Tybee Vacation Rentals Concierge and Tybee Information Site

For a wonderful outing take a ride on a Riverboat steamboat. The boat offers a myriad of cruises, from sightseeing up and down the Savannah River, to gospel dinners, to moonlight cruises, to entertainment dinner cruises, to lunch cruises, to Geeche dinners and “Murder Afloat” cruises.

A specialty cruise is the Cullah Geechee Performance cruise. Get a taste of the lowcountry living as you learn about how the Gullah Geechee people adapted to the sea island areas of Georgia and South Caroline after they journeyed here from West Africa. Enjoy a performance by Patt Gunn, a “daughter of the dust” of the coast of Ga. She is considered one of 14 “Waterway guardians” who are the memory keepers of the Gullah Gerechee folkways and foodways.  These will take plance Thursday nights, May 20-August 12.

Another specialty cruise is the Haunted Harbour Cruise. This is a spooky and fun tour of one of the most haunted rivers in North America. The Ghost Host will introduce you to several of his closest dearly-departed friends. There is no gore and the ghostly characters are friendly and fun. Friday nights: June through August. Boards at 9:00 pm.

For reservations or more information on any of these or other cruises call 912.232.6404 or 1.800.786.6404 or go to www.savannahriverboat.com.

Every year the Junkanoos, a colorful music group participates in the Tybee Island St. Patty’s Day parade. What is Junkanoo? 

Junkanoo first began as a temporary celebration of freedom for slaves who were given three days off at Christmas time. Donning scary-looking masks, slaves played homemade musical instruments (drums and bells) and cavorted about freely on the island.

The origin of the word “Junkanoo” is unknown. The most popular belief is that it’s derived from “John Canoe,” an African tribal chief who demanded he be allowed the right to celebrate with his people even after he was brought to the West Indies as a slave. Others believe the name is from the French “gens inconnus,” which means “the unknown people” and refers to people wearing disguises and thus being unknown.

Junkanoo’s roots can be traced to West Africa. In fact, other areas in the region that practised slavery — like Bermuda and Jamaica — had their own versions of John Canoe parades.

Junkanoo probably began in the 16th or 17th century. Around Christmas, Bahamian slaves were given a few days off. This allowed them to leave the plantations to be with their families and to celebrate the holiday with music, dance and costumes. In the early years, Junkanoo participants wore grotesque masks Continue Reading »

This year’s event was terrific. For more information about the next event go to:

http://www.savannahjazzfestival.org

Brunswick and St. Simons Island, about a 2 hour ride from Savannah, offered a concert and dramatic presentation every June at Brunswick’s Ritz Theater. There were spirituals, gospel and blues singing, the Georgia Sea Island Singers, folk dancing and Gullah/Geechee craft demonstrations going on all weekend. Forthe  next date and information, call 912.634.0330.

Welcome to the area! We want you to know about all of the tours we offer. Not only do we have our wonderful Old Savannah Trolley Tour that shows you the history and culture of Savannah, but we have many other venues, as well.

First Tybee Island. While there is no official tour, we do have a staff member that can give you a Tybee Tour. Just ask our Concierge for details.

Old Savannah Tours Ghostly Nights Trolley & Spirits Stroll featuring the Pirates House. Get the ghost tour, dinner at the Pirates House and a journey into the dark! Prices range from $44 for adults to $29 for children, but prices vary depending on if you stay for dinner. Call 912.234.8128 for more information or to make reservations.

Tybee Vacation Rentals recommends the ghost tour provided by Sixth Sense Savannah. It has been featured by the New York Times, Scariest Places on Earth, and National Geographic Kids to name a few. Call 1.866.666.DEAD or go to www.sixthsensesavannah.com.

Legends and Lunch is a Savannah River cruise that gives you a 2 hour narrated voyage on the Savannah River, with lunch catered by our famous Paula Deen’s Lady and Sons restaurant. Prices are $36 for adults and $28 for children. Reservations are required. Call 912.234.8128.

The Paula Deen Tour - peek into the life of chef and restauranteer Paula Deen and have lunch at Uncle Bubbas, her brother’s restaurant. $56 for tour and lunch.

Hey Girl Scouts–we have a special tour for you–get your badge and discover Savannah. Scouts’ tickets are $12, adults/leaders are $19.

River Street Riverboat Tours – get on an old stern-wheel boat and glide up and down the Savannah River. They sail year around and they have a variety of venues: the one hour narrative tour; a dinner and entertainment cruise featuring a buffet dinner; a Gospel Dinner Cruise featuring Gospel music and southern cuisine; a lunch cruise; and a Murder Afloat mystery cruise which allows the guest to become an amateur sleuth. Call 912.232.6404 for reservations.

Dolphin tours are a great way to see the coastline, the Cockspur Lighthouse and dolphins. We recommend Dolphin Adventures which has a number of tours throughout the day, including a sunset tour. Call 912.786. 5848.

Horse-Drawn Carriage Tours are a great, slow way to see Savannah. Several companies do narrated historic tours and ghost tours. We recommend Carriage Tours of Savannah. Call 912.236.6756.

For another great way to see Savannah, take a walking tour. There’s no better way to see the squares than to stroll through them. Not only will you see the historic buildings, houses and monuments, but you’ll also get a glimpse at our hidden gardens. Call 912.234.3571 or 912.921.4455 for information.

Pedicabs – Wow-can’t believe those people can do this, but they do and what fun. It’s relaxing, easy, slow, and sure beats walking in the really hot humid weather. For details, call 912.232.7900.

Do you know that more than 85 movies have been shot in and around Savannah and Tybee? We have a 90-minute, air-conditioned tour that shows you the local sites and scenes of our movies, plus there are clips of those places as you drive by. Call Savannah Movie Tours at 912.234.3440 or go to www.savannahmovietours.net.

Savannah and the surrounding area have a rich African-American heritage and culture. There are tours for history, food, museums and so forth. Call 912.234.8091 or go to www.mikkistoursbytaste.com.

Love food? We have a great tour called the Foody Tour where not only do you learn about Savannah’s rich culinary history, but you also sample food from a variety of local eateries. For details go to www.savannahmovietours.net or call 912.234.3440.