Ross Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

A Day of Ruins and Wonders: Ross Island from Port Blair (2024)

Andaman and Nicobar islands constitute of such amazing islands and history. Ross Island is yet another island that is beautiful and a very interesting place to visit. The island has a lot of history and currently the island still is home to many ruins. There are also a lot of deer, peacocks and peahens on the island.

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PIN for later reference - One day trip to Ross island from Port Blair
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Andaman and Nicobar Islands Travel Resources
For Best Hotel Deals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, use Booking.com or Goibibo
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Use Skyscanner or Trip.com to get affordable flight tickets to Andaman and Nicobar Islands
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Travel Blogs:
One Week in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Travel Guide to Havelock Island
Scuba Diving in Havelock Island
Travel Guide to Neil Island
Scuba Diving in Neil Island
Plan Your Visit to Chidiya Tapu
One Day Trip to Baratang Island
One Day Trip to Ross Island from Port Blair
Never Forgotten Tales of Cellular Jail
One Day Trip to Jolly Buoy Island from Port Blair
Reasons To Skip North Bay Island

About Ross Island

Officially known as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose island, the Ross island is an abandoned island from the British settlement. The island was originally known as Chong-Ekee-Bood and is smallest island in Andaman islands.

Located at the mouth of Port Blair harbour in South Andaman district, this stunning island was named after the British marine surveyor, Sir Daniel Ross. In December 2018, the island was renamed to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose island.

There are around 100 inhabitants living on the island.

The Ross island is very picturesque and is one of the best islands I have visited in Andaman islands. It is a place where history comes together with striking nature. And the island also has lots of coconut and palm trees.

Trees at Ross island

Established in 1858, the Ross island was an administrative headquarters till 1945/46 and it was abandoned after that. There are still ruins of the bakery, church, tennis court, the Chief commissioner’s residence and other notable buildings. Netaji Subash Chandra Bose stayed on the island in 1943 during his visit to Andaman islands. Currently, the island is administered by Indian government.

To learn about the stories of our freedom fighters, read never forgotten stories at Cellular Jail.

You need at least 2 to 3 hours to cover all the places on the island. And the best time to visit Ross island is in the morning as the day does get hot, especially during the summer season.

I highly suggest vacationing in Andaman and Nicobar islands during the winter season (between the months of October and February). The first time I visited Andaman during April and it was a huge mistake as it was extremely hot. But the second time around, I visited in January and it was the best as the days were pleasant and cool.

How to Get to Ross Island?

  • Ross island is very close to Port Blair (around 2 kilometres) and it just takes 25 to 30 minutes by ferry.
  • Ferries depart from Aberdeen Jetty in Port Blair and the ticket for ferry trip can be purchased at the jetty.
  • Visiting Ross island is a day trip from Port Blair and the cost for a ferry return trip is INR 350 per person. The trip can also be extended (INR 850) to visit North Bay Island. Even though the North Bay Island is pretty, I suggest skipping the visit unless you have a lot of time.
  • Note: The last ferry is at 5 PM so make sure to be at the jetty well in time.

Things to See on Ross Island

A few things to note while visiting Ross island are:

  • There are golf courts available on the island and one can use them to travel between the places.
  • The island has toilet facilities.
  • There is only one restaurant with limited food options. Only cash is accepted.
  • There is no stay options on the island and the visitors will need to be back to Port Blair by evening. The last ferry leaves at 5 PM from Ross island.
  • The island does not have any shops for buying souvenirs.
  • Do not feed the deer and peacocks.
  • Take your rubbish with you and do not throw the garbage everywhere and only throw it at dedicated bins.

You can also visit Jolly Buoy island as a one day trip from Port Blair.

Stop by at Presbyterian church

The Presbyterian church is a ruin of an old protestant church. It is built out of stone and frames out of teak. The quality of the materials used in building was so good that it has survived for so many years. Definitely stop by the church to learn and understand how the churches were built during that time.

Watch the deer at deer park

The island has a deer park that has spotted deer. And there are lots of them on the island. It is great to see these deer enjoying and living lives without any threat. Some of them come real close too but remember not to feed them.

Deer at Ross island
Deer at Deer park

Walk around the island to see ruins

The Ross island tells a story from the past. There are still ruins of the old settlement and buildings, such as bakery, water treatment plant, hospital, cemetery and many more. A walk around the island is a great way to go around and see these buildings that talk about our history.

You can also take a golf cart to travel between the places.

Ruins at Ross island

Safety for solo female travelers

Yes, Ross island is definitely very safe for solo female travelers. The island is monitored and administered by Indian government and hence there are always people on the island. Make sure to catch the last ferry to Port Blair as there are no stay options on the island and staying at Ross island is not allowed.

Are you new to solo traveling? Do you have questions about solo traveling? Read frequently asked questions on solo traveling.

Ruins at Ross island

Closing Notes

It is worth visiting this charming island? Absolutely yes! It is definitely one of the spectacular islands in Andaman islands and I highly recommend visiting it and making it a one day trip from Port Blair.

Have you been to Ross island? Did you like it? Let me know in the comments below.

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A Day of Ruins and Wonders: Ross Island from Port Blair (2024)
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    PIN for later reference - One day trip to Ross island from Port Blair
    PIN for later reference – One day trip to Ross island from Port Blair