The best time to go to Matheran is during rainy season. Its simply very heavenly at Matheran. How to reach there: You can reachMatheran through local train starting from C.S.T. It takes close to one & half hour to reach Neral. From here you can take private cabs( they charge you on per person/head)to Matheran or else if you are lucky enough to have the famous Toy train working, you can take it.
After reaching there, atthe gate or entrance, you have to pay some minimal entrance fee( of I about Rs20 for adults, don’t remember the exact figure ). After reaching Matheran: After entering Matheran, you can take a Horse ride ( which cost from Rs 100 to Rs 400-500 or more depending on the number of POINTS you want to see. ). In Matheran: Although you can come & go in Matheran in one day’s time, its advisable to stay there for atleast 2-3 days, so that you can enjoy the beauty of the nature & relax in the serene environment.
Place of Stay: There are numerous hotels & resorts to stay here at for all kinds of budgets.
Famous things: Apart from unpolluted prestine natural beauty, here you can find lovely chocolates & fudges to eat. The chocolate & strawberry fudges were a yummy treat!!! You also get jelly candies here.
Beware of: Beware of Monkeys!!! They are everywhere , most of the time to trouble you. The dogs are also there which generally follow you & also guide you when you are lost!!!
Miscellaneous: There is a problem of load-shedding in this area, so its betterto keep with you one torch handy. Also wear good shoesas its quite slippery at few places. As such there is no need for a guide but for handy you can take a map with you so that you can locate as many points as possible.