Some quick facts
- It’s supposed to be about 800 meters above sea level
- Exactly 100 kilometers from the Governor’s bungalow in South Bombay to Dasturi
- Dasturi is the car park in the 'forest' of Matheran and the last point where any vehicle can go till when visiting Matheran
- Neral is the closest railway station and when going from Bombay, one needs to take a ‘local’ train on the Central line
- It’s about a 10 kilometer drive from Neral to Dasturi. Lots of ‘private taxi’s’ are available here to get to the top and given how steep it is, it’s about a 30 minute drive up the slope/hill
- There is also the option of the ‘toy train’ that starts from Neral and takes you straight into the heart of Matheran – the ‘market’. Mind you, this journey is a little longer as the train is slow and goes around parts of the mountain before finally getting to the top. This could take 2 to 3 hours. Having said, it is one of the main attractions of this hill station
What’s so unique?
It’s the only ‘hill station’ in India where automobiles aren’t allowed. In other words, it is clean, green, quiet and therefore an ideal way to get away from ‘city’ life. There are no tar roads and only mud tracks.
How does one get around?
Horseback, hand carts and on foot. In fact, horseback riding is one of the main attractions (other than the fact that there are no vehicles allowed) of this hill station.
Food stuff?
The food here is predominantly vegetarian with a mix of maharashtrain and gujarati food. Lots to choose from but undoubtedly the most famous dish is the ‘vada (fried potato with onion and garlic) pav (bread) served with lassun (garlic) powder chutney.’
Other famous dishes include misal, usal and jalebis. The first two are difficult to describe but could be spicy and therefore go well with the last, which is a deep fried sugary dish. Given Matheran’s proximity to Bombay and the predominance of gujaratis in this part of the world, coupled with their fascination for food, most places around here tend to cater to gujaratis. Thus, it’s mainly vegetarian food that is served in most places.
There are several ‘points’ in Matheran one can visit and the more popular one’s tend to have a standard offering of vada pavs, nimbu (lemon) paani (water). Some of the places that one must try out these dishes are – Madhavji point (located in the market), Echo point and Charlotte Lake.
Eating joints?
Ketkar: amongst the oldest restaurants here and situated in the market. Fantastic Indian/maharashtrain/gujarati fast food. If you can overlook the hygiene factor then the vada pav, jalebi, poha (rice) and missal are a must. Even recommend their version of ‘nescafe’. Typical cost of a dish is between rs. 5 to 10.
Sakville: this too is an age old fast food joint here with a selection of non-vegetarian dishes also. Located in the market, their specialty – the espresso coffee for rs.10.
Gujarat Bhavan: as the name suggests, it serves gujarati food as an ‘all-u-can-eat thali’ and is priced at rs.150. It’s high on quality and offers a range of choices in terms of curries/veggies, sweet dishes and appetizers.
Regal: similar to Gujarat Bhavan, also serves a gujarati thali.
Hotels?
There are, unfortunately, quite a few places to stay. Unfortunately because these developments/structures have come at the expense of the forestation and are often an individuals’ version of a ‘modern’ structure/hotel. Mind you, don’t expect anything fancy. 3 stars at best even in the best of places. There is the old Matheran / authentic charm that some structures have and then there are the new ‘hotels’. I’m sure you will be able to tell the difference.
So here is the scoop on some of the places that I’ve personally seen / checked out but not necessarily stayed, for obvious reasons.
The Byke: considered the best hotel in Matheran with several cottage kind of accommodations which are painted in bright colors (such as pink) and in the midst of some thick forestation. The rooms are definitely cleaner and the overall quality a notch above the rest of the hotels in Matheran. It is pricey however and you could be paying as much as rs.4,000 for a night to begin with.
