VANAMCOVE 
Ross & Smith Islands
Twin islands joined by a sandbar
Why this weekend?
The day-by-day plan
- Morning boat to Smith
- Reef snorkel
- Low-tide sandbar walk to Ross
- Slow beach time
- Return before the tide turns
Geography & terrain
Ross & Smith are two flat, uninhabited islands off the north-east tip of North Andaman, about 45 minutes by boat from Kalipur beach — linked by a natural sandbar that uncovers at low tide, letting walkers cross from one island to the other through the shallow channel.
History & culture
Roughly named for British officers of the colonial years, the twins stayed uninhabited through the island's rubber and farm age; today they anchor the North Andaman tourism circuit as a day-trip pair — the sandbar crossing now as famous as any beach in the islands.
Where to stay
Budget
₹1,500–4,000/nightMid-range
₹4,000–9,000/nightComfort
₹9,000+/nightThings to do
The sandbar crossing
Smith reef shelf
Ross long beach
Dolphin channel
Tide pools
Eat & drink
- Grilled reef fish
- Coconut and seafood curries
- Tropical fresh fruit platters
Getting there
- Fly
- Veer Savarkar Airport (IXZ), Port Blair
- Train
- No rail — island chain served by ferries
- Road from Port Blair
- road + ferry hub for all islands
- Getting around
- Autos and scooters on the islands; ferries between them
Budget snapshot
- Total
- ₹5,000–14,000 (1 days)
- Per day · Stay
- ₹1,500–9,000/night
- Per day · Food
- ₹600–1,000
- Per day · Transport
- ₹1,200–1,600
- Per day · Activities
- ₹1,800–2,200
Month by month
Practical info
- Language: Hindi / Bengali / Tamil (multi-language islands) (English understood in tourist spots)
- Best window: Oct–Mar
- Connectivity: Patchy off the main islands — download offline maps
- UPI/cards widely accepted; keep small cash for hill and market stops
Practical tips
- The sandbar only fully opens about two hours around low tide — time the boat with the tide app
- Bring your own lunch, water and shade — the islands have nothing
- Coral shoes for the reef and the bar; the wading is on live coral shelves
Frequently asked questions
Around low tide on calm days only — the bar is fully exposed for about two hours; morning trips are timed for it.
No — no facilities or permissions; it's a strict day trip from Kalipur.
Roughly October to May; the monsoon months shut the boats for days at a time.
Twin islands joined by a sandbar
Take the break. We'll take the planning.
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