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DAY TRIPS FROM PORT BLAIR
Ross Island & Baratang — Andaman’s Best Day Trips
Colonial ruins reclaimed by the jungle, and a wild creek ride to limestone caves and mud volcanoes — two very different days out from Port Blair.
Home › Destinations › Ross & Baratang
HOW TO REACH
Ross: 20-min boat · Baratang: road + creek
TIME NEEDED
Ross half-day · Baratang full-day
BEST FOR
History, offbeat explorers, families
MUST-DO
Baratang limestone caves + Ross ruins
TWO DAYS, TWO WORLDS
The best of the Andamans beyond the beaches
Not every Andaman day is spent on sand. From Port Blair you can reach two of the islands’ most memorable excursions — and they couldn’t be more different. Ross Island (officially Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep) is a gentle half-day: the old British administrative capital, now romantic ruins swallowed by giant banyan roots, with tame deer and peacocks wandering the lawns. It’s a short boat ride and an easy add-on to a North Bay morning.
Baratang is the adventure. A full day that begins before dawn, drives north through dense rainforest and a protected tribal reserve by convoy, then swaps the road for a boat through mangrove creeks to reach limestone caves and bubbling mud volcanoes. It’s raw, offbeat and unforgettable — and because it needs a permit and careful timing, it’s exactly the kind of day you want a local team to organise for you.
WHAT YOU’LL SEE
Ross Island & Baratang highlights
A gentle half-day of history and a full-day expedition into the wild — here’s what each trip holds.
Ross · Half day
Ross Island Colonial Ruins
The ghostly remains of the British “Paris of the East” — a church, bakery, ballroom and residences, all being slowly reclaimed by the forest. Atmospheric, photogenic and genuinely moving.
Baratang · Caves
Baratang Limestone Caves
Deep, naturally sculpted caverns of stalactites and stalagmites, reached on foot after the creek ride. A guide leads you in with lamps — cool, dramatic and unlike anything else in the islands.
Baratang · Creek ride
Mangrove Creek Boat Ride
The journey is the highlight — a speedboat weaving through a tunnel of dense mangroves to reach the caves. Green water, arching roots and total wilderness, minutes from the jetty at Nilambur.
Ross Island Deer & Peacocks
Spotted deer graze the old parade ground and peacocks strut among the ruins — remarkably tame after generations without predators. A small deer-park and museum round out the visit.
Baratang Mud Volcanoes
India’s only mud volcanoes — small, cool cones of grey mud that bubble and gurgle up from deep underground. Quirky rather than dramatic, but a genuine natural rarity worth the short walk.
Parrot Island (optional)
Near Baratang, an evening detour to watch thousands of parakeets swirl in to roost at dusk — a spectacular natural show. We add it if your timings and the season line up.
GETTING THERE & PERMITS
Why you want a local to run this
Ross is simple — a short hop from town. Baratang is where the details matter: an early start, a permit, and a convoy through a protected tribal reserve. We handle every piece so your day runs smoothly and respectfully.
Baratang permit & conduct: the road crosses the Jarawa Tribal Reserve. Vehicles move only in timed, escorted convoys from the Jirkatang checkpost, and stopping, photographing or interacting with the tribal community is strictly prohibited by law. We arrange your permit and brief you fully before you go.
- Ross Island — 20-min boat. Ferries leave from Aberdeen Jetty / the Water Sports Complex in Port Blair through the day. Easily combined with North Bay into one half-day trip.
Baratang — pre-dawn start. It’s roughly a 3-hour drive north from Port Blair (about 100 km) to the Nilambur jetty. Departures are early — we pick you up around 3–4 am to catch the first convoy.
Escorted convoy. Through the tribal reserve, vehicles travel together at set times with a forest escort. We book your slot and a private cab so you’re never chasing the convoy.- Plan a full day. Baratang is a long day out — expect to be back in Port Blair by evening. It fits best as a dedicated day within a longer itinerary, not squeezed against a ferry.
BUILD IT INTO A TRIP
Packages with day trips built in
Ross and Baratang slot neatly into a Port Blair-based stay. These itineraries include the day trips and handle every permit for you.
5N / 6D
Family Package
History, wildlife and an adventure the kids will talk about — Ross Island and Baratang built into an easy, age-friendly Andaman loop.
Starting from ₹16,499 / person
4N–7D
See All Tour Packages
Add Ross and Baratang to any itinerary. Compare every package and duration — all starting from Port Blair with itemised pricing.
Packages from ₹12,999 / person
GOOD TO KNOW
Ross & Baratang questions, answered
The honest answers we give travellers on WhatsApp every day.
Do I need a permit for Baratang?
Yes. The road to Baratang crosses the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, so you need a permit and must travel in a timed, forest-escorted convoy from the Jirkatang checkpost. Stopping, photographing or interacting with the tribal community is strictly prohibited by law. We arrange the permit as part of your trip and brief you on the rules before you set off — you don’t have to sort any of it yourself.
How far is Baratang from Port Blair, and how long does it take?
Baratang is about 100 km north of Port Blair — roughly a 3-hour drive each way, plus the convoy wait and the creek boat ride. It’s a full-day excursion: we start around 3–4 am to catch the first convoy and you’re usually back in Port Blair by evening. Because of the early start, we plan it as its own day rather than squeezing it against a ferry.
Is Ross Island worth visiting?
Absolutely, and it’s an easy one — just a 20-minute boat ride from Port Blair. The colonial ruins swallowed by banyan roots are genuinely atmospheric, the deer and peacocks are a hit with kids, and the whole visit takes only a half-day. Most travellers pair it with North Bay Island for a full morning on the water.
FREE CUSTOM QUOTE
Plan My Andaman Trip
Tell us your dates and who’s travelling — we’ll build a custom itinerary with exact, itemised pricing. No obligation, no pressure.
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- Built by a team who actually lives here