Nature’s Symphony in Matheran
A serene, unpolluted, eco-sensitive “popular” hill station near Mumbai. Unbelievable! This was my reaction when my husband told me all about the tiniest hill station in the country and Asia’s only pedestrian hill station. Matheran.
Surfing the internet for more information on this favorite holiday destination for tourists from all over the world got me interested in this “Forest on Top” located at an altitude of 800m above sea level. I learned that all fuel-driven vehicles, except for emergency vehicles, are banned from this little town. This is its USP. Horses, ponies and hand-pulled carts are the only means of transport. The architecture is typically colonial and civilization and economics haven’t mutilated the old world charm which is present everywhere. Thank God for that!!
Eager to experience all this and since there was an upcoming extended weekend, we decided on spending it at this quaint place. It’s quite easy to get there actually as Matheran is well connected with nearby Mumbai and Pune. One can drive down all the way to Dasturi Naka which is the entry point to Matheran or take a local train to Neral, the nearest railway station. From there, trekkers follow the tar pitched road to Dasturi Naka; the others hop on to the mini train which takes around 2 hours to cover the 21 km distance.
One our way to Neral, someone informed us that a 24 hr share taxi service to Dasturi Naka was available at a short distance from the station charging a fare of Rs. 50 each, which seemed quite reasonable. Anyway, one can’t really haggle here! Trekking did seem a little arduous and there was a long queue for the mini train. So we hopped in, sharing the taxi with 3 others. Since it was just after the monsoons and just before the onset of winter, the landscape was picturesque. Warm sunshine, cascading waterfalls and lush green vegetation; what more could one ask for?? The climate was pleasant and humidity almost negligent. The tar pitched road did have a few twists and turns and a couple of hairpin bends which were overcome quite smoothly by our experienced driver, without any discomfort to our systems.
The cab dropped us off at Dasturi Naka, the entry point to Matheran, 2 km away. We were told that those traveling to Matheran by road from Mumbai or Pune have to park their vehicles here in the parking lot and pay a nominal parking fee on a daily basis.
As for us, we hoisted up our backpacks (how thankful I was now on taking my better half’s advice to travel light!) as we made our way into Matheran via foot. We were warned that it would be a good half hour walk but were also assured that we wouldn’t regret it. Our fellow passengers opted for horseback and we left them haggling. A few others had hopped onto the brightly painted hand pulled cart with their luggage firmly placed along with them at their feet. I noticed that these carts can accommodate only one person at a time. As for us, we were directed towards the mini train track where we joined several others and trudged along a little till we started feeling quite hungry as we hadn’t eaten anything yet. Sitting down on a wayside cemented platform under a dense leafy canopy, we took out our little picnic basket which had been safeguarded so far from the monkeys. Now don’t be alarmed; they are quite harmless otherwise. Keeping our eyes peeled, we settled down to munch on our delicious sandwiches with a hot cuppa alongside. No one really bothered us as they passed by. Quite an enjoyable experience I must say… of just being ourselves in a shady forest without a care in the world, munching away!
Once done, we dusted off the crumbs and set off again. Believe me, nothing, absolutely nothing compares to walking along a mini train track, hopping over sleepers, following a leafy path with the sunlight flittering in through the leaves. The horses and carts follow another longer, uneven path. I do advise wearing sturdy shoes for walking. The path we were on did provide us with a panoramic view of the scenic landscape dotted with mist–laden hills, seemingly close enough to touch!
Time flew by and just when I was beginning to tire, the path opened up into a little clearing and we caught sight of a few cottages and Matheran station. Yes! we had finally arrived.
We had to walk on a little more to get to our hotel which was at the furthest end of the crowded Bazaar road. The shops were doing roaring business. Its season time after all! Several popular hotels jostled to fit in with the shops. The horses and carts were moving to and fro, ferrying passengers. A busy time for everyone!
Finally, we arrived at Hope Hall (Tel: 02148-230253, 230193)). The owner, Maria, welcomed us and showed us around the place. She has used colours quite subtly all over the hotel which was sight for sore eyes and tired feet and put us in the holiday spirit right away!
Setting down our bags in our room, we immediately set out to explore this “Forest on Top”. Our first stop was the nearby, colourful Bazaar. What caught my eye immediately was a pretty wide-brimmed hat and I went ahead and bought it. Now I was protected from the sunlight on my face. A few stalls had colourful, but sturdy, handmade leather sandals and shoes on display and we picked up a pair each. The dried flowers would later find their pride of place at home. And the chikki and fudge was a treat to die for! What varieties and flavours!! We bought loads of chikki; it being the local product, the fudge was eaten right away.
The Bazaar road has a red laterite road running through it and I noticed the same red soil all over Matheran but don’t get discouraged if you find traces of it on your feet. It washes off quite easily.
As for a rumbling tummy, one needn’t worry too much as there are several restaurants catering to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian palates. Stopping for lunch at Gujarat Bhavan was a good decision as they serve an unlimited supply of Gujarati dishes to delight any vegetarian palate. They also offer lodging facilities with holiday package stay.
Post lunch, we went for a short walk to Charlotte Lake and were lucky enough to find a log of wood by the lake to sit on. The reflection of the clear blue sky in the calm, still waters, the peacefulness, the trees surrounding the lake; nature in all its glory all around and we were in its midst, lucky enough to experience all of it.
Matheran also provides a dual experience of sunrises and sunsets and both are exquisite to witness. The other tourist spots (or points) can be covered on horseback or carts as most tourists did; we preferred to walk and find our way around.
Dinner was by the poolside. Since winter was setting in, the evenings were slightly chilly and a light shawl or cardigan provided enough warmth to ward off the chill.
We were told that this little town experiences a drop in tourist traffic during the monsoons due to the heavy rainfall. Also, as none of the paths are tarred, the whole area turns muddy and slippery making it difficult to move around freely. The place virtually shuts down during this time.
Our last day was spent exploring the surrounding forests, listening to the sound of whispering leaves, watching the sunlight playing peek-a-boo through the leaves, sidestepping the passing horses, feeling the cool breeze on our faces, crushing dried leaves beneath our feet, the twittering birds, savouring country living! Where would we get this all this in the city?? Even the silence was welcome, it brought a sense of peace with it. One tends to believe that all’s well with the world, enveloped in this little corner, away from all cares and worries. This enveloping silence was occasionally broken by the laughter and chatter of passing fellow tourists.
Soon, time beckoned and reminded us that everything has to end at sometime or the other and the time had arrived for us to leave this quaint town and return home. The holiday ended too soon. We were reluctant to leave but reality struck and Monday morning responsibilities came to the forefront. We packed our bags and hoisted them up once again. This time, on the long walk down, we were silent, taking in the final few moments with this peaceful town. The trip had left a lasting impression on us to carry home. We did make another trip there as soon as we possibly could. But that brought a different set of memories and is another story to tell! Ciao!
Surfing the internet for more information on this favorite holiday destination for tourists from all over the world got me interested in this “Forest on Top” located at an altitude of 800m above sea level. I learned that all fuel-driven vehicles, except for emergency vehicles, are banned from this little town. This is its USP. Horses, ponies and hand-pulled carts are the only means of transport. The architecture is typically colonial and civilization and economics haven’t mutilated the old world charm which is present everywhere. Thank God for that!!
Eager to experience all this and since there was an upcoming extended weekend, we decided on spending it at this quaint place. It’s quite easy to get there actually as Matheran is well connected with nearby Mumbai and Pune. One can drive down all the way to Dasturi Naka which is the entry point to Matheran or take a local train to Neral, the nearest railway station. From there, trekkers follow the tar pitched road to Dasturi Naka; the others hop on to the mini train which takes around 2 hours to cover the 21 km distance.
One our way to Neral, someone informed us that a 24 hr share taxi service to Dasturi Naka was available at a short distance from the station charging a fare of Rs. 50 each, which seemed quite reasonable. Anyway, one can’t really haggle here! Trekking did seem a little arduous and there was a long queue for the mini train. So we hopped in, sharing the taxi with 3 others. Since it was just after the monsoons and just before the onset of winter, the landscape was picturesque. Warm sunshine, cascading waterfalls and lush green vegetation; what more could one ask for?? The climate was pleasant and humidity almost negligent. The tar pitched road did have a few twists and turns and a couple of hairpin bends which were overcome quite smoothly by our experienced driver, without any discomfort to our systems.
The cab dropped us off at Dasturi Naka, the entry point to Matheran, 2 km away. We were told that those traveling to Matheran by road from Mumbai or Pune have to park their vehicles here in the parking lot and pay a nominal parking fee on a daily basis.
As for us, we hoisted up our backpacks (how thankful I was now on taking my better half’s advice to travel light!) as we made our way into Matheran via foot. We were warned that it would be a good half hour walk but were also assured that we wouldn’t regret it. Our fellow passengers opted for horseback and we left them haggling. A few others had hopped onto the brightly painted hand pulled cart with their luggage firmly placed along with them at their feet. I noticed that these carts can accommodate only one person at a time. As for us, we were directed towards the mini train track where we joined several others and trudged along a little till we started feeling quite hungry as we hadn’t eaten anything yet. Sitting down on a wayside cemented platform under a dense leafy canopy, we took out our little picnic basket which had been safeguarded so far from the monkeys. Now don’t be alarmed; they are quite harmless otherwise. Keeping our eyes peeled, we settled down to munch on our delicious sandwiches with a hot cuppa alongside. No one really bothered us as they passed by. Quite an enjoyable experience I must say… of just being ourselves in a shady forest without a care in the world, munching away!
Once done, we dusted off the crumbs and set off again. Believe me, nothing, absolutely nothing compares to walking along a mini train track, hopping over sleepers, following a leafy path with the sunlight flittering in through the leaves. The horses and carts follow another longer, uneven path. I do advise wearing sturdy shoes for walking. The path we were on did provide us with a panoramic view of the scenic landscape dotted with mist–laden hills, seemingly close enough to touch!
Time flew by and just when I was beginning to tire, the path opened up into a little clearing and we caught sight of a few cottages and Matheran station. Yes! we had finally arrived.
We had to walk on a little more to get to our hotel which was at the furthest end of the crowded Bazaar road. The shops were doing roaring business. Its season time after all! Several popular hotels jostled to fit in with the shops. The horses and carts were moving to and fro, ferrying passengers. A busy time for everyone!
Finally, we arrived at Hope Hall (Tel: 02148-230253, 230193)). The owner, Maria, welcomed us and showed us around the place. She has used colours quite subtly all over the hotel which was sight for sore eyes and tired feet and put us in the holiday spirit right away!
Setting down our bags in our room, we immediately set out to explore this “Forest on Top”. Our first stop was the nearby, colourful Bazaar. What caught my eye immediately was a pretty wide-brimmed hat and I went ahead and bought it. Now I was protected from the sunlight on my face. A few stalls had colourful, but sturdy, handmade leather sandals and shoes on display and we picked up a pair each. The dried flowers would later find their pride of place at home. And the chikki and fudge was a treat to die for! What varieties and flavours!! We bought loads of chikki; it being the local product, the fudge was eaten right away.
The Bazaar road has a red laterite road running through it and I noticed the same red soil all over Matheran but don’t get discouraged if you find traces of it on your feet. It washes off quite easily.
As for a rumbling tummy, one needn’t worry too much as there are several restaurants catering to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian palates. Stopping for lunch at Gujarat Bhavan was a good decision as they serve an unlimited supply of Gujarati dishes to delight any vegetarian palate. They also offer lodging facilities with holiday package stay.
Post lunch, we went for a short walk to Charlotte Lake and were lucky enough to find a log of wood by the lake to sit on. The reflection of the clear blue sky in the calm, still waters, the peacefulness, the trees surrounding the lake; nature in all its glory all around and we were in its midst, lucky enough to experience all of it.
Matheran also provides a dual experience of sunrises and sunsets and both are exquisite to witness. The other tourist spots (or points) can be covered on horseback or carts as most tourists did; we preferred to walk and find our way around.
Dinner was by the poolside. Since winter was setting in, the evenings were slightly chilly and a light shawl or cardigan provided enough warmth to ward off the chill.
We were told that this little town experiences a drop in tourist traffic during the monsoons due to the heavy rainfall. Also, as none of the paths are tarred, the whole area turns muddy and slippery making it difficult to move around freely. The place virtually shuts down during this time.
Our last day was spent exploring the surrounding forests, listening to the sound of whispering leaves, watching the sunlight playing peek-a-boo through the leaves, sidestepping the passing horses, feeling the cool breeze on our faces, crushing dried leaves beneath our feet, the twittering birds, savouring country living! Where would we get this all this in the city?? Even the silence was welcome, it brought a sense of peace with it. One tends to believe that all’s well with the world, enveloped in this little corner, away from all cares and worries. This enveloping silence was occasionally broken by the laughter and chatter of passing fellow tourists.
Soon, time beckoned and reminded us that everything has to end at sometime or the other and the time had arrived for us to leave this quaint town and return home. The holiday ended too soon. We were reluctant to leave but reality struck and Monday morning responsibilities came to the forefront. We packed our bags and hoisted them up once again. This time, on the long walk down, we were silent, taking in the final few moments with this peaceful town. The trip had left a lasting impression on us to carry home. We did make another trip there as soon as we possibly could. But that brought a different set of memories and is another story to tell! Ciao!
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