Ross & Smith Islands (Diglipur)

Overview

Ross and Smith are two small forested islands off Diglipur at the top of North Andaman, joined by a curving bar of white sand that appears at low tide and vanishes at high tide — so that within a few hours you can walk between them and then watch the sea close over your footprints. On one side the water is a still, shallow lagoon; on the other it faces the open sea. The reef around the islands is healthy, the beaches are empty, and there is nothing built on either. People who have been to every beach in the Andamans tend to name this one first.

Note the name clash: this Ross Island is not the historic Ross Island off Port Blair. Locals say “Ross & Smith” or “twin islands” to be clear.

Getting there

This is an expedition, not a day trip.

1. Port Blair → Diglipur. By road it’s 300-plus km up the Andaman Trunk Road — 10 to 14 hours including the Jarawa-reserve convoys and two vehicle ferries; overnight buses and hired cars both do it, usually with a stop at Rangat or Mayabunder. The government ship to Diglipur (Aerial Bay) is the calmer alternative when it’s sailing — an overnight passage. Occasional small-aircraft or helicopter services exist but can’t be planned around. Most people take three to four days for the whole excursion.
2. Diglipur → Aerial Bay jetty. About 10 km; autos and taxis are available in Diglipur town.
3. Permit. At the Forest Department counter by the jetty — carry ID; the office keeps morning hours and is closed Sundays.
4. Boat. Private boats from Aerial Bay reach the islands in about 20 minutes; you land on the sandbar side. Boats generally run from around 8 am and must have you back before evening. Book the boat the evening before through your guesthouse — and ask them for the tide time, which decides your whole day.

What to do

• Walk the sandbar at low tide from one island to the other; watch it disappear as the tide turns.
• Swim and float in the lagoon side — calm, shallow, glass-clear.
• Snorkel the reef off the sandbar and around the islands’ rocky points; bring your own gear from Port Blair or Diglipur (rentals are unreliable up here).
• Walk the shoreline of Smith Island under the forest; Ross has restrictions in parts (it’s a sanctuary) — follow the boatman.
• Do nothing. There will be almost nobody else there.

Practical notes

• Carry everything: water (a lot), lunch, sun cover, snorkel gear. There is no shop, no shade structure, no toilet.
• Tides run the day. Ideally arrive an hour before low tide, spend the low-tide window on the bar, and leave as it floods.
• Boats won’t go in rough sea; December–March is most reliable. The monsoon effectively closes it.
• Diglipur has basic guesthouses and a couple of resorts near Kalipur; base yourself there. Kalipur Beach (turtle nesting December–February), Saddle Peak (the islands’ highest point, a serious day walk) and the Kalighat/Ramnagar mangroves round out two or three days.
• Phone signal is BSNL-only and patchy; tell someone your plan.
• Leave no trace; this place is intact because so few people go.

Nearby

Kalipur Beach, Saddle Peak National Park, Ramnagar Beach and the Kalipur turtle-nesting beach — all around Diglipur. On the way up or back: Baratang, Rangat and Mayabunder.