The October heat has just passed
away and the winter breeze is setting in at Mumbai. Now is the time to explore
outskirts of Mumbai over weekends, as the weather is just right to pull up your
tent and picnic basket and head off to a nearby hill station or beach. With the
Xmas vacations round the corner, and the annual fests and sports day at school,
children too are a little less burdened with studies during this time of the
year. So the weather sets our mood and we pack our bags to the closest hill
station near Mumbai, Matheran situated on a hill top around 100 kms away at an
elevation of 2,625 feet.
Getting to Matheran is half the
fun; We took the train to Neral Junction Station, a station at the bottom of
the hill. From Neral a small toy train (narrow gauge) takes you through a
zigzag route uphill to Matheran. Now here is where you would want to use your
DSLR, as the fog casts a spell over you and the train winds its way around the
steep slopes giving you glimpses of true scenic beauty. Unfortunately, for us
the toy train was not running and we opted to take a share taxi service from
Neral Station to Dasturi Naka, an entry point to Matheran beyond which
vehicular traffic is forbidden. This makes Matheran the only eco friendly hill
station where you trek, ride horses or hand-pulled rickshaws to travel within. This
place is bound to take you back to your childhood days making you relive the
rustic experience of muddy paths with lush green forests, small cottages dotting
the paths surrounded by misty woods, horses trotting along carrying tourists to
various sightseeing places.
We decided to explore the place
on foot and it took us good 1 hour 20 minutes to reach our hotel Sayeban at
M.G. Road, Bazaar Peth. This hotel is centrally located with average rooms and
has a lovely garden for kids to play outdoors. It also offers games like
badminton, table tennis and a ground to play cricket or similar games. We
relaxed ourselves for sometime at the hotel while the children decided to take
a quick tour of the hotel ad after our meals we decided to take a horse ride to
the Sunset Point. Some places you shouldn’t be missing in Matheran are Charlotte
Lake, King George Point, Sunset Point, Echo Point, Louisa Point and Sunrise
Point along with other sightseeing places which we skipped as we were staying
there for only 1 night and wanted to spend time relaxing at the hotel. Back in
the hotel we had a good time with friends, enjoyed with kids at the garden and
closed out on a fabulous Magic Show which left us mesmerized and the kids
happy.
Day 2 after breakfast we headed
to a garden for kids in the bazaar area picked u some goodies which Matheran is
so famous for – the chikkis and jelly chocolates at Nariman Chikki and after
lunch headed towards Mumbai feeling refreshed with memories to go until we
return back.
Note: The share taxis are not for
weak hearted people as they rash drive through steep slopes. Also, on our
return journey the drivers are very rude in plying people and we had a tough
time finding us a taxi to go back to Neral station.
