn’t even its top selling point. What we love about it is quite simple: almost nobody visits. Head down first thing to the fruit-and-veg market and you’ll be the only tourist there, being beckoned over for photos or handed cups of chai by stallholders. The old town is as charming as any in India, and banyan trees (the ‘vad’ in Vadodara) grow everywhere. At the heart of the city is a massive, hundred-acre garden (planted in 1879 by the modernising Maharaja, Sayajirao Gaekwad III) where Barodians congregate for their morning walks or weekend picnics – even more opportunities for people-watching and unexpected encounters.

Vadodara isn’t ‘unmissable’. You can miss it, if you want. But you’ll be missing a delightfully ordinary slice of India which – for us – is what travel is really about. And if you really want to tick something off your list, you can see the TripAdvisor-approved, UNESCO-listed ruins of Champaner only 50 km outside the city. But you might find you don’t even make it out of Vadodara.