Matheran Tour

 Matheran Hill Station Tour

Car Rental Service for Matheran Darshan

We are the best in the city for providing the Matheran tour rental service. The best option for traveling for the Matheran tour is to book a cab that can be done with ease with our online booking mobile Shaline Cab App.

Instruction: Booking by mobile Apps

The pickup location will be Mumbai cities 50km and Enter drop Location same pickup address to get the package in Mobile App.

Select in Mobile App: Matheran Tour 1(D)

Now you do not need to have a stressful journey by bus when you can travel in the comfort of the AC car by hiring a taxi for the Matheran tour. We can help you avoid all the hassles of traveling on public transport. Choose us for Matheran tour Rental services. With excellent services, you can now book your cabs in Matheran for Airport Taxi, City Taxi, Rental Taxi, Outstation, and Oneway trips. We have a wide range of taxis to travel to Matheran Tour. Just by paying a nominal booking amount, you can book your AC car.

To See Video click the Link Below👇Matheran One Day Trip
https://youtu.be/ZlVfhKMwCXA

Matheran Packages Details

Matheran is an automobile-free hill station and a municipal council in the Karjat taluka of the Raigad district located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Matheran is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and one of the smallest hill stations in India. It is located in the Western Ghats, at an elevation of around 800 m (2,625 feet) above sea level. It is about 90 km from Mumbai, and 120 km from Pune. This proximity to these urban areas makes it a weekend getaway for many. Matheran, which means “forest on the forehead” (of the mountains) in Marathi, is an eco-sensitive region, declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. It is Asia’s only automobile-free hill station.

There are many hotels and Parsi bungalows in the area. Old British colonial architecture is preserved in Matheran. The roads are made of red laterite earth.

History

Purple Flowers at Matheran
Matheran in 1874

Matheran map of 1911
Matheran was identified by Hugh Poyntz Malet, the then district collector of Raigad district in the May of 1850. Lord Elphinstone, the then Governor of Bombay laid the foundations of the development as a future hill station. The British developed Matheran as a getaway from the regional summer heat. It is also the birthplace of freedom fighter Veer Bhai Kotwal.

The Matheran Railway

The Matheran Hill Railway was built in 1907 by Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy and covers a distance of 20 km (12 mi), through forest land. The railway was inspected by UNESCO officials, but failed to make it to the list of the World Heritage Sites. India’s other Hill Railways like the Darjeeling Railway, the Kangra Valley Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway are already on the list.

Old steam engine of the Matheran Toy Train

The Toy train was shut down for the most part in 2016 and 2017. It became re-operational since 26 January 2018 and was e-inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis. However, it was temporarily suspended again after a landslide in the 2019. Thereafter, it operates shuttle rides between Aman Lodge and Matheran Station on an hourly basis.

Soil and rocks

Geographically the rock types are solely composed of Deccan trap with inter trappeans of Cretaceous, Eoceuerage and laterites of a still younger age. The rock is basalt, which has given rise to secondary alteration known as laterite. The laterite predominates the hills and almost covers the hilltops. This makes the hard exposed surfaces of the laterite show red gravelly earth. The soil has a vermicular or pisolitic structure and contains a large amount of water. There is little soil cover over most of the hilltop. The topmost layer of rock is a soft porous iron-clay, through which there is drainage of water by the beginning of summer.[citation needed]

Forest and vegetation

Semi-evergreen forests are present in the Matheran. The trees are evergreen, making the plateau forests very dense and even congested in places. The laterite, porous soil along with very heavy rainfall mixed with dense fog has resulted in unique flora rich in diversity on the plateau. The forests show vegetation in top, middle and ground storeys. The trees form a cover over a large variety of shade-loving herbs, climbers, ferns and mosses. The forests of Matheran have attracted many botanists: Smyth J.Y.(1871), Birdwood H.M. (1886) and (1896), Cooke T. (1887–1901), Woodrow G.M. (1897–1901), Irani N.A.(1962), Satyanarayann & Mudliar (1959), Vartak, V.D.(1966), Kothari & Moorthy (1993). A good collection of the dried plants is deposited in the Blatter Herbarium, St. Xavier’s College, Bombay, Mumbai. Matheran has a huge number of medicinal plants and herbs. It was declared an Eco-Sensitive zone (ESZ) by the Union Environment Ministry on 4 February 2003. The declaration as ESZ has led to the stoppage of developmental activities and construction of hazardous industries.

List of trees reported to be found in Matheran

Mushrooms at Matheran
Mushrooms at Matheran
Purple flowers at Matheran
Purple flowers at Matheran

Sr. No.Scientific names of the speciesCommon names
1Albizzia chinensis (Osb.) Merr.Udal, Kajav
2Actinodaphne angustifolia Nees.Pisa
3Aglaia lawii (Wight.) Sald
4Alseodaphne semicarpifolia Nees.Sugran
5Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br.Saitan, Satvin
6Aporosa lindleyana (Wight) Baill.Ukveti
7Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb.Kemshi
8Atlantia racemosa Wight. & Arn.Makad limbu
9Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.)Roxb Kalak
10Bauhinia foveolata Dalz.Chambel

The vegetation of the area depends on the type and depth of the soil. Due to poor soil depth, the vegetation on the edges of the plateaus is poor. Due to heavy rainfall, dissected hilly terrain and excessive leaching of the soil, the exposed areas become less fertile and become less moisture retentive, resulting in shallow rooted vegetation. It is required to plant trees to protect the soil cover from losing its valuable humidity and fertility. The winds are very strong and blow from west or southwest during monsoon and also dry winds blow during the three months from January to March. These winds tend to shear and bend the plants while absorbing their moisture.

Wildlife

Hanuman Langur at Matheran
Hanuman Langur at Matheran
Bonnet Macaques at Matheran
Bonnet Macaques at Matheran
Malabar Giant Squirrel at Matheran
Malabar Giant Squirrel at Matheran

The town also has a large monkey population, including bonnet macaques and Hanuman langurs. Domesticated horses for riding are also in large numbers and are one of the icons of Matheran. Inside the forests, animals like barking deer, Malabar giant squirrels, foxes, wild boars, mongooses can be found. But these animals are rare in numbers compared to the monkeys and usually do not venture to places with human activity.

Leopard Sightings

There have been reports of leopard sightings in Matheran a few times in last decade. Leopards are not known to dwell in Matheran however. Dense forests in the valleys surrounding Matheran have been suspected of housing them. Their dwindling population in India however has led their sightings to be extremely rare nowadays. There have been zero reported incidents of leopard attacks in Matheran.

Demographics

As of the 2001 India census, Matheran had a population of 5139. Males constituted 58% of the population and females 42%. Matheran had an average literacy rate of 71%; male literacy being 75%, and female literacy being 66%. In Matheran, 11% of the population was under 6 years of age. Languages spoken include Marathi, Hindi, and English.

Geography and Climate

Matheran is located at 18.98°N 73.27°E. It has an average elevation of 800 m (2,625 ft) above sea level. Lying in an elevated region, it has a cooler and dryer climate relative to its surroundings, making it popular during summer. Temperatures range from 32°C (90°F) to 16 °C (61 °F).

Climate data for Matheran

Source: Government of Maharashtra
October to November
The monsoon retreats prior to this time period, making the temperature cool, but not humid. Such weather facilitates sightseeing.

December to February
The winter months are cool with the temperature usually staying above 11 °C. While the days are mostly sunny, evenings and early mornings tend to get a bit chilly. Couples prefer this time period to visit Matheran for their honeymoons.

March to May
The temperatures can go over 35 °C during the day. However, tourists do not report displeasure despite the temperature.

June to September
This time period sees heavy rainfall in Matheran.

Transportation
Matheran is connected to Mumbai (100 km) & Pune (120 km) by rail and road, with the closest railway station being in the foothill town of Neral. The nearest airport is the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai.

Matheran Railway Engine
Matheran Railway
Rail
Matheran has a narrow gauge railway station in the town center. The old Matheran Hill Railway offers several daily trains to Neral.

The toy train is connected to the mainline rail route at the Neral Junction. Mini train or toy train service started between Neral and Matheran from 22nd October 2022. The train between the Aman lodge and Matheran is also in place at intervals of approximately every hour having approximately 85 seats.

Presently 2 up and 2 down train service has been started.

The first train starts at 850am from Neral, second train is at 220pm. You will reach Matheran at 1130am and 5pm respectively.

Matheran to Neral trains are at 245pm and 420pm that will reach Neral at 530pm and 7pm respectively.

Road
There is a taxi service available from the Neral railway station till Aman Lodge, while bus services are available from the railway stations of Neral and Karjat both. No automobiles except for a Municipality operated ambulance are allowed inside Matheran.

Non-automobile transportation
Beyond Aman Lodge, the only available transport facilities are horses and hand-pulled rickshaws.

Emerging solutions
The Municipality has expressed its interest in permitting electronic rickshaws beyond Aman Lodge as well. However, this has seen opposition from many Matheran locals. Despite this, test trials for the above solution have been granted authorization by the Municipality.

Places of Interest
Altogether, there are 40 points, two lakes, two parks, four major worship places and a race course to visit in Matheran.

Echo Point

Louisa Point

Panorama Point

Malang Point

Monkey point

Porcupine point

Hart point

Mount Barry

Dhodani Waterfalls

Honeymoon hill

Belvedere Point

King George Point

Lord Point

Neral Matheran Toy Train

City Shopping, Matheran

Charlotte lake