Title - Matheran's pure air and green spaces - The Times of India

If lazing around and inhaling pure, fresh air is on your agenda this summer, Matheran is the place to be at!

Chugging along in a train that lazily bends around the mountains, breathing in the scents of sweet-smelling medicinal herbs and anticipating the warmth that the green cover of the Sahayadris would provide me once I finished trekking the length of Matheran, I eagerly awaited my stay in the hill city.

Touted to be the smallest hill station in India, Matheran is situated in the Raigad district in Maharashtra. Hardly a 90 km-drive from Mumbai, this place is the weekend getaway of most Mumbaikars. Sparing a few look-out points and waterfalls, there's nothing much to the hill station, but the trek to the city itself is what makes the trip interesting.

Matheran is an eco-sensitive and fragile region, and hence, motored vehicles are not allowed beyond a certain limit. I drove up to the Dasturi Point, and rode up the rest of the way (approximately 10 km) to reach the main market on a pony. The market is located closer to the Matheran station and it's here that a handful of hotels and homestays are scattered across. This is also where you can get your lifestyle products (read basic amenities including food, water, toiletries), for once you go further into the mountains, all you can feast on is green foliage, waterfalls and fog!

There are about 28 designated look-out points, few lakes and waterfalls. Matheran is not a place that buzzes with activity. In fact, it's a laidback city, and walking up the path, riding on a pony and crossing valleys are the only forms of activities that engages the visitors.

I decided to check out the major look-out points, and my first stop was the Panorama Point. It's a short trek from the market, and one of the most flocked places because of the wonderful view it offers of the entire hill station. The best time to visit this place is when the sun rises, casting a beautiful glint of deep orange across the entire region. The other points that are worth visiting are the Louisa Point (from where one can view the mighty Prabal fort), Rambagh Point, Echo Point, Monkey Point, Porcupine Point and Celia Point (don't miss out the water gushing down from the top of the peak here). The Charlotte Lake and the Pisharnath Mahadev temple are the other places that one can visit while here.

If all you want to do is soak in the scenic beauty of the Western Ghats and laze around, enjoying the idyllic atmosphere, Matheran is the place to be this summer.

How to get there - Matheran is well-connected both by road and railways. While buses frequently ply to the hill station from Mumbai and Pune, a toy train will leave you at the Matheran station itself.

- Even though hand-pulled rickshaws and a few vehicles run by the municipality can be found in the heart of the hill station, the best way to experience Matheran is by foot or on horseback.

Spooky trail Matheran is a quiet, peaceful place, and this characteristic of it has often given rise to the myth that it is haunted. Locals narrate tales of wronged wives and separated lovers who float along the woody paths. While there's nothing to be scared of, such anecdotes make your trip interesting.

Information booth The two things that are are bountiful in Matheran are the different breeds of monkeys and ancient British and Parsi style architectural buildings that dot the place.

Another interesting feature of the hill station is that the roads are made of raw red sand.