outheast Asia--the mere mention of it con-<br > jures up images of things exotic. For centuries<br > this intriguing region has lured travelers.<br > Drawn by tales of the rich spice islands and<br > the romance of Singapore and the fabled isle<br > of Bali， adventurers journeyed here to dis-<br >cover other riches--the jeweled spires of Bangkok， the<br >archeological splendor of ancient Borobudur， and the in-<br >comparable Philippine rice terraces.<br > A treasure chest resplendent with tropical greenery，<br >beautiful beaches， delicate art forms， and varied ethnic<br >groups and cultures， Southeast Asia is one of the world s<br >most diverse regions. For the visitor， it offers a multitude of<br >fascinating travel experiences.<br > NATURE S INFLUENCES<br >Southeast Asia stretches more than 4，828 km/3，000<br >miles--from the southeast comer of the Asian mainland<br >out over the island-studded Indian Ocean and South<br >China Sea. Contained within the mainland portion of this<br >tropical wonderland are Thailand， Burma， Cambodia<br >(Kampuchea)， Laos， and Vietnam. Extending southward<br >from the mainland is the Malay Peninsula， occupied<br >primarily by Malaysia， with Singapore forming an excla-<br >mation point at its southern tip. The rest of the area is<br >fragmented into thousands of islands comprising In-<br >donesia and the Philippines.<br >