A Weekend Getaway to Nature’s Bliss Review of The Byke Brightland Resort, Matheran

Matheran, the smallest hill station in India, is a car-free zone that promises a peaceful escape from city life. If you’re looking for a resort that offers both a retreat into nature and a dash of adventure, The Byke Brightland Resort is a popular choice. Here is a balanced look at what a stay here offers. 

Location and Vibe

The resort boasts a good, convenient location within Matheran, which is almost 25 mins long walk from the main railway station and within walking distance of several popular scenic points. If you have any elders with you, you may better opt for a horse ride or cart to carry your luggage which will be a 10 min distance by horse ride from the Matheran main market. If you don't have too much luggage and enjoy walking then it's recommended that you walk up till the resort. The property itself is large and nestled amidst lush greenery, creating a tranquil and scenic atmosphere that is perfect for a family or couple's retreat. It has a swimming pool party, small adventure activities, a table tennis space, restaurant area, live performance activity area etc.. to enjoy the space. 

Accommodation and Comfort

The resort offers different room types, including deluxe, duplex rooms and we had opted for the luxury executive rooms which were very spacious and  very comfortable for the family stay. Even the Washroom sizes were very spacious and clean, with both AC and fan available. The beds, particularly the spring mattresses are very comfortable for resting after a long day of trekking as some of the view points of Matheran are very close to The Byke Brightland Adventure Resort. There was also 1 wardrobe, many charging points were there, Television with normal cable network was there, Resort Wifi is available on scanning but none of the phone networks work here - be is Airtel , Jio or Vodafone so your networks will be jammed and if you need to make important calls you will have to walk 10 mins till a chai point where you will get little Airtel network. The Wifi calls work fine for connectivity and you can order and seek room service support through wifi whats app where the resort team responds promptly for room service. There is also a relaxing seating area outside in the balcony of each of these rooms. 

In the washrooms you will get towels, dental kits with toothbrush and toothpaste, moisturiser, handwash, body wash, shower, bucket here again all your basics are covered. 

There are no kettles in the room (due to misuse) but it can be requested. 

What I loved about this place is the vegetarian meal during lunch and dinner.  Food is Pure Vegetarian Delight. Though I relish both Veg and Non Veg meals, but I found the restaurant of this resort better than the market place restaurants where the taste was too good. We enjoyed a simple meal: Paneer Butter masala gravy, steam rice, dal fry and chapati's for lunch and dinner. The Paneer gravy , dal was outstanding and the food was nice and super hot. Clean delicious meals which are good for kids as well. You can even order the food in your room or enjoy it in the dining area space. The breakfast buffet arrangement was also decent with sabudana khichdi, fruits, bread pakoda, bread butter, tea, coffee, dal pakwaan they prepare different breakfast on different days. But this was also a decent morning breakfast and both tea and coffee were nice and refreshing. If you have a toddler along they will also provide milk or anything you need for the kids on request. 

One of The Byke's defining features is that it is a pure vegetarian site, and outside food or alcohol is strictly prohibited. Overall the food is good, simple, tasty, and offered in a buffet style (breakfast was included in our package) for lunch and dinner there was no buffet arrangement as we had visited off season and the crowd was less. This is mostly available on weekends. The cuisine is known to cater well to vegetarians and even includes Jain options. The restaurant is managed by Mr Dinesh who is very welcoming, friendly and ensures you are comfortable enjoying your delicious meal.  

Meal's per dish price is between Rs 200 to Rs 320 depending on your order.

Evening Tea and Snacks are priced at Rs 150 per person.

Snacks are starting at Rs 100 onwards.

Buffet meal option per person is also between Rs 250 to Rs 300 based on your order for lunch and dinner.

It is not a super luxury arrangement for breakfast so don't come with too many expectations of variety. Some guests may find the breakfast spread to be limited. The cutlery is plastic plates, and not heavy ceramics which is practical given there are too many monkeys at the resort who can break cutlery. Your basics will be covered. 

Also the staff is always on the watch and alert to ensure your safety while feeding the monkeys and close proximity with the monkeys. The staff are there to extend constant support. There are also dogs at the property who are over friendly and if you are scared of them you can inform the staff to take care of the distance from the dogs. In the night these dogs get overly excited and howl and bark till 12 pm so you may hear these random howling in the night. 

Activities and Amenities

The resort is an excellent choice for a fun-filled break, offering a variety of amenities and activities to keep you and your companions entertained:

Adventure Park: It features outdoor activities such as Zip lining, Archery and a Sky Walk to name a few. You have to walk inside in the adventure area. Please check the timings of the activities before visiting to ensure proper safety harness while performing them with the resort adventure team. We did not personally do the activity as our lunch time only got over by 3:30 pm and the kids were tired then. 

Recreational Facilities: There is a swimming pool (complete with a waterslide), indoor games, and a children's play area. Pool Party timings you can check before visiting and there is live music. Though in my personal opinion the music can be much better with relaxing bollywood songs. For a children's play area it is best to use it in the day time. In the night time the kids play area with slides is little towards the bushes hence not advisable to take your kids there. The children's slides are also rusted and dirty hence the kids may not be very comfortable on them.

Other Services: Wi-Fi is available and you can seek staff support to activate it.

Live Performance: There is also a live performance activity space though it was non functional during our stay but they mentioned that it is active on weekends but since we didn't get to experience the activity I will not be able to comment on it. 

Live music and disco: In the night there was disco music being played for live dancing experience you can also request your song choice to the DJ. The music is very loud so if you want to enjoy the disco experience with family and friends you can dance it out. Service and Areas for Improvement

The staff is friendly, well-behaved, polite, and supportive, creating a warm and welcoming environment.

Mr Ashish was at the reception and there were other staff too, during our stay who were prompt in responding to the queries.

Mr Dinesh at the restaurant. 

However, a few critical points for improvement:

Hot Water for bathing: Because this is solar, the hot water takes little time to come and you may have to waste 1 or 2 buckets of water to get the hot water.Light pleasant Music: The ambience can be even more elevated with light melodious music in the evening for the guests but they also have activity timings which can be checked on your arrival as they don't perform all activities on off season days. 

Overall Review -

The Byke Brightland Resort in Matheran offers a compelling package for a fun, pure vegetarian, nature-based getaway, especially with its great location and range of adventure activities. However, if the kids play area and hot water issues are improved this will be an even more perfect stay. If you prioritize location and activities, it can be a great stay, but don't come with 5 star high end expectations.

For Resort prices it keeps changing as per the season so you may check online for best booking options to acquire your desired package depending on your budget and members travelling. They charge extra for any extra person stay where you may need a mattress. All charges and be confirmed prior with the staff. Do also ask for the receipt menu for any food bookings.