Matheran - Maharashtra - India

The name Matheran means “forest on top”. Matheran is an eco – sensitive region, declared by the ministry of environment and forest, Government of India. It is one of the few places in the world where vehicles are not allowed, which makes the place different from others. Matheran takes you over a hundred years back in time when there were no vehicles,because of vehicles being banned in Matheran, the place is quite peaceful despite the thousands of visitors coming to visit throughout the year.

The area was more spectacular than I expected. A six kilometer taxi ride took us from the dusty base of the hill up a series of switchbacks into lush forest. Scattered among the trees are tumbledown colonial mansions, and all motor vehicles are banned except for a miniature railway, which heroically winds along a 21km route up the escarpment.

Matheran is a small hill station located 800m (2,625 feet) above sea level in the outskirts of Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is the smallest hill station in India and Asia’s only Automobile free hill station. A location to chill and enjoy the beauty of nature. Matheran provides a comprehensive holiday with beautiful sightseeing and a slight bit of religious content.

What with the surprisingly great weather and the great food, Matheran was already turning out to be the best holiday ever! And I was overjoyed that my friends agreed with me for once! Having consulted some of the locals, we knew that early evenings and mornings are the best time to step out view watching. We stepped out accordingly to enjoy a lovely nature walk to the various beautiful points in Matheran.

The trek paths are the best way to explore this place, it gives you a feel of an explorer out in the jungle which is thrilling and exciting to say the least. A cup of chai, munching on garam bhutta and nature for company minus pollution makes life awesome. The occasional drizzle and thunder showers makes the moment romantic. The rains, green natural archways on red sand, fresh breeze, mist, and view of the waterfalls and valleys is something that makes this a vacation of a lifetime. This is the best way to rejuvenate by disconnecting with technology and connecting with yourself and your loved ones.

Since it is a vehicle free zone, at Dasuri, starting point of the hill station, one needs to park their vehicle if they are on a road trip. From Dasuri, a couple of hundred meters walk and you reach Aman Lodge. There are four options from Aman Lodge to reach Matheran- toy train, trek, horse back or hand pulled rickshaw. We highly recommend the Toy train- chugging on the tracks at its own pace, criss-crossing mountains offering spectacular views of green hills, it would be a 20 minute breathtaking joy ride. Choosing to trek is also a welcome option and would take close to 2 hours but the sights are worth the effort.

The monsoons are magical, misty and refreshingly cool. Heavy downpours every afternoon are the norm. Umbrellas are pretty useless, it is better to buy the standard local raingear – a large plastic bag with cutouts for head and arms as a raincoat and a wide brimmed plastic hat. Both are very cheap and very effective!

Though Matheran is the tiniest hill station in India, it still gives the other much hyped and commercialized hill stations run for their money.There are over 30 scintillating viewpoints spread across 3 sq mile.Each view point has its own beauty with some offering captivating views of the deep gorges. For the adventurous soul, zippling allows you to reach the top of another hill in a matter of seconds passing through clouds making you feel like you have super powers.

How to Reach

Air

Mumbai airport is the nearest airport to Matheran, located at a distance of 100 km. Mumbai airport is well connected to all major cities and towns, so people get a choice to select flights to reach Mumbai. People can hire a taxi from the airport to reach the place smoothly.

Railways

The nearest broad gauge railway station near Matheran is located at a distance of 20 km and the name of the railway station is Neral. The railway station is well connected from all major cities and towns so people can reach this railway station easily. Then there is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway, which links Neral to Matheran. The Matheran Hill Railway was built in 1907 by Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy and covers a distance of 20 km, over some beautiful forest territory.

By Road

Mumbai and Pune are two Major cities connected to Matheran by Road.

The last stretch of the road (About 7 km) is on the ghat which leads you to Dasturi Naka (Last point to which cars are allowed, where there is a car park) at the tip of Matheran.

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