Review of LizMerry Casa Homestay, Munnar
During my recent visit to Munnar, I visited LizMerry Casa Homestay and enjoyed the hospitality of the house owner Johny and his wife. Read this review to know more about how we enjoyed this Homestay in the lap of the nature in Munnar, Kerala.
Among many in the list, one of my long time wish was to stay in a homestay accommodation and enjoy the homely food cooked by someone other than my mother and wife. It's not because I always prefer homemade food but just wanted to experience the homestay in its real sense.
This time too, I thought about booking my accommodation in such a place but ended up staying in Munnar Tea Country Resorts, which was a pleasant experience. However, on the next day, I got a chance to visit and spend sometime in a homestay, even though I didn't stay there overnight.
During our stay in Munnar Tea Country Resort, we took a cab to go around and see the attractions in Munnar. Luckily, we got a very interesting driver – Johnychettan. He sounded like he knows every nook and corner of Munnar and could talk about anything related to this old town, whether it is politics, tourism, modernization, tea factories and so on. His father migrated to this place from elsewhere (I can't recollect the place of his origin, even though he said it many times during our ride in his car). Johnychettan was born in Munnar, did his studies there, worked in the tea factory for about 20 years and then switched to tourism sector when he realized that's going to be the future of Munnar.
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1. Tea Museum in Munnar - Places to visit in Munnar
2. Taxi charges from Kochi Airport to Munnar
While driving us around, he even talked about his own small homestay and how he drives customers to it using Google AdWords. He didn't look like a tech savvy person but his knowledge about internet marketing and online advertising surprised us. Finally, we asked us if we like to visit his property and he was happy to offer us a free ride to his beautiful home.
Johnychettan is on the left and I am on the right. This photo is taken from the balcony of the guest rooms in his propertyOur experience at Johnychettan's LizMerry Casa Home Stay
Johnychettan's wife's name is Lissy and it was so nice of him to name the tourism business after his wife. The home is located off from Anachal junction in the Adimali-Munnar route. The road from Anachal Junction to the property is concrete (or tar, which I can't remember but is wide and in good shape). The location is easily accessible even in late nights.
LizMerry Casa is a two storey house. Johnychettan and his wife lives in the ground floor. There are 3 guest rooms in the first floor. All three rooms are overlooking the beautiful backyard and a valley behind it with lot of greenery. They have lot of home grown vegetables which they allow the guests to pick and cook with the hosts. Lissy chechi is a good cook and even teach the guests how to cook the homegrown, freshly picked vegetables. 
Front view of the house
According to Johnychettan, foreign visitors usually enjoy picking vegetables and cooking it in front of them. Also, if the guests are interested, he will take them to the neighbors and also to a tribal colony nearby where they can interact with the villages to get a real feel of typical Kerala villages.Rooms and tariff
The rooms in LizMerry Casa are typical with a double bed in each room. An extra bed can be added to each room if the guests are coming with kids. There is a small table and two chairs in each room and a TV. Each room is well separated to give good privacy. The long balcony overlooking his vegetable garden and the woods is shared by all the three rooms. 
Three guest rooms opening to the balcony, overlooking the beautiful backyard.
The family seems to be very picky on choosing the guests. They don't accept all the bookings they get. They filter out bachelors and group parties to avoid making any trouble to the other guests and also to the neighbors.
Rate per room for 2 adults is Rs 2,000/-. He charges extra for children and additional beds. If you have good negotiation skills, you may be able to get away from paying the fee for the extra beds and kids.Breakfast by Lisy chechi
The packages offered include free breakfast. If the guests prefer, they will provide lunch and dinner as well, but at an additional pay. According to the hosts, they don't charge a lot of money for food, instead, they want the guests to enjoy the stay and experience Johnychettan's wife Lisy chechy's cooking expertise. She doesn't mind sharing some of her best recipe secrets with the guests.
Lisy chechi is a beautician too. So, while a vacation can rejuvenate your mind, Lisy chechi can help you look younger! She is a well known beautician in the town.Safety of guest in homestays
Some of the properties that I have visited in the past are not located in very safe locations, especially in places like this where some of the houses are in really remote places. LizMerry Casa Homestay is in a very safe location with several houses in the neighborhood.
More reading: how safe are the Homestays in Kerala?Review of LizMerry Casa Homestay
The main advantage of LizMerry Casa is its location. It is just 750 meters from the Anachal junction in the Adimali - Munnar road. Also, the hosts are very nice people and you won't forget their hospitality even after you return. Johnychettan is a driver and has a car in which he can drive you around the places of interest at an additional cost and he can double up as a tourist guide at no extra cost. You will be amazed at his knowledge about everything related to Munnar. While driving around, he showed us a tea garden and asked if we can tell why some of the tea bushes are planted in a horizontal line and some others are in a vertical line. None of us knew that the way they are planted really means something. According to him, the tea plants that are planted in vertical lines were planted by the British almost hundred years ago and the ones in the horizontal lines were planted later by the new management based on some new cultivation standards for better crops. The time we spent with Johnychettan was really a memorable part of our backpacking trip to Munnar.
If you are thinking about a homestay in Munnar, consider LizMerry Casa. Johnychettan and Lisy chechi will not disappoint you.
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WARNING: Johnychettain's physical appearance is like a retired army officer with a big moustache and big size. But you will quickly realize his physical appearance is not even close to what he really is! He is a really nice gentleman, who likes to talk as long as someone is there to listen!
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We had a lovely two-night stay at LizMerry and it was really fantastic. The room was beautiful, clean and well maintained. Johny uncle, Lizy aunty you peoples are awesome.