back from a week-long break - battery recharged
by Aishwarya | June 14, 2009 at 11:20 PM
Had an amazing and much-needed week's break.
Went to a tiny hillstation called Matheran in the state of Maharashtra, about 100 kms from Mumbai/Bombay. The USP of Matheran, apart from the red laterite soil that's everywhere (gets on to your shoes and clothes and settles like a haze on your face and body parts) is that no motorised vehicles are allowed, the only transport options being walking, riding horses and using hand-pulled rickshaws (three men to a rick usually). Gorgeously green (and red), with monkeys and exotic birds giving you company, Matheran charms you with its timelessness.
There are loads of tourists on weekends though (mostly from Mumbai, Gujarat and Rajasthan) and the usual lot of backpackers (foreign and Indian) so can get quite noisy, especially in the eveing in the market area.
Rain-starved as I was, my chief intent was to catch some heavy downpour action which usually happens around the time we went there - was disappointed on that front...but the weather's pretty pleasant. On hindsight, good it didnt rain since that would have meant us staying put at the hotel and not catching any of the *divine* sights at all the Points we visited.
Highly recommend Matheran for a quick getaway from urbania. A sturdy pair of walking shoes (or two) is all that one really needs to get going. And 2-3 days max is all you need to discover this green-red corner. :)
Comments
Welcome back!
Hi Aishwarya,
It is great to have you back on PulseWire. Matheran sounds fantastic! India is on the top of my list for places to travel in the future, so I will be sure to keep Matheran in mind. Thanks for sharing your experience there with us!
Warm regards,
Jade
:) Thanks much, Jade. Glad
:) Thanks much, Jade. Glad you liked the sound of Matheran. You must do India for sure....the sheer diversity of the terrain and cultures will fascinate you.
Take care,
Aishwarya
Sounds lovely!
Wow, that sounds like a fantastic trip to unwind and reconnect with Nature! Thanks for posting it and letting us have a glimpse of the beauty of your country! I was curious, is the tourism year round or is there a seasonal variation?
Maria
Hey Maria, thanks for the
Hey Maria, thanks for the note. Matheran apparently enjoys a healthy flow of tourists all year, through summer, winter and even the rainy season - like the proprietress of the hotel we stayed at told me, quite a lot of backpackers, writers and such visit during the monsoon, just to get drenched and enjoy the downpour - its a different experience altogether...
If you were asking about the country as such, again, its an all year phenomenon since there are so many choices to pick from...
Cheers,
Aishwarya