Get cheaper room rates than Web by calling hotel direct

YONKERS, N.Y. — Booking rooms by contacting hotels directly is likely to result in cheaper rates than booking through travel Web sites, according to Consumer Reports’ July issue.

The magazine contacted 100 hotels to find the best deal on a room for a three-night weekend getaway in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. Three out of four hotels gave a better deal when contacted directly than when booked through travel Web sites like Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, with an $83-a-night average savings, Consumer Reports said.

The magazine also rated hotels using reviews from 35,000 readers. The Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons won in the luxury category ($90-$500 nightly); Walt Disney Resorts, Embassy Suites and Harrah’s won upscale ($80-$150); SpringHill Suites by Marriott and Homewood Suites by Hilton won moderate ($60-$100) and Sleep Inn, Extended Stay America and Microtel Inn/Suites won budget ($40-$70).

National Geographic gives awards

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Environmental and social leaders in tourism are being honored with the 2004 World Legacy awards, given by National Geographic Traveler magazine and Conservation International.

The four winners, chosen from applicants from more than 40 countries, are:

•Al Maha Desert Resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which won the Nature Travel Award for successfully lobbying the government to create a reserve representing nearly 5 percent of Dubai’s land area. Resort visitors can explore the desert on camel.

•Anangu Tours, which won the Heritage Tourism Award for a program in which Australian Aborigines take tourists on bushwalks to the foot of Ayers Rock, the world’s largest monolith, in the Northern Territory.

•Casuarina Beach Club in Barbados, which won the General Purpose Hotels and Resorts Award for protecting the environment while enhancing local culture. The club recycles water and has a composting program; visitors enjoy reef-diving and poetry readings.

•Gunung Rinjani in Lombok, Indonesia, which won the Destination Stewardship Award for partnering with local community groups, national park staff and tourism workers. Visitors enjoy jungle treks to waterfalls, crater valleys and ocean views.

Hanauma Bay Dr. Beach’s No. 1

HONOLULU — Hanauma Bay, a volcanic crater flooded with gem-blue Pacific waters and hundreds of species of tropical fish, has been named the best U.S. beach on the list of annual rankings by Stephen Leatherman, a Florida environmental scientist known as “Dr. Beach.”

Four Florida beaches made the top 10 rankings — Fort De Soto Park, Caladesi Island State Park and Crescent Beach along the central Gulf coast, and Cape Florida State Park near Miami.

Hanauma Bay, a stretch of white sand along Oahu’s eastern shore with spectacular views and superb snorkeling, has appeared on Leatherman’s list before.

“It’s a perfect little jewel,” said Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University in Miami.

Also honored were Ocracoke Island in North Carolina; Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y.; Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Mass.; Coronado Beach in California; and Hanalei Bay in Kauai, Hawaii.

Stay safe on water this summer

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. — Is boating in your vacation plans?

Consider this, known as the “50-50 rule” to fishermen and boaters: You have a 50 percent chance of swimming 50 yards in 50-degree water.

Here’s another sobering statistic, according to the Coast Guard’s latest data: 750 boaters died in 2002 and 85 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets, even though in many cases, the preservers were aboard.

“Wearing your life jacket is the No. 1 thing you can do to greatly increase your chances of surviving a boating accident,” said Rear Admiral Jeffrey J. Hathaway of the Coast Guard. “There is rarely enough time to reach a life jacket, because accidents happen so quickly and unexpectedly.”

In addition to wearing a properly fitted life jacket, you can take other steps to assure your safety while boating. Eastern Mountain Sports offers the following tips:

•Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.

•Check weather forecasts. Consider carrying a weather radio that sounds an alarm if severe weather approaches.

•Practice basic rescues close to shore in a protected area. But remember, just because you can right a boat and get back in it in warm, calm water does not mean you can do it in cold, rough conditions.

•Carry a whistle approved for water use; regular whistles have small balls that don’t work when they are wet. A whistle carries much farther than your voice.

•Synthetic fabrics like fleece, nylon and polyester dry quickly and retain their insulating abilities even when wet. Carry an emergency set of clothes — an old fleece jacket, hat and socks — in a dry bag that you can put on if you get wet.

•If you’re inexperienced, take a lesson. The American Canoe Association ( www.acanet.org) can help you find a certified instructor. The EMS kayaking school ( www.kayak-ems.com) is holding clinics in eight states from Maine to Maryland.

For more information on boating safety, visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com.