Matheran is situated at a height of 803 m above sea level. Since 1907, a small gauge railway line connects Matheran to Neral in the plains. Motor vehicles are completely banned in Matheran (Venice and Matheran are probably the only places in the world where motor cars are banned), making it quite peaceful despite the thousands of visitors that come here, mostly from Mumbai. There are a number of lookout points that provide spectacular views of the surrounding hills and valleys. Matheran is a plateau with a resonably dense forest cover. Being a hill station it is pleasant almost throughout the year. In winter, the nights can get a bit chilly though. The best time to go to Matheran is post-monsoon. It is truly spectacular at this time of the year with lush greenery, waterfalls and the lake full with water

How to Get There : -

By train

You can catch a Karjat bound local train from CST on the Central Railway to Neral Station. From Neral Station , there is a toy train which runs to Matheran about 4 times in a day. Alternately, there are many share-a-cabs which take you to matheran from Neral.The Distane from Neral to Dasturi Point(last point to which vehicles are allowed in Matheran)is 8 km.

The drivers that ply through the roads have immaculate driving skills, so a real advice here is not to keep eyeing the blind turns and foot-to-brake co-ordination, but to just enjoy the breath-taking views as you climb up towards the Dasturi point.

 By car

Cars are not allowed within Matheran. However you can drive up and park your car at Dasturi Point. From here it is a 30 min walk/horseback/Man-pulled rickshaw to Matheran along a mud track.

Get Around : -

As motor vehicles are banned, there are two ways of getting around in Matheran.

By walk -All the trails have signboards marking the way and the locals are quite helpful.

>>On horseback
>>Man-pulled Rickshaw

Some Popular Points to See : -

• Panorama Point
• Heart Point
• Monkey Point
• Malang Point
• Luisa Point
• Honeymoon Hill
• Echo Point
• Charlotte Lake
• Lords Point
• One tree Hill
• Olympia
• Paymasters Park
• Mount Barry
• Artist Point
• Khandala Point
• Alexandar Point
• Rambaug Point
• Little Chowk Point
• Chowk Point
• Sunset(Porcupine) Point
• Garbut point
• Panorama point - This point is a very beautiful one, for you can see a panoramic view of the hills on the left and a beautiful ulhas river to the right. This point is too far from matheran, and only one road leads to it, but you get a good price for your travel. This point is perfect for Sunrise and is also called "Sunrise Point."
• Heart point - Here one can see a beautiful scene of the valley and this point looks like heart, so it is named so.
• Monkey point - Here you can see the monkeys in large numbers and their mischieves lifely sized.

Activities :

Due to the prohibition of cars, Matheran is a relatively peaceful place. So walking is an activity that will be richly rewarding. There are numerous points all over Matheran, some of which provide some fantastic views of the valley below.

Horse riding is also quite popular way of getting around in Matheran. Finding a horse is not very difficult, as there are many of them around. It is a great way to travel for people who prefer not to walk.

Fooding and Drinking Point : -

There are all kinds of restaurants in Matheran serving various cuisines. Try the Maharashtrian style Vada-Pav (Indian Burger)which is available at the various points. Also, try the chikki which is available in different flavors in the main market.

There are all kinds of restaurants in Matheran serving various drinks, try the unique Kokam Sherbat there.