Verandah in the Forest: A reason to leave Mumbai

Cacophonous, dusty, harried, Mumbai leaves us longing for many things -- clean shoes, continuous footpaths and, most of all, peace and quiet.

That's why we can't get enough of Verandah in the Forest, a 19th-century-home-turned-hotel in Matheran, a hill station town just under three hours from Mumbai where cars and their evil honking horns are banned, and you can actually hear leaves rustling in the breeze.

Staying at the faded Verandah in the Forest is a bit like crashing at an old friend's little-used country estate. The formal drawing room has double-height ceilings. The dining room is piled haphazardly with books and magazines. History is palpable. The way it is at other Neemrana properties in India as well.  

But the real selling point is the veranda, a Raj throwback with plantation chairs and clutch of hotel staff waiting in the wings to ply rapidly mellowing guests with more gin and tonics.

From the Matheran train station, Verandah in the Forest is reached by 15-minute walk or 20-minute horseback ride.