I've never been to Asia, but have a week off that I would like to go. I was wondering what would be the best place to hit for such a vacation. I'm into outdoor stuff as well as relaxing beach stuff. I was thinking of Bali, but i heard that was very expensive to get there. Ideas please?

Which country are you flying from? You have not said.

Forgot to mention country of origin: Chicago, USA<BR><BR>THx

It's a long flight for just one week, but then I've done it before. <BR><BR>I'd choose one location that is pretty easy to get to without a lot of plane changes. Since you are looking for beach, I'd recommend either Thailand or Bali. <BR><BR>I don't know what the connections are like from Chicago, but if you want to go to Bali, Singapore Air flies from the west coast to Bali via Singapore. How difficult the connections are to a beach in Thailand depends on which beach you choose. Hua Hin is a mere 2 1/2 hour drive from Bangkok, Phuket is a short flight (but adds $$). You may want to choose a couple of places that look good, then research your airfares and connections.

I went to Bangkok for a week 2 years ago. It's a long way to go but worth the trip. It's also a good introduction to Asia and there are tons of things to see and do. <BR>If you've never been to Asia, and you only have a week, I wouldn't go that far just for the beach. It's not worth it, you'd be better off in Hawaii. But if you want culture and history then go!I only say this, not because the beaches aren't nice (they are), but those areas tend to be just like beaches everywhere. And yes, you could combine your time in Bangkok with a few days at the beach.<BR>If you want some ideas of what you can do with a week in Bangkok, check out my website:<BR>http://www.wired2theworld.com