General Manager of Changi Airport Khaja Nazimuddeen’s Guide to Singapore

Singapore’s most famous sights—the floating pools at the Marina Bay Sands, for instance—have become iconic since the screen adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians introduced the world to the city’s skyline. If you only have time for a couple of famous spots, Nazimuddeen recommends the Gardens by the Bay. This stunning botanical park is most famous for its “super trees,” 16-storey-tall towers built to look like trees covered in greenery that light up at night. The park also contains two enormous glass domes filled with plants from around the world. “There’s a very unique collection of plants … assembled in the gardens,” says Nazimuddeen, of the Mediterranean and tropical collections.

Nazimuddeen also recommends spending some time in the new Jewel complex, which has become almost instantly famous for its Rain Vortex waterfall. The mall has a variety of shops and restaurants as well as activities including Canopy Park, which offers slides, ropes courses, and mazes for visitors of all ages.

Despite its image as a cutting edge urban city of towering skyscrapers, Singapore is also full of green spaces, from small urban parks to vast wetlands and nature preserves. Nazimuddeen particularly enjoys the Botanical Gardens, a 160-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site that boasts over 200 acres (82 hectares) of gardens.

He also recommends the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, one of the oldest tropical rain forests in the world. “You find some really fantastic trees that have been in existence for almost 200, 300 years,” Nazimuddeen explains. “And you get to see the different levels of the forest. The diversity of animal life in there is also quite unique, but [seeing] that takes a lot of patience.”

Just outside the glitzy financial center, you’ll find a variety of smaller neighborhoods where Singapore’s culture and history have been carefully preserved. “There's another side of Singapore that is still very conserved, very set back in our old days,” says Nazimuddeen. Neighborhoods such as Little India and Chinatown are filled with small shops in traditional, colorful shop houses, where families used to sell wares on the bottom floor and live on the top floor. “These are actually gazetted and preserved buildings,” he explains. “So you see what Singapore used to be back in the 70s and the 60s.”

“Singapore has become very city-like, like Manhattan or Boston. But there’s another side of Singapore,” says Nazimuddeen. “If you really want to find the true Singapore, you should go out of the main areas into the places where the people live, housing estates and all.” On weekends, local neighborhoods including Ang Mo Kio and Woodlands often host community events such as carnivals, night markets, or large flea markets where vendors offer everything from food to clothing to art.

In addition to its cutting-edge architecture and vibrant gardens, Singapore is also famous for its food. “We have a collection of all the Asian foods that you can find, in one location, so Singapore is a food heaven,” says Nazimuddeen. “We have got the Chinese, the Indians, the Malay, the Indonesian food, and these days you can get Burmese and Filipino food.” He prefers eating at hawker centers, where guests can choose from a variety dishes including chicken rice, Hokkien mee (noodles stir-fried with pork and seafood) and yong tau foo (a mix of tofu and minced meat that is fried and mixed with vegetables, herbs, and a savory bean sauce). “These are very informal settings. You go to sink into the culture and enjoy yourself,” notes Nazimudeen.

Related: 15 Traditional Singaporean Foods and Drinks To Try on Your Next Trip

“Singapore is very child-friendly, really,” says Nazimuddeen. The city-state boasts a number of fun, family-focused destinations, including Universal Studios, the S.E.A. Aquarium on the island of Sentosa, and a variety of museums. Visiting kids can also join in on the kinds of neighborhood activities enjoyed by local families. “If you come during the school holiday periods, which are usually during the June break and the December break, places will organize events like coloring events and children's art competitions,” says Nazimuddeen.

Singapore is an island state, and in addition to the cosmopolitan main island of Pulau Ujong (sometimes referred to as the Singapore mainland), there are more than 60 smaller islands—natural and artificial—which offer a laid-back, beachy vibe. Ferries and island cruises take people to places such as St. John’s Island, an oasis of lagoons and beaches; Kusu Island, home to a Chinese temple and a turtle sanctuary; and Pulau Ubin, a preserve that’s home to a variety of flora and fauna and boasts a small traditional village or kampong. While you can stay overnight on some islands, most are best seen on a day trip. “Usually you go there for a picnic, you have your swim, and you come back,” says Nazimuddeen.