76 | Smart Photography | September 2019 http://www.smartphotography.in
DESTINATION
Matheran, the smallest hill station
of India, is located in Maharashtra’s
Raigad District. It is an ideal getaway
when you want to take a break from
the hustle and bustle of the city.
This hill station is beautiful in the
monsoons with its waterfalls and the
dense forest providing spectacular
views. Declared an eco-sensitive zone,
it is one of the very few places in the
world where vehicles are prohibited.
You will feel a sense of rejuvenation
the moment you land at this place –
you will be transported back to an
idyllic old-world-era of red-soiledroads, and automobile-free pathways.
Unlike any other hill station,
Matheran is famous for its 36 view
points, the most popular among them
being Panorama Point, Belvedere
Point, Louisa Point, Echo Point and
Porcupine (Sunset) Point. Most of
these points have easy trekking
trails and offer sweeping views of
the mountains, sunrise, sunsets and
everything in between! Some of the
popular sights include the Charlotte
Lake and Celia Point from where a
spectacular waterfall thunders its
way down to the lush-green valley.HOW TO REACH: The two nearest
airports to Matheran are Mumbai
airport and Pune airport. From
Mumbai, it takes around 2.5 to 3 hours
to reach Dasturi by road. If you are
travelling by rail from Mumbai or
Pune, you will need to alight at Neral.
From there you can take a taxi cab
(or walk 8 km) to reach Dasturi point.
Vehicles are not permitted beyond
Dasturi. From Dasturi, you can walk
(about 2.5 km) to Matheran town.
At Dasturi, you will find hand-pulled
rickshaws and horses are available to
take you to the town.Matheran, Maharashtra
PLACES TO VISIT
n Honeymoon Hilln (^) One Tree Hill Point
n (^) Little Chowk Point
n (^) Ram Bagh Point
n (^) King George Point
Rohinton Mehta
SMART
TRAVEL
SHOT