MOUNTAIN ESCAPES
| MATHERAN |
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| Matheran guide >>> Matheran travel guide and tourist information
on Matheran, how to get to Matheran, also details on sightseeing in Matheran, best time to
visit Matheran and accommodation in Matheran |
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Wheezing and puffing, the toy train chugs up
hill and dale to Matheran, a picturesque, unspoilt hill station in Maharashtra, within
hop-skip-and jumping distance of Mumbai. Matheran remains quiet and unpolluted, so far
removed from the maddening chaos of Mumbai, largely because no vehicles are allowed within
the town. Here, walking or being rolled in a buggy by rickshaw pullers is the accepted
mode of transport. Matheran infuses you with a sense of happiness, with the eager
anticipation of school children chatting and laughing on their way to school, the abandon
of monkeys hitching a ride on the toy train, or the buoyancy of urchins running behind
your rickshaw and chanting rhymes.
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The countryside around Matheran still remains
untouched and beautiful even though Matheran has been a popular tourist destination for
decades. Thick, shady forests, steep cliffs that veer up to dizzying heights, a silent
waterfall, a lonely river, red soil and velvet moss for miles around you. The roads are
still unpaved dirt tracks and the greenery is allowed to have its way. The pleasing
disorderliness of Matheran lulls you into the realisation that big city life has surely
got to be very far, far away.
There seems to be an obsession with unusually named lookout points; Matheran has 33 such
points from where you can feast your eyes on the Sahyadris and the valleys below, and
admire rosy sunrises and sunsets. Walk up to Porcupine Point, Hart Point, Monkey
Point, Panorama Point and Malang Point, and hear your voice
duplicated at Echo Point.
Perhaps the best part of your trip to Matheran is the ride on the toy train, through the
Western Ghats, through One Kiss Tunnel and myriad interesting little
points along the railway tracks. The journey from Neral to Matheran is a great way to
unwind in typical Mumbai fashion. Share your seat with monkeys and free loaders who hop on
and off the footboard, haggle with fruit sellers and vendors, munch on chikki and peanuts,
watch a card game balanced on a briefcase... A willing suspension of disbelief is
required; the rest is a joy ride. Just let down your hair and enjoy the real life movie
within the train unfold and the scenery changing behind the grilled windows.
Getting to Matheran
Matheran is 100 km from Mumbai and 26 km from Neral, from where you can get the toy train
to Matheran, a journey of 1½ hours. You can get to Neral on a local train on the
Mumbai-Pune line, a journey of 2 hours from Mumbai Central. The drive via Karjat and Neral
is 108 km.
Best time to visit Matheran
Though Matheran is a year round destination, the best time to visit is from October to
May. Average temperatures range from 16° C in winter, to 32° C in summer. Carry light
woollens for winter.
Accommodation in Matheran
From simple lodges to luxury resorts, an MTDC bungalow to pure vegetarian
guesthouses, Matheran has accommodation options to cater to all budgets.
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