Facilities · Westend Hotel Matheran
Activities & Games
What there is to do here, and what we can arrange for you outside.
Two kinds of things to do
The Westend Hotel Matheran includes a pool, games, and open ground and we can arrange it from our front desk, which means horses, a guide and a bonfire.
Matheran itself is the main activity we say it plainly, walking to viewpoints your most of the day is spent and it saves the day when the weather closes in.
Included
On the property
Available to in-house guests at no extra charge.
Through the front desk
Arranged for you
These involve people from outside the hotel, so they are charged separately and need a day's notice rather than a request at breakfast.
Horse riding
A day's notice
Horse riding is a novelty in most of the places, its is transport in Matheran because there is no vehicles are allowed anywhere on the hills, so people use horses as luggage move between dasturi naka, market and viewpoints.
Guided treks
Best in the morning
There are more than thirty viewpoints in Matheran. The guide helps on the path where you want quit routes between the forest and morning is the right time for guided treks before the heat.
Campfire evenings
Weather permitting
It is usually after dinner when weather allows, on open ground. We can arrange it for you; it is on mostly rainy days
Toy train planning
Travel desk
From Neral to Matheran, narrow-gauge train is the the reason a lot of people come to Matheran and its timing decides how your day is shaped. The travel desk will tell you.
June to September
The day it rains and does not stop
In monsoon, Matheran is genuinely beautiful, waterfall runs and everything turns green The reason for being the cheapest season is that, in most of the rainy season, the viewpoints are not visible because of clouds and going out is not worth it
- Table tennis and carrom run indoors and are busiest on exactly these afternoons.
- The spa is on the property, so no walking required. Book the slot in the morning rather than at four.
- The restaurant moves under cover and does a reasonable job of making a wet afternoon acceptable.
- Campfires, badminton and poolside dining do not run on those days. Worth knowing if you are booking a monsoon trip around one of them.
Travelling with children
The car-free rule that makes Matheran awkward to reach is the same thing that makes it easy once you are here. On the property there is nothing to hold a child's hand against — the play house, the pool and the open ground are all within sight of the restaurant.
Two things worth knowing. Monkeys are common and used to people; keep snacks in a bag and the room windows shut when you go out. And a horse ride will beat every viewpoint you take them to, so plan one.
Direct booking
Want something arranged?
Horse riding, a guided trek or a campfire — mention it in the message box and we will set it up for your dates.
Also on the property
Related
Questions
About activities
On the property there is a swimming pool, table tennis, badminton, carrom and a children's play house, plus campfire evenings on the open ground when the weather allows. Horse riding and guided treks to the viewpoints are arranged through the front desk.
Yes, through the front desk. Horses are the standard way of getting around Matheran rather than a novelty ride — no motor vehicles are permitted anywhere on the hill, so this is genuinely how people and luggage move. Tell us the day before so it can be arranged for the time you want.
Yes. Morning is the sensible time, before the day warms up and before the popular points get busy. A guide is worth taking if you want the less obvious paths rather than the main route everyone walks.
Between June and September there are days when the viewpoints simply disappear into cloud. Table tennis and carrom run indoors, the spa is on the property, and the restaurant does a reasonable job of making a wet afternoon acceptable. Campfires and outdoor activities do not run on those days.
Usually more than the parents expect. Between the pool, the play house, the indoor games and a horse ride, most children are occupied. The thing they remember afterwards is almost always the toy train or the horse, not the viewpoints.
The pool and the indoor games are included for in-house guests. Horse riding, guided treks and some arrangements are charged separately because they involve people from outside the hotel — we confirm the amount when you ask us to arrange it.