The exotic hill station - Matheran

Matheran is one of the smallest hill stations in Maharashtra. It is one of the top monsoon destinations in Maharashtra and also among popular hill stations near Mumbai & Pune for a weekend trip. Matheran, which means “forest on the forehead” is an eco-sensitive region located on the Western Ghats range at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level. 

We wanted a break on a long weekend, so decided to visit Matheran. The travel time was around 3 hours by car from Mumbai. There are plenty of resorts available for stay. We reached in the morning around 11 AM so that we can check in on time. We checked in, kept our stuff in hotel, had lunch at the Hotel and went out for sight seeing. 

Day 1

Our first place of visit was the Charlotte Lake. Located about 2 km from the Post Office, Lake Charlotte offers some stunning views of the serene lake and the reddish brown mountain ranges. 

The birds flying over the lake add to the charm and natural beauty of the lake. On its left, there is a an ancient temple of Pisharath and on its right there is the Echo point and Louisa point.

Matheran is full of the Lookout Points and all of them are a must visit. Some people prefer to traverse via a horse ride, we preferred walking. These lookout points in Matheran offer picturesque views of the Western Ghats and lush plains dotted with villages far below. In total there are 28 such points, more popular ones being Panorama point, Rambagh point, Alexander point, Hart point and the One Tree Hill point.

King George Point is situated between the Echo Point and Charlotte Lake in Matheran Hill Station. Echo Point is one of the famous points of interest in Matheran hill station and it offers wonderful view of the surroundings. As the name suggests, Echo Point is the place where one can hear the echoes from the mountains. Louisa Point is one of the prime viewpoints of Matheran which provides beautiful views of the surrounding area. Panorama point has the the most spectacular views and it's a popular place to watch the sun rise. Rambagh point is is another famous point and from this point you can view Garbut Point, Karjat Town and Khandala Point. The Hart point should be visited after sunset to get the spectacular views of Mumbai at night.

Day 2

We continued our sightseeing left from Day 1. One tree point has a single Jambhul tree perched at the top. From here you can see Chowk Village, Panvel City and Mumbai-Pune Highway. Little Chowk Point is located towards the southernmost tip of Matheran Hill Station. The point gets its name from the Chowk town below which can be viewed from this point. From the Alexander point you can see Garbut Point, Borgaon Village, Rambaug Point, Towers of Bhivpuri Power House, Karjat Palasdari Lake and Chowk Point. 

We decided for Paragliding on the second day. The high hills of Matheran are quite famous for paragliding and are one of the best locations for those who dare to fly away into the clouds, providing an exhilarating experience. We then moved on to Valley Crossing! This is definitely a must-do adventurous activity in Matheran. Valley crossing is done on a U-shaped mountain, from the Honeymoon point.