Noel Coward, Charlie Chaplin and Queen Elizabeth II have stayed there, and its Long Bar saw the birth of the cocktail known as the “Singapore Sling.” It’s the Raffles Hotel (1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673; phone +65 6337 1886, http://singapore.raffles.com), and its rich history is showcased in the Raffles Hotel Museum.

Located on the hotel’s third floor, the museum houses photos, memorabilia and postcards from The Golden Age of Travel (1880-1939). China, furniture and equipment from...

Homecoming Scotland 2009 will be celebrated countrywide from Jan. 25 (the 250th birthday of poet Robert Burns and a national holiday) to Nov. 30 (St. Andrew’s Day, this year featuring Scottish music from folk to contemporary).

Burns Night is annually marked with poems, music and haggis. Glasgow will have the Celtic Connections winter music festival.

In the Spirit of Speyside Festival, May 1-10, the Scotch whisky industry will host events, tastings and residential whisky courses...

The International Maritime Museum Hamburg (Kaispelcher B, Koreastrasse 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany; phone +49 [0] 40 300 92 300, fax 300 92 30 13, www.internationales-maritimes-museum.de) opened in June.

A 7-minute walk from the piers, the 9-floor museum covers 3,000 years of maritime history, with ship designs, scale models, uniforms and paintings. Open 10-6 Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. and Sun. €10 ($15.50).