Yas Marina F1 Circuit - Abu Dhabi

View from my room at Yas Rotana Centro :-)

Ah ... that's the F1 circuit, Etihad Abu Dhabi Grand Prix begins in under 2 weeks!


Ferrari World in the distance :-)

That's the space-ship like Yas Hotel :-)

Rangoli Indian - Yas Rotana Hotel, Abu Dhabi

Always good to start an indian buffet / all you can eat meal with a ... Kingfisher :-)

I can't quite remember how much it was, perhaps 150 AED, which includes all you can drink Kingfisher. Not bad!

Add: Yas Island Rotana, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Tel: +971 2 656 4000

Starters at the buffet ....

Some of the mains I had ... spicey and rather good.

I liked the dessert selection :-)

Rotana Centro - Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Centro Yas Island, by Rotana

Add: Yas Island Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates P.O. Box 131755

Tel: +971 2 656 444

Nice modern rooms, a wee bit small, but acceptable at the price!

View of the pool

Wanna call for room service? There is none! You can order something from the deli, and go down to pick it up ... salad, fruits, drinks, pizza, sandwiches etc ...

I like the power shower!


Modern, economical, and really near the Yas Marina F1 circuit ... Its all good!

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi - Sneak Preview

Oooh .. what a treat, a preview invite to Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi!

Located: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

GPS: 24.483673°N 54.606857°E

This is the futuristic sight that greets you as you walk up towards Ferrari World :-)

The official opening will be on 27th October, and there were still many last minute touches left un-finished! Guess Andy Keeling and all his team have a lot of sleepless nights ahead!

The entrance

I loved the structures and the exo-skeleton of the interior :-)

The Fiorano GT Challenge is a dual-launch roller coaster, I wasn't sure if it was open on the preview day. And, there were long queues for the Speed of Magic, described as a fantasy 4-D journey following the adventures of a boy as he travels through a kaleidoscape of natural and phenominal environments, where no Ferrari has gone before.

Made in Maranello - A virtual tour inside the Ferrari factory in Maranello giving guests a glimpse into the design, assembly and testing of a Ferrari GT.

I sneaked some shots inside Made in Maranello!

There were a number of Italian eateries which were yet to be opened


I found this ride rather sedate ... a very slow drive through the landscape of Italy :-) Nope, I didn't go on this either, queues were loooong!

Bell'Italia … an exhibit showcasing recreations of famous Italian cityscapes, structures and racing venues. Guests can choose to drive a Ferrari 250 California Spyder throughout the exhibit or walk the 570-metre (1,870 ft) network of paths.

I continued walking about :-)


Longest queues of the night? Probably this ... Junior Grand Prix!

Oooh ... G Force! When it opens in a week's time, it will launch riders 62m up in the air, out of the building!

V12, which takes you through a plume-ride journey in the engine of a Ferrari 599 wasn't opened during the preview night.

I did go for Driving with the Champion. Fernando Alonso takes you through a ride in his Ferrari, strap on ... and let him take you!

Everyone was taking photos with the prancing horse in the background ... and there were many such horses!

Ferrari Store ... To be opened, soon!

The end of my evening, a nice preview to what is destined to be one of Abu Dhabi's main attractions!

Good night ... and good luck, Ferrari World!

Wikipedia - Ferrari World is a Ferrari themed amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The park is situated under a 200,000 square metres (2,200,000 sq ft) roof making it the largest indoor amusement park in the world.

The iconic roof of Ferrari World was designed by Benoy Architects. It is modelled after the side profile of a Ferrari GT. The roof has a total surface area of 200,000 square metres (2,200,000 sq ft) with a perimeter of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft). The theme park, measuring 86,000 square metres (930,000 sq ft), is located under this 50 metres (160 ft) high roof. These factors make Ferrari World the largest indoor theme park in the world.

A Ferrari logo adorns the roof of the building and measures 65 metres (213 ft) by 48.5 metres (159 ft) - the largest Ferrari logo ever created. 12,370 tonnes of steel has been used to support this roof. The centre of the roof is marked by a 100-metre (330 ft) glazed funnel. The structure was declared complete on the 29 October 2009 with the park due to open one year later.