Matheran

Matheran is the only hill station in Asia where motor vehicles are banned, and that single rule makes it feel like another century. Cars stop at Dasturi Naka; from there you walk, ride a pony or take a hand-pulled rickshaw along red laterite paths under old silver oak and jamun trees, and the loudest sound is hooves. Hugh Poyntz Malet, the collector of Thane, came up the hill in 1850 and the British built a hot-weather retreat here; in 1907 Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy completed the two-foot narrow-gauge line from Neral, which still grinds up twenty-one kilometres of curves and switchbacks in about two hours when the season allows.

There are thirty-eight named viewpoints along the plateau edge. Panorama Point gives a full sweep and the best sunrise; Louisa looks across at the sheer face of Prabalgad; Echo Point does what its name promises; Charlotte Lake supplies the town's water and has the Pisarnath temple at its head. The bazaar sells chikki, fudge and leather chappals, and the old hotels still serve set meals at fixed hours.

Come on a weekday outside the monsoon, take a room near the market so you are not hauling bags for an hour, and let the pace do the rest.