TB
Are you looking to go professional sometime in the future?
If so I would look at a school like PanAm in Fort Pierce. I visited them briefly in 2000 and they did'nt look half bad. Alternatively you could fly in somewhere like New Zealand or South Africa where time is really cheap and I believe (please correct me if I'm wrong) will issue you with an ICAO PPL which, when added to 150hrs total time is enough for entry to the ATPL theory course. Even with the flights included, it should work out cheapish with the current exchange rate.
There are alot of places in the US that don't deserve your money so if you do decide on The US make sure you choose carefully.
I've got some experience of flying in the US so mail me if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help
Cheers
Eno