Baruah Bhavan Guesthouse

This century-old bungalow is a hidden gem in this rather smoggy and run-down city. Beyond the street-side piles of rubble, you enter a heritage house filled with antiques, tropical plants and eclectic objects, such as an old gramophone and a ship’s steering wheel. Owned and run by the Baruah family, this is a homestay rather than a hotel (there’s even a Visitors’ Book); and with only six suites, it feels personal. The attentive staff members are always on hand to bring you a cup of Assamese tea or serve you home-style dishes at an elegant glass-topped table. The original owner, Dr Birinchi Kumar Baruah, was a notable academic and the cream walls are covered with black-and-white photos of him at the University of Guwahati (then Gauhati) and accompanied by Prime Minister Nehru. The six suites are all different: number 1 is the most regal (ornate four-poster beds with carved bedheads, upholstered red-and-gold armchairs, rich-hued rugs and a huge bathroom), whereas number 3 is the most light and airy (big windows, wicker furniture and yellow Chinese fans). There’s even a roof terrace if you feel like catching the rays, as well as a small, well-kept lawn at the front of the house.