Surveyed by Lt. Archibald Blair in March 1789, the Ross Island was named after the marine surveyor Captain Daniel Ross.
The island has now been renamed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2018 as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep as a tribute to Indian nationalist Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
This tiny island encompasses 160 years of history from British rule to the Japanese forces and currently has become a hot tourist spot to view the ruins and savor the glory of the bygone days. The British empire had set up its Administrative headquarters on the island with a lot of buildings made by Indian prisoners.
Sightseeing
1. Ruins of Old Buildings
The buildings included Church, Hospital, Secretariat, Cheif Commissioner's Residence, Government House, Printing Press, Swimming Pool, Grand Ballrooms, Tennis Court, and many more to explore. Though most parts of the buildings were devastated in the earthquake of 1941 and Tsunami of 2004, the ruins still remain which are now masked with strong roots of Peepal Tree (Ficus Religiosa or Sacred Fig) and Siris Tree (India Albizia lebbeck), making them look more historic and soul-stirring.
2. Light and Sound Show
Recently, the Tourism Department has commissioned a state-of-the-art 'Light and Sound Show' which is one of the best in the country, making this island a must-visit place in your trip to Andamans. Netaji Subhas Bose Dweep is full of thick forests with rich flora and fauna, and in between these trees, you can enjoy views of the Indian Navy museum 'Smritika - The Ross Memorial', which was built to keep alive the vibes of the past.
3. Sanctuary
This island is not limited to the view of the ruins or the history, it is rich in flora and fauna with dense tropical forest where you can enjoy the beauty of nature with white-spotted deers and birds like peacocks, red-whiskered bulbul, and many others. And the most amazing part is the beautiful pond full of Waterlilies and green duckweeds that just adds to the beauty of the place. This island is generally covered within 2 hours, but in much less time you are gonna have
a soul-searching peace & a lifetime of memories.
4. Lighthouse at Ross Island
The island has an adorable Watch Tower or you can call Lighthouse amidst the blue sea and black rocks. This is a breathtaking video of the Lighthouse of Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Bose Dweep) which attracts most tourists. This is the point where you can experience the fresh breeze of the wind listening to the euphonic waves.
How to reach Ross Island?
Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Bose Dweep) is hardly 2km away from the capital city, Port Bair. We have frequent boats operating from 'Marine Jetty' or so-called 'Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex' of Port Blair. It takes 10- 15mins approximately to reach Ross Island from Port Blair.
The cost of the trip starts with Rs. 150/- and can go up to Rs. 1,000/- per person depending upon the boat ride you prefer. Also, you will have to buy an entry ticket as you land at Ross Island. The cost of this would be approx. Rs. 30/- per person (Rs. 25/- for kids).
The island is open to visitors from early morning 9:00 am throughout the year. You will generally be booking both up-and-down boat tickets at the same time at Port Blair itself since it's a known fact that there's no provision to halt at the island and it closes by evening 5:00 pm.
Ross Island is a half-day trip and hence generally, we suggest including the NorthBay Island trip along with Ross Island visit. Northbay Island has rich coral reefs and many fun activities. Both these islands, being less than 20mins away from Port Blair Marine Jetty, will make your trip complete for a day.
Carrying your ID Cards is mandatory for all bookings and transfers.
What is the best time to visit Ross Island?
The best time to visit Andamans is from October to March and the same applies to the Ross Islands. This period has the best of the climate which ain't hot like summers and fewer to no rains compared to the rainy season and makes your trip enjoyable with no barriers in your must-visit bucket list.
Andamans, being a place rich in beaches to mountains, coral reefs to volcanoes, tropical forests to mangroves, gives you all kinds of experiences throughout the year. But, with these bunch of treasures at a small group of islands, comes a typical tropical climate that showers heavy rains during the Monsoon season from June to August, and makes the summers quite hot and humid from April to May. And this may not be so great for the tourists to travel in this period. But the fact is that, the off-seasons come with great discounts and they are something you cannot miss. So, during this period, you can plan short customized trips to freshen your mind and soul or maybe a Work from Hotel can work for you.
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