One day trip to Matheran
Matheran is a hill station in the Raigard district in the state of Maharashtra. Located in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 2625 feet, Matheran is 90 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune. It is the smallest hill station in India and the name Matheran literally means “forest on the head of the mountain”.
Being an eco sensitive region, Matheran is one of the few places where vehicles are not allowed and maintains a fragile environment .Those wanting to visit Matheran has to take up a pony or hand pulled rickshaws.
There are many look-out points in Matheran, including the Panorama Point that provides the view of sunset and sunrise and the Neral town. The other points are the One Tree Hill Point, Hart Point, Monkey Point, Porcupine Point and Rambagh Point.
The Matheran hill railway covers a distance of 20 km offers daily trains to Neral. The major attraction is the slow train that chugs up the hill in the midst of pristine natural beauty; Matheran peak is visible from here. Dasturi Point, 11 km from Matheran, has the main bazaar. Mount Berry is a popular tourist destination that is located 5 km from Matheran. Charlotte Lake is one of the most picturesque spots in Matheran. There is the ancient Pisarnath Temple on the right side of the lake and the two picnic spots Louisa point and Echo point are located on the left side of the lake.
There are around 38 different lookout points in Matheran from where tourists can view the amazing beautiful valley. Alexander Pt., Rambagh Pt., Little Chowk Pt etc. are the different points to see and visit. Activities like valley crossing by a rope and racecourse can be experienced .There are many walking paths for easy walk.