Blow out for Bali: Here's a bargain

A few years ago, a friend of mine and her husband landed an unexpected windfall: an over-market price for their house that wasn't even on the market at the time. (A neighbor simply showed up with an incredible offer. ) Suddenly flush, they said "what's next?'' He moved to Miami Beach. She moved to Bali.

At the time I thought she was nuts. But years and countless visits later, I think she was incredibly smart.

Bali is sweet, beautiful, lush, peaceful, artsy, restful. The distinctive culture permeates every moment; in the morning you'll find a rice-and-flower offering to the Hindu gods at your door, and in the evening traffic may stop for a parade of men carrying spirit houses and women whose heads are topped with platters of fruit and flowers. The food is good, the hotels fabulous at every price range, from $10 per night (OK, without air con) to $1,000.

And -- Bali's on sale. Cathay Pacific Airways has announced its May special: $865 roundtrip from New York or LA to Bali, if you purchase by May 31, good for travel Sept. 1 - Nov. 30.

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Photos: Copyright Jane Wooldridge