Though Matheran has been popular weekend getaway for the residents of Mumbai, I went to this scenic hill station for the first time this year. On the other hand, not everyone outside Maharashtra may be aware of this pretty location. This is one the reasons, I am writing the blog. The other reason being a pollution-free place. Yes, you read it right. Will tell you more about it in the later paragraphs. I explored Matheran with one of my besties, Priya. Since she had been to Matheran numerous times, it became easier for us to look for an accommodation and eating places.
Train entering Matheran station
One can either go to Matheran by rail or road. Earlier mini train would ply between Neral and Matheran. I heard it was a lovely journey amongst the hills. Now, the train only covers a distance of 2.5 kms between Aman Lodge Station and Matheran. The total journey is of 15 -20 minutes and tends to get crowded during the latter half of the day. Just make sure you book a window seat for capturing those lovely photos and videos. Unfortunately, neither of us realized that while booking the ticket. Hence, we were literally cramped in tiny seats during the entire journey. All this happened while we were returning back from Matheran. Now let me take you back to the beginning of our journey.
Neral - Matheran Ghat
I learnt it the hard way, that you must have your own vehicle while travelling to Matheran. I had seen on the maps that this hill-station is about two hours drive from Mumbai. Not much, you might think. We had decided to take a cab from Priya’s place in Kalyan. It took me little more than an hour to reach her house from my place on a Monday morning. We had deliberately chosen a weekday for less crowd and money. We reached Neral in about one hour or so from Kalyan by a tourist cab. After reaching Neral, we were stopped by the local taxi union. We tried a lot to take our own cab but ultimately, we had to give in and went by the local cab. The drive from Neral to Matheran Dropoff point (Dasturi Point) is 9 kms through a beautiful ghat. Two things to keep in mind, this will definitely add up to your budget (Rs 100 per seat and Rs 400 for the entire taxi) and the trip maybe uneasy for people with motion sickness. The cab driver dropped us off at Dasturi Point. Beyond this point vehicles are prohibited. Despite this restriction, there are numerous ways of going up. For people who want a more relaxed journey can go up by the train (one I mentioned earlier) or on a horse.
Walking on the train tracks
We both decided to climb up alongside the train tracks. It was a surreal feeling to be walking on those tracks. And yes, monkeys gave us a company while we were climbing up on the red mountain soil. We did take small pit stops in between to capture the foliage around us and for munching on cool cucumbers.
A church in Matheran
Our hotel was situated towards the end of Matheran. We had taken about 35 minutes to reach Matheran market from Dasturi Point. Since it was already noon, we decided to halt for lunch before resuming our remaining walk. We had Desi Chinese for lunch and later on Ice Gola (crushed with sweet syrup) topped with malai for desserts, which gave me cough and cold for a few days afterwards.
The BYKE - Matheran's first bungalow
It just so happened that we had reserved a stay at Byke Heritage, the first bungalow in Matheran. Huge Male, an Englishman designed and built the structure in 1854. Matheran was discovered and developed by him.We spent the evening trying our luck at a gaming parlour, and we did win a few rounds. Something which was unique to Matheran. When I woke up the next morning, I went on a walk around the property, taking photographs and looking for cell service. (There are lots of connectivity issues in
Charlotte Lake
Later on, after breakfast and a photo session we decided to walk down towards Charlotte Lake. This lake provides water to entire Matheran. As we went from the more secluded side, the view was serene and picturesque. Must say a haven for photographer
We then began heading towards the main market area. At least that’s what we thought. The market road did come but after a hike of about two hours. We were plainly lost, but we weren't too concerned since the terrain was beautiful. Unknowingly we covered a few more tourist spot
Monkeys, dogs, and horses all joined us on our stroll. Due to no network, we depended on locals and other passengers for guidance. We both were famished when we reached the main market road. As a result, we decided to stop for a meal before continuing our return trip.
Matheran, as popularized, is a great spot for a weekend escape. Since there were no cars nearby, it was like taking a deep breath of fresh air. If you like discovering new areas on foot, be sure to pay a visit here. Our walkthrough Matheran was definitely the most breathtaking October stroll we had ever taken.