As one of the main gateways to Southeast Asia, the island city of Singapore has developed into a diverse yet modern urban oasis. You’ll see towering skyscrapers, their glittering exteriors hiding the next great technological breakthrough.

When you tire of shopping at the city’s luxury boutiques, stop in Little India for a plate of chicken tikka masala or enjoy a cup of tea and pineapple rolls in Chinatown. Visit the National Orchid Garden, a lush oasis with 60,000 colorful displays of exotic flowers, to understand why Singapore is called the “Garden City”. Or join the locals at any one of the city’s fifty community parks, arts and heritage parks, nature parks or botanical gardens.

This is an island nation where excavation sites have unearthed small treasures and museums depict Singapore’s colonial past – and it’s also a vibrant, modern city with a fascinating culture that still continued to grow since the country gained independence in 1965.