Matheran’s hotels and guest-houses are mostly tree-shaded old bungalows width slate or tin roofs. There are several hotels, to suit all budgets. Better hotels are Rugby (tel 291/2) on Kotwal Road with rooms and full board for Rs1200, and Lord’s Central (tel 228, Bombay 318008) Mahatma Gandhi Road. Royal Hotel (teal 247, 275, Bombay 352784) on Kasturba Road has rooms from Rs450, Hotel Regal (tel 243, 287) also on Kasturba Road charges Rs500 per room night. Maldoongi Resorts (tel 204, Bombay 6269981) in a secluded area between Louisa and Porcupine Points charges Rs450 for a single room without food. Brightiands Resorts (tel 244, Bombay 6423856) is an efficient hotel in 7-acre grounds, dotted with bungalows for the guests, with tennis court, dairy and a stable for the horses. Rooms are from Rs550 single, Rs700 double. Among the budget hotels Gujarat Bhavan (tel 378, 278) on Maulana Azad Road charges between Rs200 and Rs300 including meals.
EATING OUT
Matheran offers no great variety of culinary styles, since most tourists are Gujarat and Maharashtrian. Most hotels include meals in their tariff and many are strict vegetarian in order to cater for the majority. Divadkar’s Hotel (tel 223) and Pramoc Restaurant have permit bars.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The post office and the Tourist Information Bureau are situated on M.G. Road opposite the railway station. Ponies and rickshaws are hired by the hour, for Rs30.
