Is Ella considered a backpacker party town?

Ella has a lively, tourist-focused night scene with lots of bars and cafes, often with live music. It really is not the intense, long-after-dark rave kind of place you might stumble into in parts of Southeast Asia, though. The whole town usually quiets down by around midnight, because most visitors plan for an early morning hike.

Main Street feels crowded with a younger, high-energy crowd who want to mingle, sharing cocktails and local beers after finishing the regional trails. If you want full quiet, book a stay that sits higher in the hills, not right on the busy main road.