Matheran: Discovered back in 1850 by Hugh Malet, collector for the Thane district, Matheran sits atop the Sahyadris Mountain range and is another hot weekend getaway for city slickers. This gorgeous and quaint hill station is best accessed via the slow-moving toy train which chugs along over a leisurely two-hour-long journey from the valley below. Sprawled across a lush green, undulating hilltop, Matheran sits at a height of about 800 metres with drastic, steep cliffs offering the most stunning views of the plains below. Make your way up to Hart Point at night, and take in the dreamy, twinkling lights of Mumbai far below, meander through the winding ways and feast your eyes on the British-Parsi architecture of the local homes, walk up to Charlotte Lake, and do a spot of shopping in the market where you’ll find lots of leather goodies, hats and ofcourse the famous sweet-sticky chikki best eaten hot and fresh.
