This tropical oasis, with its sprawling, verdant gardens, was given UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2015 and is popular with both locals and tourists. Founded over 150 years ago by an English military officer and self-styled “naturalist,” the gardens were designed in the style of the English Landscape Movement and used as a location to collect specimens deemed important by colonial powers. Visitors can easily take a day or two to walk through the 82-acre property. Don’t miss the National Orchid Garden, which showcases over 1,000 species.

Originally a nutmeg farm, and later home to British army barracks, Dempsey Hill is now one of the trendiest spots in the city for a bit of R&R. Visitors can go shopping, sip cocktails, or tuck into a good meal at a range of restaurants—from Mexican food to modern Singaporean cuisine. Although it’s just a short jaunt from busy Orchard Road, the lush setting makes it feel a world apart. It’s also an ideal place to browse contemporary art at hotspots like Redsea Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Arts, featuring some of the latest works by up-and-coming Asian artists.

Once lined with pepper farms and fruit orchards, this busy thoroughfare is now the city’s premiere shopping area, featuring high-end shops and an interesting mix of architecture. The shophouses on Emerald Hill are done in the Chinese Baroque architectural style of the early 20th century, while new retail establishments like ION Orchard shopping mall pull out all the bells and whistles when it comes to wowing visitors. Designed by London firm Benoy, the mall features ION Art gallery, an observation deck, and a multi-sensory media wall that puts on a light show for passersby.

Located on a quiet hilltop in the middle of the city, this stately two-story house was once a lavish private residence, then briefly served as the Japanese consulate. Today, it’s a multipurpose arts space, and well worth a visit. Kult Kafé features a gallery as well as frequent film screenings on an outdoor terrace perfect for sipping the house cocktail, the Kult Julip. Mount Emily Park provides a leafy respite from the heat.

Once the home of Malay sultans, this multi-ethnic neighborhood has some of the city’s most charming buildings. With everything from antique stores to Malaysian coffee shops, restaurants, and cafes, the area’s compact, rowhouse-lined streets—like Haji Lane—are ideal for wandering from shop to shop. Visit the Malay Heritage Centre, a restored palace, which showcases Malay culture in a series of galleries, or the golden-domed Sultan Mosque, a national monument. During Ramadan, the area around the mosque comes alive with vibrant night markets.

This residential high-rise is known by locals as the “Gotham City” building for its Batman-esque flair. Designed to the tastes of its Taiwanese tycoon backer by Singapore firm DP Architects, the building was modeled after the 1929 Chanin building in New York City and incorporates design elements of feng shui. Inside is a stunning Art Deco bar ornate enough to put the Great Gatsby to shame. A floor-to-ceiling wine cellar is accessed by a “wine fairy” who straps herself to a harness and “flies” to fetch customers their wine.

This curvaceous library, designed by Malaysian architect Ken Yeang, received the highest-possible “Green Mark” rating for environmentally friendly buildings—Singapore’s equivalent of the LEED system in the U.S.—when it opened in 2005. The library is a great place to beat the heat in the heart of the city thanks to its high-ceilinged rooms, 14 tropical gardens, and host of public lecture offerings. The top floor features a glass room with 360-degree views of the city, while the 10th floor hosts a collection of maps of southeast Asia, some of which are centuries old.

This rather nondescript five-story building is a relic of Singapore’s 1980s public housing projects, before the city’s skyscraper boom. Deriving its name from the words “wet rice” in Malay (rice was once laid out to dry on the nearby Stamford Canal), the building houses arts and crafts shops, galleries, and bookstores popular with locals. Book lovers will enjoy Basheer Graphic Books, which includes a large section of architecture and design reads. Just across from the complex is Purvis Street, a charming lane lined with colorful shophouses, upscale cafes, and restaurants.

Not only is Fort Canning Park a great place to take in city views while strolling through winding paths of tropical foliage, it’s also an ideal spot to learn a bit of Singaporean history. Once the site of Malay kings’ palaces in the 14th century, it was later used by the British army for military barracks and a hospital. (A well-preserved underground command center, known as the Battle Box, was the site of surrender by colonial forces to the invading Japanese army in 1942.) Today, the sprawling lawns frequently host outdoor arts performances, like plays and concerts.

One of the latest additions to the skyline, this luxury hotel and residential tower designed by Foster + Partners is located on the site of a Singaporean military base. Interiors by Philippe Starck bring a touch of quirk to the hotel, which includes an infinity pool with unbeatable views. With the hotel’s creation, three of the surrounding prewar colonial buildings received a new lease on life—including former Block 9, now home to the Grand Ballroom, an event space with a stunning light installation by Starck. And the former armory, built in 1908, traded munitions for hip restaurants, cafés, and bars.

Housing the world’s largest collections of Southeast Asian art, this museum, which opened in 2015, is located in two of the city’s most historic neoclassical buildings in the Civic District—the Supreme Court and City Hall. The interior received a stunning makeover by studioMilou of Paris and CPG Consultants, complete with walkways and light-filled atriums. Temporary exhibitions are curated in collaboration with Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Tate Britain, and restaurants Yan and Michelin-starred Odette feature impressive interiors, while AURA bar has great views of the skyline. Design junkies will love the cafe and shop on the ground floor.

Though known today for its soaring skyscrapers, Singapore’s history stretches back to the third century, and this museum is perhaps the best place to learn about the pan-Asian heritage of its inhabitants. Built in 1867, the building’s neoclassical exterior remains an eye-catcher, particularly in its location next to the Singapore River. Inside, expansive gallery space makes way for special exhibitions and detailed permanent collections.

Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, this luxury hotel opened its doors in 2010. It’s part of the large-scale transformation of the downtown area, which has been underway since the ’70s. It may look a bit like a cruise ship sitting atop three 55-story pillars, but the SkyPark is the world’s longest public cantilever, thus an engineering marvel. It’s also a great place to scope out Singapore’s unique skyline with a drink in hand at CÈ LA VI sky bar. Nearby, the ArtScience museum, shaped like a gigantic lotus flower, is a good place to quench a thirst for knowledge, thanks to its schedule of rotating exhibitions in 21 galleries.

No visit to Singapore is complete without a visit to this 250-acre park in the city’s Marina Bay area. Envisioned as part of a move to make Singapore a “city in a garden”, British firms Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter designed three water gardens—as well as the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest conservatories—each of which showcase sustainable building technologies. Supertree Grove is comprised of tree-like structures; the tallest is 16 stories. These foliage-clad giants convert sunlight into energy, powering some of the lighting and water technology in the rest of the park.

This trendy, low-key neighborhood is a favorite with visitors and locals who prefer to live outside the hustle and bustle of downtown, while still eating and drinking well. The low-rise Art Deco homes, built in this 1930s as one of the city’s first housing projects, are slowly seeing an influx of fashionable boutiques, cafes, and restaurants—for better or worse. Yong Siak Street may be small, but it’s chock full: Check out BooksActually, which is a great place to pick up Singapore-related reads, and the design shop Strangelets.

When locals have had enough of the city grind, they head to Sentosa, Singapore’s answer to a quick island getaway. Steer clear of the casinos and theme parks, like Universal Studios, and instead spend a day at the beach. Siloso, Palawan, and Tanjong all have plenty to offer; Siloso features a busy beach promenade with plenty of bars and eateries, while Tanjong is the quietest of the three and the best bet for a relaxing afternoon.

A little over six miles of green space link Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, Kent Ridge Park, and Labrador Nature Reserve, offering an ideal outing for those who prefer to take a breather from buildings. Aside from indulging in some of the best views of the city and southern islands, visitors can catch a glimpse of razor-like structures rising out of the water—the Reflections at Keppel Bay, the first Asian residential housing development by Daniel Libeskind.

This arts complex is a far cry from its original purpose as an army camp. A $10 million makeover in 2012 transformed the circa-1930 British military barracks into a hotspot for contemporary visual art, and a dozen local and international galleries are now spread throughout five buildings. SUPERMAMA gallery shop offers works created in collaborations between Singaporean designers and Japanese craft facilities.

Located in the city’s southwest, HortPark is a great place to spend a day outdoors learning about the local flora, or to pick up a new gardening technique or two: Every month, scheduled gardening activities are open to the public. For those who prefer to enjoy the outdoors from a distance, there’s a restaurant nestled amid the foliage.