Colonial Ruins Reclaimed by Fig Roots
The island's central atmospheric draw.
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Offbeat Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Ross Island
Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India· Last updated
- Best time
- November–April, dry season for comfortable exploring; a light-and-sound show is held in the evenings.
- Getting there
- Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair, with a short ferry crossing (roughly 20-30 minutes) required.
- Stays
- Negotiated for you
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Nearest Airport
Ross Island, officially renamed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, served as the British administrative capital of the Andaman Islands from the 1850s until a 1941 earthquake and the subsequent Japanese occupation during World War II led to its abandonment. Today, the island's colonial-era buildings — a church, bakery, printing press, and residences — stand in dramatic partial ruin, many consumed by the roots of strangler fig trees, while spotted deer and peacocks now roam freely across the grounds, a genuinely striking image of nature reclaiming empire. Ross Island suits travelers wanting a genuinely atmospheric, easy day trip from Port Blair — walking among the ruins, watching the resident deer and peacocks, and, for those staying into the evening, an on-site light-and-sound show that brings the island's colonial history to life against its decaying backdrop.
Nearby highlights
Old Church & Cemetery
Surviving structures from the British administrative era.
Resident Spotted Deer & Peacocks
Wildlife now roaming the former settlement freely.
Small On-Site Museum
Context on Ross Island's colonial history.
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Why Ross Island is worth the detour
Ross Island offers a genuinely striking image of nature reclaiming empire — colonial administrative buildings slowly consumed by fig tree roots, now shared with wandering deer, delivering an atmospheric quality that few ruins anywhere in India match.
What a day looks like
A ferry crossing from Port Blair delivers visitors to the island's quiet, ruin-scattered grounds, walking among the old church, bakery, and printing press structures as fig roots visibly wrap around and through the crumbling brickwork. The resident deer and peacocks, genuinely unbothered by visitors, add to the island's uniquely atmospheric, slightly surreal quality, and those staying for the evening light-and-sound show experience the ruins in an entirely different, more dramatic light.
Watching nature slowly reclaim a colonial capital
Ross Island's specific, visually striking decay — strangler fig roots consuming buildings that once housed the British administrative government of the entire Andaman archipelago — is worth understanding as more than picturesque ruin, a genuine, ongoing process of nature reasserting itself over a century-old human settlement.
How to reach Ross Island
Nearest Airport: Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair, with a short ferry crossing (roughly 20-30 minutes) required.
Best time to visit
November–April, dry season for comfortable exploring; a light-and-sound show is held in the evenings.
Where it is
Frequently asked questions
How many days are enough for Ross Island?
A half-day trip from Port Blair covers the island.
Is there an evening show?
Yes, a light-and-sound show adds a further dimension for those staying later.
What are the must-visit places near Ross Island?
Port Blair.
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