Deal of the Week: Winter Respite in Bali

Listen with RealAudio          Need audio help?

as you know by mid-March, winter gets sort of old. Usually, the cold weather makes Indonesian islands like Bali popular places to be this time of year. The problem is, two years worth of political turmoil in Indonesia have taken their toll on its tourism industry. Keep in mind that Indonesia consists of more than 13,000 islands. And none of the clashes that have made the world's front pages have come close to the tropical island of Bali.

So, to try to lure visitors back to Bali, Indonesia's tourist office is offering three nights at fancy hotels in Bali for free. All you have to do is buy an airline ticket. Sure, Bali is a pretty long way to go for only three nights, but you can add on as many nights as you wish at very reasonable prices. Right now, you can fly round trip to Bali from Los Angeles for about $800 - add only another $100 for a New York departure. Check out Korean Airlines or China Airlines for deals.

Meanwhile, your free nights are in four-star resorts. At the Alam Kulkul spa and resort, you'll have your own thatched roof bungalow steps from the beach. You can get more details from the Indonesian Tourist board and a couple of tour companies that can put your trip together. You've got about six weeks to take advantage - this promotion runs until the end of April.