A short hop away from the hustle & bustle of crammed, noisy, polluted city-life is the antidote. As the crow flies, Matheran is 27 kms from Mumbai. When seen in perspective it's on another planet altogether. See nature in all her moods. The weather is pleasant, never oppressive. The colours are varied, never monotonous. Elsewhere, man races around reaching nowhere getting older, here you take a long, quiet walk feeling younger with every step. Here's where horse riding aficionados get the thrills they seek. Others are enraptured by the toy train meandering its way between Neral at the base of the hill to Matheran station at the top. The wooded trails are punctuated with monkeys, horses, couples and hand-pulled rickshaws. Matheran is the place to be, for hand-tooled world-class leather footwear, honey, Indian handicrafts and more. Matheran is the place to be, to align your body, mind and soul together again. Matheran is not just a holiday, it's therapy.

The name Matheran comes from 'mathe' which means head and 'raan' which means forest. And sure enough, from this forest on the top of the hill, you are treated to some of the finest views … of mountains and valleys, remote hamlets and plains, lakes and meadows… you name it. Every conceivable colour makes its presence felt, flora and fauna abound. You'll agree, when nature's surpasses herself in beauty, it's more felt than seen.

The rest of the world in its tearing hurry to get nowhere in particular, left some of its quaint conveniences of the past behind, the 'narrower-than-narrow gauge mountain railway' from Neral to Matheran for example. Affectionately nicknamed the 'toy train' it meanders over ridges and precipices ferrying delighted tourists at a stately 5 to 15 kms. an hour covering the 32 kms. stretch in a little under 2 hours. Butterflies flit in and out, monkeys hop on and off like the vendors who sell you anything from peanuts to postcards. To slow down or stop, the engine driver gives a loud shout - a signal for men hanging outside the train to employ the ancient method of lowering weights between compartments. It still works!

No vehicles are allowed up here in Matheran. And yet there's speed. With the thundering of hooves some of the finest, most spirited horses rush towards you. After all, this is one of the last and only natural horse-riding areas in India. The conditions are ideal. Hard packed natural mud roads. Long, deserted paths through the woods. And enough challenges in gradients and turns to captivate the rider and time again. Horses for every skill level are available on hire. For children there are the amiable type, for the beginners, the docile type. There are trained horses for the experienced riders and the more spirited variety for the speed-loving and adventurous types.

The only wildlife that is still growing in leaps and bounds are the everpresent monkeys. Be careful with your belongings. If a monkey thinks its something to eat, it may well be snatched away from you.

An endless source of joy and fun for children to watch.