Landing onto Ross Island from the ferry I didn’t have huge expectations. I have interest in the history of the place so was happy enough reading through the information boards and taking a walk around the island, seeing the ruins of old buildings and imagining what life would have been like here in the 1850s when at some point it was even dubbed the Paris of the East. There is so much history and almost a melancholy to the place imagining what went on here ~200 years ago.

The walks around the small island in that sense are quite serene. It is not a ghost town but an entire ghost island albeit a small one.

The big surprise to me was the light and sound show in the evening. I had a pre conceived notion of a fairly boring and standard show but boy was I wrong !

I have seen many a show and exhibition about history is many places around the world but hands down this was the BEST light and sound performance I have ever seen.

The whole show is scripted brilliantly and in the open backdrop that it is is projected it is just awe inspiring. The narration by Gulzar and the poems he includes for this show can make your hair stand on their ends. And the overall quality of the sound and projection is right up there.

Throughout the show I was left hoping that it goes on and on and doesn’t end. This will remain one of the highlights of the trip to the Andamans. I would go so far as saying this show was better than the one at the cellular jail in almost every aspect.

Just don’t miss this! One has to reserve an evening in port Blair for the trip across the channel to Ross

Ross Island is ideally a two part trip, the morning to evening portion includes going around the island looking at the ruins from the era of the British and Japanese rule. the late evening portion includes a spectacular sound, light & video show (yes you read it correctly!!) which has been created specially for Ross island by Revathi (the actress)

This is a over hyped, and not worth the time and money spent to reach here. It used to be called the “Paris of the East” when the British settled here. But everything is destroyed now.

The only good place here is a beach that is on the other side. You will need to climb down and up a lot of steps to get there.

It was a perfect location for family fun, the erstwhile Ross Island has all the history of a mini Paris, albeit at the cost of all Indian labour and is an example of the British opulence over poverty stricken India. Perfect for taking pics and the picturesque light house was delightful. We took the buggy as we were a large family with kids. There are deer and peacocks too.