Straddling the vast hillscape of the Western Ghats, Matheran is a beloved hill station boasting unparalleled natural beauty. Its proximity to both Mumbai and Pune, coupled with its extraordinary climate, lends it the distinction of being a year-round favourite with holidaymakers.
Although the credit for the discovery of Matheran in May 1850 goes to Hugo Poyentz Malet, erstwhile governor of Thane, it was Lord Elphinstone who saw the potential in this discovery and laid the foundations to develop Matheran as a hill station. Owing to its elevation of over 2,000ft above sea level, Matheran, unlike Bombay, was rarely humid. It did not take long for it to become a summer retreat for British officials stationed in or around Bombay, who even constructed mansions for themselves here. Needless to say, Matheran&rsquos charms have not waned with the passage of time.