You're welcome!

Well, if you're a newbie another thing to know (that I hope you won't find too discouraging) is that to use your upgrades on UA you have to buy what's called a "W" fare, which is an economy fare that's definitely more expensive than the cheapest UA economy fares.

If you have enough miles to fly business class all the way as an award ticket you might want to consider that option (whether redeeming on UA or maybe on preferable partner airlines, such as NH), though of course that way you wouldn't get to use your upgrades.

By "exotic" you don't just mean beach locations (which some of us assume and which I'd recommend as an unusual trip) but other places, let folks here know and you might get some additional ideas. IST strikes me as good in that regard, but be aware that it is a huge, bustling city so it would be more of a cultural experience rather than a relaxing getaway.

Also, if by some chance you can't get upgrades to Bangkok or Singapore, a fallback might be Hong Kong. It's not as close to Bali or Koh Samui as the other two cities are, but you could still get decently regional flights and fares from there. Plus it's a great city for a stopover.