Originally Posted by
peteyhill
I think about 9 days would be the maximum I could stay away from work
-- Leaving from ATL with flexible dates. Most connections from here that I've found generally go through Seoul (Incheon)
Honestly, 9 days is not enough. The travel time alone can be 24 hours each way, so then you're looking at 7 days of vacation. I would shoot for a minimum of 14 days.
It would help if you could narrow down the areas or countries a bit more. With your budget any Asian country is possible. Some countries are easier than others for first timers as well. Some countries allow a visa-free visit which can save money.
I'm not a backpacker, but I would recommend carrying your stuff in a backpack unless you plan to stay in the same hotel room for the duration of your trip.
In regards to booking legs of flights... Basically you will determine what days you will have off work and book your roundtrip flight. You don't have to fly into and leave from the same airport, and many airline website's allow you to book trips with multiple cities. Personally, I create an outline of where and when I want to visit in the region, and then look into the airfares connecting my dots. Korean air offers some more interesting airline connections via Seoul.
Anyways, feel free to ask more questions or provide us with more relevant information. Lots of good advice can be gained from this forum.