Pratiti090, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 — credit given as courtesy, not required)
Ross Island
The headquarters of the penal settlement, abandoned after an earthquake and a war, and now being slowly taken apart by the trees growing through it.
The capital that lost
For eighty years this small island, not Port Blair, was where the Andamans were run from — a church, a bakery, a ballroom, a printing press and the chief commissioner's house, built for a few hundred British officials while the prisoners were held across the water. An earthquake in 1941 and the Japanese occupation that followed ended it, and the forest has been reclaiming it ever since.
Explore Ross Island on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What is left
Ruins in a state that is the whole attraction — not restored, not cleared, and structurally held together and pulled apart by the same roots.
The buildings
- The church, the bakery, the chief commissioner's residence and the officers' quarters all survive as shells in varying degrees. Several have been consolidated enough to be safe to walk past; none has been rebuilt.
The roots
- Ficus and banyan have grown through walls and roofs, and in places the masonry is standing only because the roots are holding it. It is the most photographed thing on the island and it deserves to be.
The deer and the peacocks
- Spotted deer wander the island freely and are entirely unbothered by visitors, and there are peafowl in the undergrowth. The island is effectively a small nature reserve now.
The sound-and-light show
- An evening performance narrates the island's history among the ruins. It is a separate visit from the daytime one and runs on its own schedule.
Getting there
Boat from Port Blair, and the timings are fixed rather than on demand.
The crossing
- About twenty minutes from the jetty in Port Blair. Boats run to a schedule with set return times, so the length of your visit is decided by the timetable rather than by you.
Combining it with North Bay
- The standard outing pairs Ross with North Bay reef on the same day on the water. Almost every itinerary does the two together, and it fills a day comfortably.
Not on a departure morning
- Flights from Port Blair are almost all early, and trying to fit the crossing in beforehand is the mistake that most often costs people a flight. Do it the day before.
When to go
Sea conditions matter more than anything on land.
Season
- October to May, when the sea is settled. In the monsoon, crossings are disrupted and sometimes suspended for days at a time.
Hour
- The first boat. The island is small, the ruins are under trees, and morning light through the canopy is better than midday glare — and the deer are more active.
How long
- Two to three hours on the island is ample; the return boat schedule usually decides it for you.
Worth knowing
A ruin site in a forest, with the practicalities that implies.
Footwear
- Uneven ground, roots across paths and steps with no handrails. Not the day for sandals.
Water and shade
- There is little on the island and it is humid under the canopy. Carry water; there is almost nothing to buy.
Do not feed the deer
- They will come close and it is tempting. They are wild animals on a small island and feeding them is discouraged for good reason.
The name
- Officially renamed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep in 2018. Boat tickets, signage and every itinerary still say Ross, so both names are in daily use and neither will confuse anyone.
Nearby
Around South Andaman.
Frequently asked
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