One of the lazy week end…decided to spend in Matheran along with my friends. Turned out to be a nice refreshing weekend thanks to calm and peaceful Matheran. Matheran is the smallest hill station of India, located around 90 kms from Mumbai, on the Western Ghats range at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level. Matheran is connected by toy train to the mainline rail route at Neral Junction. Neral Junction is well connected by local trains from Mumbai and Pune.
From Neral Railway Junction even sharing taxis are available which charge Rs.60 per person and drop till Dasturi Car Park. Dasturi Car Park is the point beyond which no vehicles are allowed to reach Matheran town.We preferred to walk for 3 km from Dasturi park till Matheran Town.
Our walk through red dusty pathways was although tiresome [due to layers of fat on our bodies!!:) Indeed it was just amazing. Matheran is popular amongst trekkers. All trails in Matheran are well marked. So if you decide to explore the place by walk also getting around is not so difficult in Matheran.
There are so many Parsi heritage bungalows which are converted into Heritage hotels or resorts in Matheran. Most of them have head office in Mumbai from where booking can be made in advance. Even so many tourist agencies are there just outside Neral Railway station for people like us who do not do advance booking of hotelsJ.
No noise pollution of honking horns or no air pollution – in short divinely peaceful place where you just get lost in serenity of natural surroundings. You listen sweet songs of birds when you get up from bed; wherever you see around you find dense green forest and soothing smell. All in all a paradise to be in. An ideal place to spend a lazy week end.
