Matheran Hill Station - Maharashtra.

In my earlier blog, I had shared as, How we could reach Matheran and some important and vital details about travel.

You can read my blog on http://troikamanagementservices.quora.com/Matheran-Hill-Station-Troika-Management?__snids__=234314572&__nsrc__=1 and http://troikamanagement.wordpress.com/2013/11/16/matheran-hill-station-troika-management/

I will share some more information as,

What happened after we reached Matheran?

If you are visiting Matheran first time please continue reading, If this is not your first this info will still help.

When I came out of Matheran station, I could see a lot of shops of agents who were trying to sell hotel rooms at an inflated price and you would also find them spreading rumors that in Matheran all the rooms are booked and they have few rooms which are available but at a premium price. They will show some photographs of those rooms and hotels. There was a gut feeling I should walk and explore Matheran before deciding if I want to pay a premium price for a room which is not even worth Rs 1.5K.

I reached the taxi stand, where cabs were available on per seat basis. While I was standing there I spoke to few drivers who were very helpful , they told me not to believe these people and rooms are indeed available. They are just spreading false rumors, this gave a me a huge relief.

I reached Dasturi Naka, When I started walking, I met an agent at Aman Lodge, He says he will arrange a room for me in a nearby hotel for Rs 4000/- and that is without food. I told him that it is too costly as I had read on the travel websites that you get the best of the rooms for less than 4K and that includes food and stay. After not exactly arguing, but I was trying to prove a point to him that I knew about this place and don’t try to fool and cheat me. He took us to a hotel which was at distance of 10 mins from Aman Lodge, Fortunately all the rooms were booked in that hotel.

The manager at the hotel was very kind, he explained us that we should avoid such agents and we should visit the hotels ourselves and bargain. We would get good rates and also some added benefits. He had also suggested some places so we thought, Why not try these places?

These agents are local people, if you go with these agents to these hotel/resorts the owners of these places will increase the per day price by Rs 500 or 1000/-.The best advice is to avoid such people.

We found his advice very useful and started walking on the tracks.

The manager told us that on the way to Matheran we will meet many owners who would rent a room in their row houses for as less as Rs 1000/-, We did check few row houses rooms, But we didn’t seem to quite like it, As we are coming for Picnic/Vacation? Why should we stay in a row house? So we dropped that option, Here again we meet one more agent who assures that we will get everything what we want?

He asks us what is our budget, We tell him “Rs 2500 to Rs 3000” he says in Marathi, that at “this budget it is impossible that we would get something in Matheran”. We gave him company to 2 hotels, But we got a surprise there, One of the managers there quoted a rate of Rs 4500/- for a couple without food.

Later, we asked him politely, Please leave us alone we will find a place for ourselves. He was not ready to listen and was following us, My friend explained him in Marathi sternly then he left.

After walking for 5 mins, we got a very good room in a resort for Rs 4K, He was asking for Rs 4.5K but he later agreed for Rs 4K, after confirming we are not with any agents.

Rules to follow when you are in Matheran:-

a) Bargain hard for each and everything from check in – check out to food to room rates.

b) Don’t take assistance from agents.

c) Plan your stay

Hotel Managers will agree with do some adjustments with the check in - check out time, just be little persistent and be assertive. You might well even get an extra lunch, dinner or breakfast.

Book through well- known portals after reading the reviews, most of the reviews are very useful.

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