With much excitement and buzz, the final round of the 2015 Formula One Grand Prix season took place here in Abu Dhabi.

The races took place on Yas Island in the impressive, purpose-built Yas Marina Circuit – complete with waterfront views, luxury yachts and the spectacular Viceroy Hotel wrapped around it’s sharp bends.

It’s a big occasion in Abu Dhabi, where people from all over the world flock over to experience the luxury and hype of Formula One. It’s the place to be seen, so most people are suited up in their most glamorous outfits. People watching heaven!

You can either book tickets for one of the ‘grand stands’ or rent a berth at the marina. At the marina, you get to sip champagne to your hearts content on your very own yacht.

On the first day the drivers get to practice the route, the 2nd day is the qualifiers and the 3rd day is race day!

The Viceroy Hotel is still one of the most impressive, unique hotels I’ve seen. Especially at night, the entire ‘hood’ of the hotel is covered with tiny lights that seamlessly change colour as they shimmer across the hotel.

Friends and family joined us for such a wonderful weekend. It was so fun hanging out with my sister and her husband (asking them a lot of questions about Formula One rules since I was completely clueless!).

Tip: If you ever go to a Formula One, bring ear plugs with you. It gets very, very loud!

It really was so thrilling watching the drivers whizz past at incredible speeds. I am so impressed with how fearless these drivers are.

It wasn’t long until our stomachs started rumbling.. so we made our way to explore the grounds and find a spot for lunch at the lovely Marina.

Surrounding each grand stand are food stalls, dj’s, dancers, beer gardens and shops to keep everyone entertained. They did a great job, the ebullient atmosphere was infectious!

Shawarmas have to be one of the best foods on the planet. I used to eat them all the time when I lived in Oman, so we couldn’t resist grabbing one for the road.

We decided to have lunch at iris, a gorgeous and very trendy restaurant overlooking Yas Marina. The decor and food presentation is right up my alley, I was in love with the place!

The restaurant and bar is actually originally from Beirut, which means that I just have to add Beirut to my travel bucket list now.

So I have a thing with fonts. And how pretty is the iris font?! It definitely made the place even more appealing for me 😛.

The cocktails here were fantastic. Take a look at these..

Fresh, sweet passionfruit combined with slightly bitter prosecco. I really didn’t want to leave and the food hadn’t even arrived yet.

Neither did my sister.

We were set on having a light, healthy lunch, so ordered Edamame beans, Quinoa Salad, Spanish-Style Fried Calamari and Spicy Crunchy Salmon. The portions of the meals are smaller than we thought which was a good thing I suppose.

Quinoa with avocado, juicy tomatoes, carrots and a soy-based dressing makes such a simple yet delicious meal.

There’s always room for lunch-time dessert when it’s a special occasion. So we went for the Fondant Au Chocolate with Belgium chocolate and vanilla ice cream. It was so so good. You must order it if you find yourself in iris! If only you could lick the screen right?

We enjoyed every minute as we looked out on to the marina, watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon.

The music grew louder as more people flocked in, eager to be part of the Formula One action.

And this was only day one! I’ll save race day for the next post..