Matheran

Matheran is the closest hill station to Mumbai in the Sahyadri hill range in Raigad district of Maharashtra State.

Matheran is situated at a height of 803 m above sea level. Since 1907, a narrow gauge railway line 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. There are a number of lookout points that provide spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valley.

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 the lake full with water.

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. Watch out for the aggressive Matheran macaque monkeys who will not hesitate to snatch your belongings especially anything remotely resembling food.

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 surrounded by dense evergreen forests, bird song and pretty butterflies.

• 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.
• Charlotte Lake
• 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 and towards the southmost tip of Matheran.
• Sunset (Porcupine) Point
• Garbut Point

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.

Charlotte Lake

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 and towards the southmost tip of Matheran.

Sunset (Porcupine) Point

Garbut Point

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 near Louisa Point. It's basically a U-shaped mountain and you have to go from one side to 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.

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 the various points. Also, try the chikki which is available in different flavors in the main market. Unlimited Gujarati Thali At Hotel Gujarat bhavan (₹ 175 as of December 2010) and Hotel Regal (₹ 250, Dec 2010) are famous. Hotel Laxmi Offers Limited Gujarati Thali (₹ 80, Dec 2010), the food here is very homely, less spicy. Though a limited verson the quantity of food is enough for average apetite. Meat is available in some restaurants, notably in the popular and modern Khan's, who make very good Kebabs. Diwadkars opposite the station does very tasty non-veg. and veg. thalis, kababs, etc. at a reasonable price, they also serve alcohol. Shabbir's Biryani house is very famous for it's meat preparations, but it is not a very neat place and if you are looking for a proper restaurant with people waiting for you then Shabbir's might not be the place. Shabbir Bhai's is a authentic home-run hotel, serving tasty Moghlai food. To reach here take the right from the Masjid and walk up for 2 minutes. Hakimi's is a good place,where you can find good Chinese, Moghlai and Punjabi at a very very reasonable rate.It is right next to Pramod Bar (The only bar in Matheran). Also worth trying is the big Indian breads (called "pav") which you can find in the store right opposite to Pramod Bar.

There are all kinds of restaurants in Matheran serving various drinks, try the unique Kokam Sherbat there. Liquor is available only in certain hotels and restaurants.

• Carry a good pair of comfortable walking shoes. Matheran is quite dusty and there is red soil everywhere.
• The roads can be rough with many small stones in them, but they are not sharp craggy rocks. If you wear a good pair of shoes with thick soles you should be fine.
• The weather is truly excellent as you can walk around even in summer without feeling too uncomfortable. Morning is the best time from trekking but be ready for a hazy view as the cloud covers the place at early morning.
• You can trek right down from Dasturi to Neral station, either following the ghat roads or the toy train tracks. The best would be to combine both the routes for a spectacular view. This trek will take around 1 hour and you would find only 1-2 small tea stalls. Carry water.
• Avoid carrying too much baggage with you. You can't take it up by car and need someone to carry it for you. Some of these porters are women and you may not feel right about a woman carrying your heavy bag. Anyway, it's quite easy to find a male porter (also called "coolie" in India). They may charge around ₹ 60-100 for carrying your bags to your hotel depending on where your hotel is. Also they are reliable and you can safely hand over your bags to them and take any route you want. They will be at your hotel before you.
• The charges for horses differ. The horse keepers charges anything between ₹ 100-500. You can bargain.
• Carry enough cash with you, as there is only one ATM in Matheran and unfortunately it often does not work during monsoon.
• There are monkeys around. Please do not feed them or play with them. Don't openly carry any food articles with you, as monkeys would definitely try to snatch it away. Besides this they are pretty harmless.