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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