Ross Island feels like a jungle-clad Lost City, Ã la Angkor Wat, except here the ruins are Victorian English rather than ancient Khmer. The former British administrative headquarters in the Andamans, the island lost its vibrant social scene with the double whammy of a 1941 earthquake and invasion by the Japanese, but its ruined colonial-era architecture is still standing. Just a 20-minute, 1.5km boat ride from Port Blair's Aberdeen Jetty, Ross Island was renamed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep in 2018.
In its day, Ross (not to be confused with its namesake island in North Andaman) was fondly called the ‘Paris of the East’ (along with Pondicherry, Saigon etc etc…). Landscaped paths crisscross to dilapidated buildings, most of which are labelled (a church, a printing press). There's a herd of resident spotted deer, plus a small museum with historical displays. Boats (₹320) to Ross Island depart roughly hourly from Aberdeen Jetty between 8.30am and 2pm.
Good sound-and-light shows (₹335 per person including return ferry) are often staged on the island, though were suspended at research time; tickets can be bought at Port Blair's tourist office.
