Unleash the child in you!

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.