While discussing potential places around Mumbai for a one day outing, one of us suggested car free Matheran that was acceptable to all of us. It was my first travel after I shifted to Mumbai. At 7.00 a.m, our party of 15 boarded the van from Vashi and it was a pleasant drive, till we reached Neral station at around 9 AM.
We had our break fast from nearby area . You can find only few restuarants there. We booked tickets for toy train to Matheran and our train was scheduled to depart at around 11:00 AM from Neral.
The Matheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in Maharashtra that covers a distance of 20 kilometers from Neral to Matheran. It is one of the toy train journeys in India that uncovers the beauty of the Western Ghats and has several unique features on its route.
As it inches through uphill, it crosses major attractions on the Matheran Hill Railway - horseshoe embankment, Herdal Hill section, Bhekra Khud steep gradient, One Kiss Tunnel and Panorama Point. We spotted one huge Ganpati statue on the way.
It took around 2 hours for the train to reach Matheran hill top and there were few halts in between. Another option to reach Matheran is to take a shared taxi from Neral to Matheran, but the toy train is much more enjoyable.
By 1:00 p.m we reached Matheran railway station. The Matheran Municipal Council charges a flat Rs.50/- per head for entering Matheran. There were few restaurants serving various cuisines. After lunch we leisurely strolled around the market area. The area was full of tourists - some arriving, some leaving. There were also shops selling Kolhapuri chappals, chikki, cane products, forest honey and handicrafts.
By 2:30 p.m. we were all set to explore Matheran. It is a calm hill station near Mumbai, with no vehicles which makes it even more peaceful. Situated at an altitude of 800 mt, Matheran offers stunning views of the Sahayadri ranges, the waterfalls especially in rainy season and 38 peaks that offer the best views of the hill station.
ROAMING AROUND MATHERAN
We walked from one point to another through the red mud road and deep forest. Those who cannot walk can hire a horse. The signboards will guide you from one point to another. Once I was out of the market area, I was able to breathe the clean mountain air.
Monkeys and their families occasionally crossed our way. It is better not to carry any food items in our hand as there is a possibility that you might be encountered by a group of monkeys . Occasionally, the horses walked blowing the red soil which created little trouble for walkers.
After two kms of walking, we reached Charlotte Lake which is the main source of water supply to the area. On its left is Pisarnath temple. Echo Point, Louisa Point are on the right side of this lake.
We had a halt at each point. Small stalls selling black berries fruit, chips, biscuits, lemon water, tea, roasted corn etc were seen along the way. We spent more time at Echo point. As the name suggests, Echo point reverberates what you speak from top. We quitely sat down at the edge of hill and I found the beautiful scene of the rolling green hills at a distance
We walked through the wilderness, steep valleys, forest, calmness and could hear birds chirping along the way. We stopped at Lousia point for a while so that we could again recharge ourself. There were lot of people when we reached Lousia point. The area is fenced with iron rail rods. Most of the people taking selfies had their backs turned to the view.
We sat on a classic rock promontory at Lousia point. A gap allows you through a small path to the top of the rock. When we were leaving the place, thers were other people waiting to enter the place.
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| Louisa Point |
On the left side of the point, we could see Lion head. I was surprised to see these unspoilt manifestation of nature.
The vast green valleys look scary, but it is a treat for the eyes.
You will get a clear view of ruined forts of Prabal and Vishalgarh from Lousia point. One can see Neral on the east and Panvel on the west from here. There were a lot of people taking pictures or getting pictures taken of themselves.
Our cloths and shoes got soiled with red-colored soil by the end of the walk. We covered majority of points which includes King George point, Lord point, Rambagh point, Alexander point, Echo point, Charlotte lake, Louisa point and Sunset point.
The sun had just began to set. We rushed to sunset point. In the distance, the sky turned in a blaze of orange, red and dark blue shade as the sun set behind the hills. It eluded me and my camera.
It was already dark when we reached the main market. As the sun went down, it seemed like Matheran was going to sleep too.
By 8:00 p.m. we returned from Matheran. Since vehicles are banned inside Matheran, we walked upto Dasturi Naka and then travelled by taxi to reach Neral station
Everything in this place right from beautiful scenery and fresh air is enjoyable . I recommend this beautiful hill station of Matheran on your must visit place.
