Amar Holidays - MATHERAN

Mumbai Lifestyle Holidays

A Memorable Experience

Amar Holidays
903, Amorina Heights
Shankarseth Road, Grant Road West
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400007
India
amar@amar-relocation.com

MATHERAN

MATHERAN Meaning 'forest on top' . The cliffs of Matheran with incredibly steep drops to the plains below offer stunning viewing points. These panoramic vistas, by day and night, leave you feeling light headed. The clean crisp air will greet you as you wind up your way to Matheran leaving all the dust, heat and humidity behind. A back to nature kind of environment, Matheran is very less polluted and a quiet place as no vehicles are allowed inside the city.

Situated at an altitude of 800 mt this picturesque hill station is the nearest to Mumbai, lying 104 km away. It is an undulating hilltop cloaked in shady trees and ringed by walking tracks leading to lookouts that drop sheer to the plains. Matheran truely is Maharashtra's one of the most beautiful and well maintained hill station. The availability of road and railway have made it accessible to all people irrespective of their age. Also the ban on motor vehicles inside Matheran have helped to preserve its beauty and keep intact its natural touch.

The presence of hotel's and lodging boarding facilities have made it possible to have a multiday stay in Matheran and thoroughly enjoy nature's beauty. Due to ban on motor vehicles in Matheran the modes of transport in Martheran are limited to horses and rickshaws (pulled by humans), however seeing thevarious points in Matheran by walking is equally enjoyable.

Tourist Attractions In Matheran

The beauty of Matheran lies in the countryside. Shady trees, steep cliffs, meandering brook, hushed waterfall, red soil, and velvet moss are quite a common scene here and stretches for miles together. Matheran have 33 view points from where the Sahyadri hills and the valleys below could be observed. Heart Point, .

The favorite attraction of Matheran is the toy train ride. Through the twists and turns of the hilly track this journey unfolds a new beauty every moment. One Kiss Tunnel is the most visited tourist point on this train journey through the cliffs of the Western Ghats.

The old world charm of the British and Parsi home capitavtes you all the way up to the Charlotte Lake. Sprawling languidly at an altitude of 800 metres is Matheran - an undulating hilltop cloaked in green. Toy train journey, Sight seeing on Horse Riding are the unique here. Panorama Point (Sunrise Point), Porcupine Point (Sunset Point), One tree Hill, Garbut Point, Rambag Point, Charlotte Lake, Monkey Point, Malang Point, and Echo Point are bound to steal your heart away with the magnificent view of the majestic sunrise and sunset

Location
A popular getaway for people from Mumbai and Pune, Matheran is a quiet hill station located on the Sahyadri range, at an altitude of 800 mts. Matheran has been listed by the Union Environment Ministry as an eco-sensitive region and is connected to the closest town of Neral by a narrow gauge railway, operating since 1907. As no vehicles are allowed in Matheran, one has to drive up to Dasturi Point, 11kms ahead of Matheran, from where you could reach the main bazaar either by foot or on pony.
Matheran is situated in the Matheran range of sahyadris at a height of 2516 feet. To reach Matheran one has to first reach Neral. Neral is well connected to Mumbai by rail and road. From Neral Matheran can be reached by a narrow gauge railway or by taxies. Railway function normally in summer and winter sseason but there is only one train to Matheran in winter.
Overview Of Matheran
This beautiful jungle on top of Sahyadri mountains is one of the best weekend destinations in Maharashtra. Matheran is about 2625 feet above sea level. It is located about 100 km from Mumbai. Matheran is green throughout the year but its a visual beauty post monsoons with lush greenery, waterfalls and Charlotte lake full with water. The weather is pleasantly cold throughout the year. Thousands of visitors visit the place every week but as it is being declared as eco sensitive zone by environment ministry the amount of pollution is much less as compared many other hill stations.
Undulating hills, dense forest, waterfalls, scenic toy train, no traffic -- and all this less than two hours from Mumbai. What more could you want? Matheran, a popular escape from Mumbai, is the closest hill station to the city. The toy train will slowly take you up to the top, where for a pleasant change in India, no vehicles are allowed. Dirt roads, and horse and cart transport, add to the old-style charm of this place. It's really worth spending a few days in Matheran just enjoying the serenity, nature walks, and panoramic views. However, if possible try and avoid visiting on weekends when the Mumbai masses flock there.
Activities & Things To Do
Toy train journey, Sight seeing on Horse Riding are the unique here.
Hotels & Resorts
- All Grade A hotels have Swimming pool, AC or Non-AC Rooms, & are 3-5 star hotels.
- Grade B hotels do not have a Swimming pool, & offer AC or Non-AC Rooms.
- Grade C hotels are economy grade hotels & offer simple clean rooms at reasonable tariffs.
Brightland Resort
Kumar Plaza
Green Hill Resort
Hotel Riviera
Richie Rich Resort
Anand Ritz Resort
Hotel Regal
The Byke

Horseland Resort
Hotel Panorama
Lords Central Hotel
Hotel Usha Ascot
Amid the green Jambol forest, situated at 803 meters (2,636 ft) above sea level, Matheran is the most splendid hill-station in Maharashtra. It covers an area of 8 square kilometers in Sahyadris. Its pastoral beauty is especially pristine thanks to a blanket motor transport ban.

This lovely spot was discovered in 1850 by Hugh Poyntz Malet, the collector of Thane district. He was camping around the village of Chowk, when on hill top he stopped for a drink of water from a spring - which still bears his name.

Matheran grew more accessible and popular under the patronage of Lord Elphinstone, the Governor of Bombay. He visited Matheran in 1855 and was mesmerized. He chose a beautiful site for a bungalow and named the mansion Elphinstone Lodge. He introduced roadways and, in 1907, opened a mountain railway for the first time. A quaint little train chugs slowly for miles along this track. The toy train journey takes you through spectacular grassy hills sides, plains, sheer cliffs, plateau and thick forest cover.

The best season to visit Matheran is between October and May. The Sahyadris attract the monsoon clouds and see heavy rainfalls every year. The hill-station is at its best during the tail-end of monsoons. The season of breathtaking waterfalls, mist covered valleys, dew dripped greenery and floating clouds.

Matheran is dotted with around 33 lookout points - from where you get spectacular view of the plains below or across the Western Ghats. You can hike your way to these through the woodlands. Panorama Point, 5 kms. north of the post office, has the finest view. Below lies Neral, to the west, Mumbai and north are the Ghats. The sunrise and sunsets here are very dramatic. Hart Point and Monkey Point look down on the plains. Porcupine Point is mostly crowded during sunset, so to avoid the rush, consider Panorama Point. Coronation Point, to the south, marked the ceremony of King Edward VII in 1903. You could visit a small Hanuman temple, at 'Hashya Cha Patti' village, a short walk away from Malang Point. To the west of the post office, Lousia Point shows off a beautiful plateau and the ruins of the Prabal Fort. Hear your own voice thrown back at you at Echo Point. One Tree Point, Shivaji's Ladder and Chowk Point are also worth a look. To the east, Rambagh lies just two kilometers away, looking straight onto Khandala and Karjat. You can see Chowk valley and the Ulhas river from Alexander Point. Khandala Point and Mount Barry are a couple of other worthy sight seeing spots.