(CNN) -- Talk with two people who have been to Marrakech and you'll get very different views on what a trip there is like.





One person will speak of the allure of wandering through a warren of market streets; the other will complain of getting lost over and over again. One will tell you that people there are among the friendliest they've met, if you can meet them halfway on the language. The other will say that the locals are only out to make money and not even directions are free. The food is exotic yet easy on the palate, or restaurants serve up bland clichÃ©s that still manage to turn you inside out.





And they would both be correct. Bottom line: Marrakech is not for the timid traveler.





My wife and I visited last November. We had heard it had much of what we look for in a travel destination: Centuries of history coupled with a very modern vibe. The city has a European feel, from the brand-name stores to the widespread use of French as a second or third language.





The crowded souks and calls to prayer from the mosque minarets are what you would find at the heart of a Middle Eastern country. It is the outline of the High Atlas Mountains that reminds you that this is North Africa.





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The city's origins stretch back to the 11th century. Back then Marrakech was a key trading route with sub-Saharan cities. And like other hubs -- Bruges as a European port, Samarkand on the Silk Road -- Marrakech had its golden epoch before falling from favor. The result is that parts of the city within the rose-colored walls and imposing gates surrounding the medina, or Old City, have a sense of being frozen in time.





The massive Jemaa el Fna is likely to be the focal point of your time in Marrakech, both as a destination and as a much-needed reference point. It is one of Africa's largest squares, and as long as the city has existed it has been a place where storytellers, musicians, healers and just about everyone else has gathered.





During the day you can't walk through it without some snake charmer or henna tattoo artist offering to make your stay more memorable. At night, they push aside to make way for innumerable food stalls offering as genuine a selection of Moroccan cuisine as you'll find at any restaurant. Grills sizzle beneath tiny merguez sausages and fish and skewers of vegetables. For the more adventurous, there is boiled goat head or bowls of snails.





More than once we were brought food that we didn't order, like the deep red harira soup and a basket of bread, maybe some fresh olives. We paid for it anyway, and frankly, it was worth it. It exposed us to foods we may not have tried otherwise. Just plan on paying a bit more than you might have expected. Later, you'll walk it off as you wander amid the chaos, moving to incessant drum beats and chants, trying your best to take it all in.





Just north of the Jemaa el Fna you'll find the myriad alleyways of the Marrakech souk, or traditional market quarter. No map will help you navigate these passages; just accept that you are going to get lost and enjoy yourself along the way. While souvenir stalls are everywhere, you can still find shops selling items of remarkable craftsmanship that reflect local designs -- whether it is in the intricate patterns and colored glass of the hanging lamps, or leather goods from the tannery in another part of the city.





And trust me, the shop owners are always ready to make a deal. Make eye contact with a market trader, and before you know it you're haggling over the price of something that you may or may not need, but will provide a terrific story when you get back home. Nothing here has a set price, and shopkeepers can be aggressive when they think you are interested in something. But no trip to Marrakech would be complete without trying your hand at negotiating.





At some point you realize that the hardest thing
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