A beautiful hill station located near the vicinity of Mumbai, ‘Matheran’ is a destination picked by the riders for a quick getaway for the weekends. The riders who wish to enjoy a small hilly ride; Matheran is a perfect location for them. It is one of the smallest hill stations in India. The location is surrounded by abundant beautiful points. One of the popular points is the ‘Panorama Point’. It provides a 360-degree view of the lush green Western Ghats. It is a perfect spot for trekking and adventure sports. Being less crowded the place is loved by the peace lovers. One can enjoy the serene sunrise and sunset views from the location.
Let us look on the various routes which can be used by bikers to reach the destination.
Option 1: Mumbai – Thane – Kalyan – Badlapur – Neral – Matheran
- Starting point: Kurla (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
- Ending point: Matheran (Maharashtra)
- Via: Neral-Badlapur Road
- Distance: 84 Kms
- Duration: Approx. 3 Hrs
The route crosses via Neral-Badlapur Road. The bikers may face curvy turns as one ascends towards the destination. The condition of the route is not a pleasing one. The riders may face a route filled with disturbing potholes.
Option 2: Mumbai – Kolegaon – Badlapur – Neral – Matheran
- Starting point: Kurla (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
- Ending point: Matheran (Maharashtra)
- Via: Badlapur-Katai Road
- Distance: 80 Kms
- Duration: Approx. 3 Hrs
The route passes via Badlapur-Katai Road. The condition of the route may not be an appealing one. The journey of approximately 80 kilometers is half filled with pot holes and uneven roads.
Option 3: Mumbai – Vashi – Wahal – Shedung – Karjat – Neral – Matheran
- Starting point: Kurla (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
- Ending point: Matheran (Maharashtra)
- Via: NH48
- Distance: 86 Kms
- Duration: Approx. 3 Hrs
This is one of the longest routes from Mumbai to reach the destination. Thus the following route is mostly opting by the bikers to enjoy its long stretch. The route is filled with potholes and an uneven condition, thus it may disappoint the bikers at few sections of the journey.
Another adventurous and exploring point is ‘Shivaji’s Ladder’. The steps here are in the shape of a ladder which requires one’s courage to pass by them. The various points such as Echo Point, Khandala Point, Malang Point and many other provides a beautiful scenic view of the location. One of the most loved tourist attractions here is ‘Neral Matheran Toy Train‘. It is a small 2 feet narrow gauge train that connects Neral to Matheran via a 21 km railway track route. The train passes through the heights of Western Ghats covering the beauties of the surroundings. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Charlotte Lake is one of the most visited places by tourists in Matheran. The people who wish to experience peace and tranquility must visit this lake. It provides a beautiful view of the admiring nature and is surrounded by the chirping of rare seen attractive birds. It is a perfect spot for picnic and camping lovers. One can shop in the market area or mall road for items like handicrafts, leather items, kolhapuri chappals, honey, chikki (hard sweet candy), and lots more.
Hope BforBiker provided its Matheran riders some useful information for their next ride.
KEEP RIDING KEEP EXPLORING !!!