Sweet Escape

We took a trip away from the grime and dust of the city and found our ideal weekend home in a colonial mansion nestled amidst lush green hills

- Saaniya Sharma

A short drive down the Western Express highway was enough to leave the chaos of city life far, far behind us. In the fleeting two hour journey we witnessed the concrete high- rises of Mumbai transform into a serene oasis. After dodging past angry cabbies and an endless stream of cars we finally exited the highway to arrive at Matheran, a plateau 800 mts high in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats.

The best thing about this quaint hilly town? Everything is within an easy walking distance. It’s also the only automobile-free hill station in Asia, making it the perfect escape from urban mayhem.

As though the vast expanse of greenery and pleasant climate was not enough to spoil us city dwellers, we were in for another treat – a stay at the SaffronStays Parsi Manor, for the next two days.