Matheran

Understand

Matheran is situated at a height of 803 m (2,635 ft) above sea level. Since 1907, a narrow-gauge railway connects Matheran to Neral in the plains. Motor vehicles are completely banned in Matheran, making it quite peaceful despite the thousands of visitors that come here, mostly from Mumbai. Matheran is a plateau with a reasonably dense forest cover. Being a hill station it is pleasant almost throughout the year. In winter, the nights can get a bit chilly though. The best time to go to Matheran is post-monsoon. It is truly spectacular at this time of the year with lush greenery, waterfalls and a lake full of water.

Getting there

By train You can catch either a Karjat-bound local train or the Deccan Express from Mumbai CSMT to 1 Neral Junction CR . From Pune, catch any Mumbai-bound train and get off at Karjat (Around 95 km from Pune). Then catch a CSMT-bound local train from Karjat and get down at Neral (21 km, would take around 15 min). From Neral Junction, there is the Matheran Hill Railway which runs to 2 Matheran CR about 4 times a day. The toy train is not operational when the railway route is under maintenance or when there is a perceived hazard e.g. the monsoons. Unfortunately, the only way to find this out is at Neral. Neral to Matheran tickets as of November 2009 costs are 1st Class ₹210, 2nd Class Reserved ₹35, 2nd class unreserved ₹20. Tickets can be booked from 3 to 1 day in advance, and then on the day of travel from 45 minutes before the train. The train is often full, so turn up in good time to ensure you get a ticket. You can also book the ticket online through IRCTC. If there's a queue of unmoving people at the ticket window with a salesman who is reading the paper, then all the 2nd class tickets are sold out. Jump the queue to the window and ask for first class as they're usually still available. Travelling in toy train takes around 2 hours. There is sadly no convenient express train to get back to Mumbai CSMT in the evening. You can get a local train from Neral to Karjat (away from Mumbai), and then an express train back from Karjat into Mumbai. But this will take longer than just getting a local train from Neral back into town. One can get a train from Karjat to Pune on opposite direction.

By shared car There are many share-a-cabs which take you to Matheran from Neral. The distance from Neral to Dasturi Point, the last point to which vehicles are allowed in Matheran, is 11 km. The drivers that ply through the roads have immaculate driving skills, so the real advice here is not to keep eyeing the blind turns and foot-to-brake coordination, but to just enjoy the bre

Getting around

As motor vehicles are banned, there are three ways of getting around in Matheran: walking (all the trails have signboards marking the way and the locals are quite helpful), on horseback, or by rickshaw.

See

Almost all the points offer pretty good sunrise, sunset, mountain and valley views, so walk or horse ride or take a rickshaw to whichever you want. Remember that the more popular points will be crowded, especially at sunset. Some of the popular sights include:

Lake Charlotte - a spectacular waterfall overflows from the lake during and shortly after the monsoons. At other times, it is peaceful and surrounded by dense evergreen forests, bird songs and pretty butterflies. There is a gramadevatha temple nearby this lake.

Panorama point - This point is a very beautiful one, for you can see a panoramic view of the hills on the left and a beautiful Ulhas River to the right. This point is quite far from Matheran station / market, but you can negotiate a good price for your travel if you do not feel like walking. This point is perfect for Sunrise and is also called "Sunrise Point." Heart Point - Here one can see a beautiful scene of the valley and this point looks like heart, so it is named so. Monkey Point - Here you can see the monkeys in large numbers and their mischief life-sized. Malang Point Luisa Point - The view from here to the waterfall (run off from Charlotte Lake) during the monsoon is spectacular. Honeymoon Hill - According to locals, a British officer had his honeymoon actually arranged at this point. Also, latter Parsis used to harvest honey at his point, hence its name. Echo Point - True to its name, this point has some superb echo effect! Feel free to scream loud at the point and hear the echo coming from distant places through the valleys. Lords Point One tree Hill - A unique hill, which has only one big tree growing on it. The way to reach the hill is a bit risky and steep. Olympia - There is a horse race course. Paymasters Park Mount Barry Artist Point Khandala Point - Very close to the Matheran market place. Alexandar Point Rambaug Point Little Chowk Point - Spectacular view and towards the southmost tip of Matheran. Chowk Point - Spectacular view a

Do

Due to the prohibition of cars, Matheran is a relatively peaceful place. So walking is an activity that will be richly rewarding, especially for nature lovers, and more so just after the monsoons when wildflowers are in full bloom with their attendant butterflies. When the mass blooming of Karvy or Strobilanthes Callosa takes place, it is a spectacular sight. It is not uncommon to sight golden langurs, snakes and the Matheran Giant Squirrels [Ratufa indica elphinstonii]. Apart from the ubiquitous bonnet macaque or aggressive Matheran monkeys There are numerous points all over Matheran, many of which provide some fantastic views of the valley below. While the central area and marked vistas are crowded, it is quite easy to find yourself all alone if you step off the beaten track. There are numerous forested trails leading to most of the points. Wear thick-soled footwear and carry a walking stick for greater comfort as some of the trails are very rubbly, nothing more than dry river beds. Horse riding is also quite a popular way of getting around in Matheran. Finding a horse is not very difficult, as there are many of them around. It is a great way to travel for people who prefer not to walk, but rates must be negotiated in advance. One popular adventure in Matheran is the Valley Crossing from Honeymoon Point to Louisa Point. It's basically a U-shaped mountain and you have to go from one side to the other side (approx. 275 m) hanging on a rope, 300 m above the valley below. This works thanks to 3 ropes, pulleys and gravity. It is a one-way lane, so coming back is by walking or you can ask your horse-man to come to that point to pick you up. It is definitely not for the weak-hearted, but you get a bird's eye view of the valley.

Eat

There are all kinds of restaurants in Matheran serving various cuisines. Most hotels offer packages including all meals. Try the Gujarati Thali, or the Maharashtrian style Vada-Pav (Indian Burger) which is available at various points. Also, try the chikki which is available in different flavours in the main market. Unlimited Gujarati Thali at Hotel Gujarat bhavan (₹ 175 as of December 2010) and Hotel Regal (₹ 250, Dec