My boyfriend and I started our trip to SXM very early on Sunday morning. We arrived on the island late afternoon and was met by someone from Kenny's car rental. The transaction was easy and quick and off we went to the Flamingo Resort in Simpson Bay. We were given a great room on the first floor, poolside with an incredible view. <br><br>We got the room via Skyauction.com for a bid of $10 plus about $290 in additional fees and taxes for the seven-day period. No mistake, it was a steal, but this is the real deal. Flamingo Resort is hooked up with Skyauction.com and the resort sets aside about 10% of its rooms to attract people to the resort and sell them timeshare memberships. You heard it before, nothing in life is for free. With that said, the timeshare salespeople were not overly aggressive. Just avoid their "planned" activities if you're not interested in buying into a timeshare. <br><br>On Monday, we ventured to Cupecoy Beach and rented beach chairs and umbrellas. It was extremely hot there so we highly recommend at least renting the umbrella. The rentals were very reasonable, $15 for the whole package all day. We probably ate the best barbeque chicken on the island there as well. So when you go, check out the barbeque chicken and ribs.<br><br>Tuesday, we went to Dawn's beach and enjoyed hanging out there as well. We were situated right in front of Mr. Busbee's restaurant, so getting a beer, pina colada and food was very easy. They had a special that day on Caribe, 75 cents each. Beach rentals were only $10 there and the view was incredible. The only drawback to Dawn's beach is that the fine sand would get everywhere because the beach is rather breezy.<br><br>Wednesday, we went to Pinel Island. Definitely a must for anyone visiting SXM. The water was calm and clear and it was just beautiful and peaceful. Great for snorkeling as well. We fed some tropical fishes there with some left over bread from our lunch and it was pretty cool to see them surrounding you and zipping by you. Highly recommend Pinel Island. Oh make sure you put on sunscreen here because there is no shade unless you rent beach chairs and an umbrella. We left Pinel Island and visited Marigot for a little shopping. We visited Vinissimo but didn't much do much shopping in Marigot.<br><br>Thursday, we did serious shopping in Phillipsburg even though we didn't intend to . Okay, if you want to avoid credit card debt avoid Phillipsburg because there are lots of bargains. If you want electronics and jewelry that's the place to go. Yes, we outspent at least 3 months of our paychecks but the bargains were too hard to resist. Here's some places for you to check out:<br><br>Oro Diamante for jewelry especially diamonds, ask for Sammy. He'll give you a good deal but definitely check with other shops.<br><br>Boolchands for camera and movado watches, ask for Raj. He's very personable and gave us an incredible deal on a Movado watch. We bought a watch with him that retailed for close to $2000, for a little over $1000. Make sure you only deal with authorized dealers for Movado and there only 3 on the entire island, including Switzerland and Little Europe. <br><br>Carribean Camera for cameras-- we got great deals there as well.<br><br>Friday, we went to St.Barts on a ferry and rented a jeep while there. Driving was a little difficult there because the road was curvy and steep but the drive offered great views of the island. We visited three beaches trying to find the perfect one. I don't know if I would want to stay a whole week on the island but it was still a nice visit. Hectic but worth it.<br><br>Saturday, it rained all day and we didn't get a chance to hang out on Orient Beach as we had planned . We left on Sunday and of course it was sunny and gorgeous. We stopped by Mullet Beach and was extremely sad that we didn't visit it much earlier on our trip. What a beautiful beach. For a non swimmer like myself, the beach was very calm and had very few waves but was hot, hot, hot. <br><br>I apologize for such a long trip report but the island definitely had lots to offer, the people were very friendly and we would definitely go back in a heart beat. Oh, We also got engaged while on the island during the lunar eclipse. So the island will always be rememorable for us. Oh, I almost forgot check out Johnny Under the Tree for barbeque and ribs. Good food at a cheap price. So enjoy your trip like we enjoyed ours. <br><br>I almost forgot.. We are still waiting for our Luggage from Philadelphia via USAirways. Avoid Philadelphia if possible. What a nightmare for all involved!!!! USAirways still can't locate our luggage, we've been given the run around and who knows when it will show up.