With the annual exams just concluded and the summer heat at its peak, its time to visit hill station and Matheran is one of the best choices for Punekar’s and Mumbaikar’s. Located in Raigad District of Maharashtra it is around 94 Kms from Mumbai and 110 Kms from Pune. Matheran is a picturesque hill station which was discovered around 150 years ago which is 910 Meters above sea level. One of the striking features of Matheran which makes it different from other hill stations is that it is the only eco friendly hill station in India. The only other such place in the world(not a hill station though) is Venice in Italy where the only mode of Transportation is boats! At Matheran, no motor vehicles are allowed beyond a place called as “Dasturi Naka” which is 3 Kms away from Matheran Bazar Peth. To reach Matheran, the starting point is a place called Neral from where the distance to Dasturi Naka is 9 Kms. This 9 km stretch is one of the most challenging Ghat road in India and requires extremely skillful driving skills and 40% of your journey will be in the First Gear! It’s the only place where I saw “First Gear” signboard. The road is narrow with full of steep curves and you will find drivers for hire, available at both ends!
There is another alternative to reach Matheran which is the Neral Matheran Light railway which is a toy train running on a narrow gauge lane. The distance between Neral to Matheran is 21 Kms by rail and recently Neral Matheran light railway completed its centenary. This railway took 6 years to built at the cost of 16.00 Lakhs and is the gift from a gentleman named Adamjee Peerbhoy . This is the best option to reach Matheran where the train equipped with a diesel locomotive with 6 coaches(including an AC and a luggage coach) takes 1.40 Hours each way. There are only 4 UP and Down trains and you MUST book in advance. The fares are General-Rs 21; Reserved-Rs43; A/C-Rs325. The train journey will be a real pleasant one and the train which Chug you till Matheran Bazar Peth!
From Dasturi Naka it’s a 3 Km’s mud road walk till Bazar Peth and the only mode of transportation is Horse and Hand Cart. Once you reach Dasturi Naka, you will be mobbed with these vendors and you will have a real difficult time in managing them and negotiating a good deal. A horse ride is an ideal proposition and will cost Rs 120 Per person(you can however get better deals when you move ahead).
Matheran, being a tourist destination, has lots of hotels, resorts and during summer, it’s very expensive unless you are in a group and bargain for some better deal on sharing basis. The room tariff starts from Rs 400 to Rs 10, 000 Per day. It is highly recommended to book your hotel in advance. Being a tourist destination and due to its topography, Matheran is a very expensive tourist destination as everything including a mineral water bottle is sold at a premium of 25% over MRP. Tea is Rs 8 and meals for 4 in a roadside restaurant will cost you Rs 300-400. An Ice Gola will cost you Rs 15. A Raw Mango “Kairi” will cost you Rs. 10.
Matheran is a small place and can be covered by walk and most of the tourist attractions are walk able distance from Bazar Peth. The Horse operators offer you 8-12 points of package which are expensive yet would be a treat, if your wallet allows you. Otherwise, there are enough signboards with directions and distance which will help you find your own way through jungles. Walking is one of the best options as Matheran is surrounded with dense forests and all roads are well surrounded by tree’s and you walk in shade. The valley views are spectacular and the Charlotte Lake looks dull during summer owing to less water. Inside Matheran, the economy runs on Horse as it is the only mode of good transportation as I could see Horses carrying LPG Cylinder’s and groceries and what struck me was that these were driven by themselves. There is a Post Office, Sri Ram Temple, a Golf Course, Stock brokerage firm and even Broadband which keeps Matheran hooked up with the rest of the country. Matheran was also associated with Indian Freedom movement.
I went during 2nd Week of April 2008 during weekend and it was crowded with people from all age group including foreigners. To conclude I must say it’s a must see hill station, however it is expensive. It will require a min of Two days to cover the entire Matheran and the best way to explore its beauty is to walk
A Few points worth noting before you plan for Matheran
Open fly menace will bug you off all the time except at Hotel room. These micro flies will chase you everywhere and it’s advisable to carry a hand towel to avoid them.
During Summer there are frequent power cuts and please ensure that your hotel has a Generator.
Mosquito menace during night and do carry Good Knight / Mosquito coil.
There are all muddy roads and the running horses will raise lot of dust. Overall a dusty place and hence must carry a few set of clothes.
The number of licensed horses and carts outnumber the tourists yet bargain for better deals. Though eco friendly all the key attractions and roads have litters and empty plastic bottles. As a responsible citizen, at least you do not contribute anything to it.
Matheran is closed during rainy season(June 15-Oct 15).
There are plenty of friendly Monkeys at Matheran and you can operate closely with them without fear. The locals offer innovative trekking options such as Valley crossing over rope which is exciting, however I am not sure wether these are govt vendors and have permit for the same.