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No other weekend getaway in Maharashtra will give you the solace as Matheran does. Nestled in the woods just at the end of the hundredth milestone from Mumbai, this tiny town is the country’s one of the most pollution free hill stations. The calmness of nature hasn’t been disturbed by vehicles, and it boasts of the fact that no wheel has ever touched its virgin soil. The gate of the town named Dasturi Naka signals all vehicles to be parked and you have to either enter on foot or on horseback. If you are thinking how to reach Matheran, then the best route is via Neral. From Neral to Matheran the distance is just 11 kilometres. Matheran has a narrow gauge railway line and a small station where a toy train runs up and down on one single line. The same train that goes from Matheran to Neral comes back to Matheran. The journey on the toy train engulfs you with an exquisite view of the entire hill that it has climbed and it can leave you jaw-dropped by its steepness. If you are travelling from Mumbai then you can reach Neral by any train that runs between it and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (Victoria Terminus). You can hire a cab or a car that would cost you as little as Rs. 50 per head or you can book the entire car for Rs. 300, if you want to drive privately. Travelling on a toy train is a more adventurous option if you are the kind of person who loves to look out of a train window and feel ecstatic that you left the luxury of a car for a joyride. Toy train would cost you a cheaper price too and a ticket would cost you only Rs. 20. Do keep in mind that the last train that runs from Neral to Matheran is at 5:00 P.M. and booking commences 45 minutes prior to the departure timing, so if you miss that then the only option is to hire a cab. If you are wondering how to reach Matheran by a toy train, this is for you to know that you will take approximately one and a half hours. The train would drop you at the Neral station from where you have to hire a horse or a hand pulled rickshaw or choose to walk to the centre of the town. The distance from the outskirt till the Chikki Mart or main market is 3 kilometres. On both sides of the road there are shops that sell everything from leather hats to delicious local nutty delights. Tourists often flock around the shops to buy a souvenir that would remind them of the visit to this uncommon place. Inside Matheran the horse rides and the rickshaws are the only options of travelling. The journey between Neral and Matheran brings you very close to nature and you learn to become one with it while you are on the wheels.Learn all about the places to visit in Matheran and also how to reach Matheran the best way.
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