MARRAKECH, MOROCCO: Population, 1.03 million

IT’S HELPFUL TO … speak French. Arabic is the No. 1 language, but virtually everyone speaks English, as well.

THE JEMAA EL-FNAA … is Africa’s busiest market, with millions venturing to see it each year. As the sun sets, grill smoke fills the air. Hawkers sharpen their knives and their tongues. Sit a spell in one of the music circles or for one of the mystical storytellers. This place has one foot in the modern world and one foot in the ancient. You’ll meet drugged-up cobras in baskets and chameleons in bamboo cages; rug sellers and bicycles, monkeys and gypsies. It’s chaotic. It’s touristed. It’s legendary. A golden Mecca for photographers. You might get dysentery if you eat the wrong piece of chicken here. You might have the best meal of your life. Who’s to say?

DON’T SKIP … A sidecar tour with Marrakech Insiders. The three-hour tour shows you the full city, from the oldest sections to the newest neighborhoods, via a vintage Russian-styled motorcycle sidecar. The guides are great, with historic facts and fun stories. Our guide Felix was originally from Dublin, but has been in Marrakech for 7 years. We even made it out to the Palm Grove, just outside of town, with a tasty, cold glass of Champagne at the close

THE PALM GROVE … is dying. This ancient, sprawling grove of 300-year-old Date Palms was once, quite literally, an oasis for travelers in the desert. It is fed by underground water supplies, but, with an influx of tourism and wealthy expats buying up kasbahs and riads to create palace-like gardens, the water table is depleted. This once fertile, green place is now sparse and potentially unsalvageable. It’s still incredible to see, and we ran into a pack of camels, napping in some shade.

LUNCH LIKE A LOCAL … at La Cuisine de Mona, in the new city section of town. Lebanese house specialities include an exceptional mixed grill platter, labne, hummus, baba ganouch and tabouli salad for affordable prices, in a petit restaurant with colorful walls.

GET A DAY PASS … to visit El Fenn. The hotel is owned by Richard Branson’s sister, and for $85, you get use of 3 swimming pools, a plant-based lunch, one cocktail and a 45-minute massage. To stay here would be divine. It would also be $360/night.

WE STAYED … at Riad Goloboy for $84/night. It looks much grander online than it is in reality, but it’s still quite lovely, with lots of artwork, from paintings to sculptures to small fountains. The beds are soft, the pillows are decent (as is the hot water), but for any kind of food, you have to order a day in advance. There’s no coffee service. If I came to Marrakech a second time, I’d try something new. My honest review of Goloboy is “sure, it’s okay.”