May 02, 2001 12:48 PM
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Last week I visited Matheran for the first time. I stayed at the Regal Hotel. In this rather long review, I will first write about how to get to Matheran and then follow it up with the hotel experience.
Matheran is a hill station at about 800m above sea level, very close to Bombay. In spite of this, I had never been to Matheran in so many decades of staying in Bombay. Probably the reason is because one can’t just drive into Matheran. Vehicular traffic is not permitted there.
To get to Matheran, you get to Neral by broad gauge train. We have two options from Bombay. Either you reserve a seat on any of the long distance trains going to or through Pune or you travel by a Bombay local train destined for Karjat. The local is certainly more convenient as you have a choice of boarding it at a number of stations on the way. There is a Karjat bound local once every 75 minutes or so. The run is about 90 minutes depending on where you board. If you go for a reservation, you had better arrange to get your ticket several days in advance. Moreover, you can only board at Victoria Terminus (now called CST) or Dadar stations, which may be rather inconvenient for someone from the suburbs. You also have to start very early in the morning. I started from home at 5:00 AM.
Once you get to Neral, you again have 3 options to proceed further.
· You may take a narrow gauge train up to Matheran. In the mornings there are trains every hour and a half or so. During the holiday season it is difficult to get a seat on this train. The route is very scenic but it is a slow and winding journey to the top. It is reminiscent of a ride on a toy train at an amusement park. This train takes about 2 hours to take you to the top but gets you up in the heart of Matheran.
· A second option is to take a 20 minute, 7 km taxi ride to the foot of Matheran up to the point where vehicular traffic is permitted. This is called Dastoori point. In fact if you were to drive up from Bombay, you would park your car at this point.
· The final option if you are fit and in the mood is to hike your way (probably 10 km) from Neral to Matheran.
I chose the Taxi option.
From Dastoori point you can either walk the 2.5-3 kms, ride a horse or take a hand pulled cart. I know the last named does sound inhuman. I thought the same at first but realized that this is a sole source of livelihood for a lot of people from these hills. I will not describe how to get to the Regal hotel. Everybody knew where it was and it is very easy to get directions when you are there.
The Regal Hotel is spread over a vast area. The lodgings are in a number of cottages. The one we got had a room large enough to comfortably accommodate a couple of double beds, an open wardrobe, a bedside table, a rack for your luggage and a TV. It had a veranda just outside the room with a table and four chairs to relax over breakfast or tea. There was a little lobby with a washbasin and a tiny dressing table with a largish mirror. A WC and a bathroom completed the lodging. The price is quite reasonable. It costs Rs 2400 per couple per day inclusive of all meals. Each additional person costs Rs 900. Check in time is 11:00 AM and check out 8:30 AM.
The accommodation was no great shakes by way of facilities. It was comfortable in a rough-hewn sort of way. There was no bathtub. I wasn’t ever able to get hot water from the taps although the service was quick enough to get me a bucket of hot water when needed. This was also not such a problem as it was the summer season. The TV also was an ancient monument of sorts with a whimsical attitude but I wasn’t there to watch TV either. All said and done, I believe that by Matheran standards this is a good hotel. You have to be prepared for roughing it out wherever you stay in Matheran.
Having put away the negatives, let me enumerate the good things about this hotel. The food is great if you can accept a pure vegetarian diet. It is Gujarati style food. The brochure will tell you that they have Mexican, Chinese and Thai food too. But it wasn’t in sight on the 2-3 days I was there. And a good thing too because I think each kitchen should concentrate on rustling up the cuisine they know rather than make a mish-mash of some so-called international flavour. The lunch is table service. The waiters pamper you by constantly loading your plate with their goodies. The dinner is a buffet in the open, on the badminton court. Be warned that you better do a lot of walking when you see the sights of Matheran. You will need it to trim the weight you gain with the food. The badminton court and swimming pool are other places to lose weight.
The other good thing is the swimming pool. We enjoyed ourselves no end in the pool. The hotel also has a health club with Jacuzzi and Sauna but I am not qualified to write on it because I did not patronize this facility.
After dinner there is some sort of public entertainment for the guests. For instance we were treated to a puppet show, which was inspired by a mix of folk and Bollywood.
The sprawling grounds are good for a peaceful walk. Be careful of the monkeys though. Matheran is infested with them. If you happen to have a bag in hand, clutch it real tight as our simian friends swoop down from the trees and try to snatch it out of your hands believing it contains food.
On the whole I had a great holiday, notwithstanding my apprehension about not being able to take my car. I recommend the Regal hotel to anyone who is prepared for a bit of fun and adventure. If not, you shouldn’t be going to Matheran at all.
Added on 6th July 2001
BTW Matheran is simply great during this monsoon season. It is not crowded and the Hotels give you a hefty discount.
