There was a time when a trip to Matheran was a true adventure. Trekkers braved the occasional leopard to get up the forested slopes from Neral to the tiny hill station on top, which had but a few hotels in which to rest their tired bones. The reward lay not as much in the cool, crisp air that greeted them, but the incomparable views on offer of lush plains, silver rivers and, in the distance, home. The good news is that Matheran, despite developing into one of Maharashtra?s prime tourist destinations, still rewards all who make the effort to reach the top of the ghat. And there are many ways of making the journey now apart from trekking, including on horseback, in hand-pulled carts and in Matheran's very own toy train service. Many ways indeed, save for petrol and diesel-powered ones. At least one half of the living on love and fresh air doctrine is guaranteed in Matheran, as there's not a whiff of exhaust. For the powers-that-be in Maharashtra Tourism thankfully realised they had a good thing going in Matheran and decided to preserve this ecologically sensitive zone, banning motor vehicles from the town limits. That?s how Matheran remained a beautiful hill station the perfect getaway for Mumbaikars.