Oak Alley and Laura Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans
4.5
Oak Alley and Laura Plantation Tour with Transportation from New Orleans
By Cajun Encounters Tour
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About
Tour both Oak Alley and Laura Plantation in one convenient, full-day tour from New Orleans, with transportation between the two. Stroll the plantations’ grounds with a group of like-minded travelers to gain a better understanding of this dark and difficult era of American history. You’ll learn about a woman-owned plantation, see 300-year-old oak trees, and hear about the enslaved people at the heart of the landmarks' stories.
from per adult
$111.13
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 33 per group
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Visit Oak Alley and Laura Plantations without renting a car
- Beat the Louisiana heat while riding in an air-conditioned minibus
- Learn about the history of plantations and slavery in the US from a guide
- Admission tickets to both plantations are included in this tour price
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Fuel surcharge
- Transportation from the French Quarter - meet at 9:30 am outside Homewood Suites French Quarter
- Driver/guide
- Entry/Admission - Laura Plantation: Louisiana's Creole Heritage Site
- Entry/Admission - Oak Alley Plantation
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Your Oak Alley Plantation and Laura Plantation tour from New Orleans starts in the morning, when you board a minibus in downtown New Orleans. Once aboard, get settled for a comfortable ride out of town. Your first stop is at Laura Plantation. You'll explore the 200-plus-year-old sugarcane plantation with your guide. Learn about what life was really like there, as well as about the woman who inspired its name. Get the opportunity to walk through the main house, and hear the stories of the enslaved people who were forced to labor on site. Next up is Oak Alley Plantation, which was built in 1839. Gaze on the Mississippi River as your guide tells stories from the plantation’s past, and reflect on this painful chapter of American history. Finally, after return transit to New Orleans, this tour concludes at the original departure point.
- Start:
- Homewood Suites by Hilton New Orleans French Quarter, 317 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USAPlease be outside of the Homewood Suites French Quarter at 317 N. Rampart St. at the beginning of the pickup window. Your shuttle departs promptly. Pickup begins at 9:30AM.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6953P6- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 33 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6953P6
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 317 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USAPlease be outside of the Homewood Suites French Quarter at 317 N. Rampart St. at the beginning of the pickup window. Your shuttle departs promptly. Pickup begins at 9:30AM.
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Curiosity055785810210 contributionsCaptain Jody is a hoot!Absolutely wonderful! Captain Jody was very knowledgeable and entertaining - he made the tour a delight! We saw loads of gators and raccoons and beautiful scenery of the swamp and the marsh and the flora and fauna that envelope this region. A beautiful part of the world!Written September 6, 2024
- nigeldoots0 contributionsGreat morning outGreat nature experience. The Guide Capt Jody was fun and informative. Lots of wildlife to see with many alligators. Great value.Written September 6, 2024
- jakizisha0 contributionsFunnnGreat time to see alligators, Captain Ben showed us all the hot spots for the alligators. He did great and we really enjoy seeing the big guy,elvisWritten September 6, 2024
- isabelw3960 contributionsFantastic experience with Cajun Encounters!Captain Neil was amazing! He was personable, funny and very engaged with the group. He knew where the alligators were and made sure that everyone had a chance to see them. He pointed out the wild boar, egrets, turtles and racoons, making sure we didnt miss anything. He told us the history about the areas we were in, along with information about what we were seeing. The swamp was almost mystical in some places. Beautiful and so serene. The driver (Andrea I think) that took us to and from was very courteous and provided a smooth and safe trip both ways. Thanks Cajun Encounters for an awesome experience!Written September 5, 2024
- Wanderer085380544820 contributions10/10 so much funCaptain Wil was amazing!! Had a marvellous time. Saw lots of alligators and saw raccoons for the first time ever! Captain Wil answered all questions with ease and blew us away with his knowledge (also dropped crazy lore about skydiving- what a guy!)Written September 5, 2024
- sydneym6110 contributionsSeptember 2024 SwampDustin was AMAZING! He did an excellent job of showing us as much as possible, pointing out critters we otherwise would not have seen etc. He was very friendly, funny, and knowledgeable.Written September 4, 2024
- I9182TValexb0 contributionsGreat tour with lots of local knowledge and history!Walking historic tour of the French Quarter was great! Our guide Robin was super knowledgeable and passionate about the tour and history of her city! Well worth the cost and a good way to learn some history of the city!Written September 3, 2024
- tarasF7650PD0 contributionsCajun Encounters Tour (Small Group) - The most amazing one of a kind experience!!!My partner and I did the small group swamp tour and had Neil as a tour guide. He was so knowledgeable and made the experience absolutely amazing. He was friendly and answered every question that we had. We saw so many alligators as well as other wildlife which Niel pointed out to us. I also felt very safe and comfortable in the boat. Overall an incredible experience that I would 100% do again and recommend to anyone wanting to book a tour.Written September 3, 2024
- madisonlF4340RP0 contributionsFun times, wildlife, and worth the drive!Views were great, lots of wildlife to see! Tour Gide did a great job with his history, fun facts, and a great experience overall. Would highly recommend and definitely come back!Written September 3, 2024
- Rachy48120 contributionsHighlight of tripThis tour was great! Really fun and the guide was very informative about the land and flora and fauna. We saw lots of gators, a couple pigs, egrets, herons and a special surprise! This was a highlight of our trip to New Orleans and well worth it.Written September 3, 2024
- 474anau0 contributionsAmazing experience Captain Neil 5 starsThe trip through the swamp with captain Neil was amazing! Apart from being very nice and funny he shared all his knowledge with us and that was amazing. We got to see a lot of wild life and it was very exciting.Written September 3, 2024
- 816kailin0 contributionsFantastic!Scott was our tour guide and he was absolutely fantastic! This tour was so informative and we had an amazing time!! We seen tons of alligators and wildlife! Thank you Cajun Encounters & Scott!Written September 3, 2024
- sharongG7159AW0 contributionsHighly Recommend! Great Tour!So informative and saw lots of gators! Our tour guide Dustin was awesome, he gave us so much info on the animals and location. So much beauty and lots of places to take great photos! Highly Recommend!Written September 3, 2024
- E2554RGhugom0 contributions10/10 tourCaptain Dustin was a great tour guide he was informative and made sure that we had time and went out to his way for us to take photos I highly recommend this tour guide especially with captain dustin I had such a great time I can not believe how much fun I had and how fun he made the tourWritten September 3, 2024
- smmabbas84780 contributionsWell worth it!Great experience! Not only was it fun it was also relaxing being out in the bayou. Our tour guide Steve (bus) and Capt. Everett (boat) were both entertaining and informative.Written September 2, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
164 reviews
Excellent
108
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34
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9
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3
W B
Waxhaw, NC6 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
The tour of the “big” house was mediocre. The historical details given by Charlotte outside the slave quarters was priceless. She was knowledgeable, eloquent and passionate about the history. This was indeed the highlight of the tour. Wish we had more time.
Written July 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sophie
8 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
Great tours, pretty plantations. However the trip takes all day (which I don’t mind). They wouldn’t give us extra time for lunch so we were very hungry. I didn’t eat breakfast prior to the trip so I went 7 hours in the heat without eating. It would be nice if the tour would stop at a restaurant without taking time out of the tour.
Written December 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your plantation tour. I am sorry to hear that you did not have enough time to eat at Oak Alley's restaurant, however the tour description on our website does state that the combo plantation tour does not provide the amount of time needed to sit and eat at the restaurant because of the tour durations at each plantation. The Oak Alley plantation tour by itself is the tour that provides the time for lunch at Oak Alley's restaurant. However, there is a gift shop and deli on site at Oak Alley for quick food or snack purchases. We apologize for any misunderstanding and hope you have a happy New Year!
Written December 30, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve D
Drexel Hill, PA15 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Cajun Encounters offers two options on this tour. You can do two plantations, Laura and Oak Alley, or skip Laura and spend more time at Oak Alley. In both cases, Cajun Encounters is really just providing the transportation. The tours are offered by the plantation staff. I recommend seeing both plantations, as they are very different. Laura's main house is much less grand, but the guided tour includes the grounds and is outstanding. Oak Alley's guided tour is a brief one of the main house. The rest of the experience is self guided. This is where Cajun Encounters falls short. Although their website says that return time to New Orleans is 5:00-5:30, they rushed us through Oak Alley and didn't give enough time to tour the grounds, because they wanted to ensure that we could beat rush hour traffic and get back to the city an hour ahead of schedule. Even an extra half hour at the plantation would have made the difference. On the other hand, if we had skipped Laura and had an extra 90 minutes at Oak Alley, I think we would have felt it was too long.
Written October 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FL_Sable
Florida893 contributions
I knew I was definitely planning to book a plantation tour during our trip to New Orleans. After researching several tour operators I decided on Cajun Encounters and was very pleased with my choice. The booking process online was very simple. They had several pick up locations and one was just a few blocks from our hotel.
Pick up was scheduled for between 9:30-10am. We arrived at our pick up spot at 9:15 and the driver Dwayne (D Thomas) was already there to great us, we turned out to be the first stop. The mini bus was clean and comfortable. It looked to seat about 29 (12 rows of 2 seats on each side of walking alley with a 5 across row in the rear), but there were only 9 people total on our tour, so we had plenty of space. The air conditioning was cold and powerful. The driver played a light pop radio station (seemed to be a mix of 80s-today, think Michael Jackson/Genesis to No Doubt/Taylor Swift), which was a good choice imo as the demographic of our group appeared to be 40s-60s.
Of the 9 of us, 5 of us were doing the combo Oak Alley and Laura Plantation, while the other 4 were on the Oak Alley full day tour. The 5 of us on the combo tour were dropped at Laura first. The driver confirmed we could leave some belongings (water bottles) at our seats. He then went to Oak Alley to drop the others and came back to Laura to pick us up later and bring us to Oak Alley.
At both stops he went to the ticket counter and arranged our entry. He informed us of when and where we would be picked back up. While there wasn’t a ton of highlights to see on the drive to the Plantation and back to New Orleans, he did come over the mini bus intercom to point out notable things like the Superdome, Lake Ponchartrain, etc. he was friendly, funny, and personable and willing to engage and answer questions, but he didn’t have some rehearsed schtick which I appreciated.
The plantation tours were very enjoyable and I am glad I selected the combo, as all day at Oak Alley would have been too long. In my initial research I had considered renting a car and traveling to the plantations on my own, but I am glad I did the tour with transportation. I would happily recommend this tour operator and our driver (D Thomas) and wouldn’t hesitate booking another tour with them.
Pick up was scheduled for between 9:30-10am. We arrived at our pick up spot at 9:15 and the driver Dwayne (D Thomas) was already there to great us, we turned out to be the first stop. The mini bus was clean and comfortable. It looked to seat about 29 (12 rows of 2 seats on each side of walking alley with a 5 across row in the rear), but there were only 9 people total on our tour, so we had plenty of space. The air conditioning was cold and powerful. The driver played a light pop radio station (seemed to be a mix of 80s-today, think Michael Jackson/Genesis to No Doubt/Taylor Swift), which was a good choice imo as the demographic of our group appeared to be 40s-60s.
Of the 9 of us, 5 of us were doing the combo Oak Alley and Laura Plantation, while the other 4 were on the Oak Alley full day tour. The 5 of us on the combo tour were dropped at Laura first. The driver confirmed we could leave some belongings (water bottles) at our seats. He then went to Oak Alley to drop the others and came back to Laura to pick us up later and bring us to Oak Alley.
At both stops he went to the ticket counter and arranged our entry. He informed us of when and where we would be picked back up. While there wasn’t a ton of highlights to see on the drive to the Plantation and back to New Orleans, he did come over the mini bus intercom to point out notable things like the Superdome, Lake Ponchartrain, etc. he was friendly, funny, and personable and willing to engage and answer questions, but he didn’t have some rehearsed schtick which I appreciated.
The plantation tours were very enjoyable and I am glad I selected the combo, as all day at Oak Alley would have been too long. In my initial research I had considered renting a car and traveling to the plantations on my own, but I am glad I did the tour with transportation. I would happily recommend this tour operator and our driver (D Thomas) and wouldn’t hesitate booking another tour with them.
Written June 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie L
Forest Hills, NY31 contributions
The shuttle bus arrived on time to pick us up. The driver Emicka did more than driving; she was professional, enthusiastic, funny, and shared some interesting information about New Orleans along the ride. The 2 plantation tours were lead by the plantation guides… one was adequate but the other was excellent! Emicka drove us back and gave good restaurant recommendations. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this company.
Written July 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael
Los Angeles, CA18 contributions
Jan 2023
What a wonderful tour! Emicka was our driver, and she was outstanding. Funny, smart, and entertaining. She went above and beyond what one would expect from a tour bus driver. She turned what I expected to be a rather long and tedious bus ride into something fun, and informative. Tour bus itself was punctual, safe, and pleasant.
We did the two plantation tour of the Laura and Oak Alley plantations. We were surprised at our reaction to them. They are two very different plantations, and offer two very different tours. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Laura plantation. Our guide, Pam, was outstanding. Her tour was a performance, and a good one at that. She gave us the complete narrative of life on the Laura plantation for both the owners and the slaves, as well as the behind the scenes drama. No detail was too scandalous to omit, and she provided a authentic and real context to what life was like on this plantation. We left this tour wanting to learn more. Needless to say, we felt so connected to this plantation, that we purchased the book written about it by Laura herself.
On the other hand, we left our tour of the Oak Alley plantation feeling empty. The tour of the house of this plantation provided little, if any, back story to what life was like back then. The main house itself is much more polished and sanitized compared to the Laura main structure. Which is great for pictures of a fantasy life on a plantation, but provided little to no context to what life was really like. For example, the relevant role that enslaved people played was basically skipped over during the tour of the main house, and segregated to a tour you could do on your own (although there was a separate guide available by the slave houses to answer questions, but no formal tour). One left this plantation with little to no knowledge of who developed and built it, and what their lives must have been like.
So if you are interested in learning about what life was really like on a plantation in the 18th & 19th centuries, I strongly suggest you visit the Laura plantation. But if you are just interested in the fantasy life of living on a plantation for your Instagram account, I think you will prefer the Oak Alley plantation. But whichever tour you decide, I suggest you book via Cajun Tours with Emicka!
We did the two plantation tour of the Laura and Oak Alley plantations. We were surprised at our reaction to them. They are two very different plantations, and offer two very different tours. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Laura plantation. Our guide, Pam, was outstanding. Her tour was a performance, and a good one at that. She gave us the complete narrative of life on the Laura plantation for both the owners and the slaves, as well as the behind the scenes drama. No detail was too scandalous to omit, and she provided a authentic and real context to what life was like on this plantation. We left this tour wanting to learn more. Needless to say, we felt so connected to this plantation, that we purchased the book written about it by Laura herself.
On the other hand, we left our tour of the Oak Alley plantation feeling empty. The tour of the house of this plantation provided little, if any, back story to what life was like back then. The main house itself is much more polished and sanitized compared to the Laura main structure. Which is great for pictures of a fantasy life on a plantation, but provided little to no context to what life was really like. For example, the relevant role that enslaved people played was basically skipped over during the tour of the main house, and segregated to a tour you could do on your own (although there was a separate guide available by the slave houses to answer questions, but no formal tour). One left this plantation with little to no knowledge of who developed and built it, and what their lives must have been like.
So if you are interested in learning about what life was really like on a plantation in the 18th & 19th centuries, I strongly suggest you visit the Laura plantation. But if you are just interested in the fantasy life of living on a plantation for your Instagram account, I think you will prefer the Oak Alley plantation. But whichever tour you decide, I suggest you book via Cajun Tours with Emicka!
Written January 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ANM1995
3 contributions
Nov 2022
This tour was great! Our driver Emicka was very knowledgeable about things we passed on the drive and passed this knowledge on in a fun and engaging way. I had originally only booked the Oak Alley Tour but there was the option to add the Laura Plantation tour on the day. I did this after advice from Emicka and was so glad that I did! It does make the Oak Alley tour a little more rushed but it was worth it to see the difference in the two plantations.
Written November 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CF--DH
Gold Coast, Australia91 contributions
Dec 2022
Renee was our driver. He was at the designated pickup area on time and very personable. We really enjoyed his witty, local commentary. First stop was the Laura plantation... certainly the highlight for us! Pam was our guide, and she was just awesome - a really good storyteller. It felt like she actually lived on the plantation through the 1800's! We learnt a lot and really connected with the property. Thanks Pam!
Oak Alley was really picturesque, but by comparison the tour of the main house was a bit lame. We were in a group of about 35, and the guide seemed to spend most of his time on crowd control. The "no pictures in the homestead" rule was disappointing.
Oak Alley was really picturesque, but by comparison the tour of the main house was a bit lame. We were in a group of about 35, and the guide seemed to spend most of his time on crowd control. The "no pictures in the homestead" rule was disappointing.
Written December 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tootsberry
Napier, New Zealand53 contributions
Booked and paid for tour but they failed to pick us up INstruction on where to locate the stop very vague which adds to stress level for visitors unable to locate street numbers on buildings. More info needed rather than just a street number. Very confusing in a busy city and trying to ask people for help. A shop or key reference point should be clearer ! There was a street parade which we suddenly realized might affect pick up point arrangements but we were not advised of any potential changes particularly when we booked thru our hotel the previous night.
While they tried to contact us at the the hotel we were already waiting as instructed at the designated stop. ( when we eventually found it after asking a number of locals where it was ) We have travelled from New Zealand and it was the one thing we planned to see as only here for three days.Cajun need to make allowances fir such events and be aware not everyone can access emails while walking the streets
Hugely disappointing as it was too late to reconnect elsewhere with your While they offered a refund in 7 - 10 days !!!! we felt they should have put us in a taxi to Plantation so we could continue with rest if tour
Recommend travelers to NO use sone of the smaller personalized tour operators than the big ones who don’t give a Damm as tourists won’t be back
While they tried to contact us at the the hotel we were already waiting as instructed at the designated stop. ( when we eventually found it after asking a number of locals where it was ) We have travelled from New Zealand and it was the one thing we planned to see as only here for three days.Cajun need to make allowances fir such events and be aware not everyone can access emails while walking the streets
Hugely disappointing as it was too late to reconnect elsewhere with your While they offered a refund in 7 - 10 days !!!! we felt they should have put us in a taxi to Plantation so we could continue with rest if tour
Recommend travelers to NO use sone of the smaller personalized tour operators than the big ones who don’t give a Damm as tourists won’t be back
Written November 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan206
Seattle, WA144 contributions
May 2024 • Family
An air-conditioned bus dropped us off first at the Laura plantation, then after a guided tour, we were taken to the Oak Alley site. In both places, the guides were knowledgeable about the history, not only of the plantation owners, but also the slave families who lived in primitive conditions near these luxurious houses. Several slave cabins are on view at both sites, along with their history. The Oak Alley gardens are beautiful, and time is allotted to check them out. Both plantations have gift shops and Oak Alley also has a small restaurant with yummy ice cream. In addition to an informative tour at each location, the bus trip provided a glimpse of more rural living outside of New Orleans proper.
Written May 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Most people complained not enough time to grab food. Will it be enough time to take pictures of Oak Alley ground? We plan to bring packed lunch with us to save time.
Written January 30, 2021
How long of a ride do you think it is from a pick up to the first stop? And following stops?
Written January 9, 2020
No it does not have a restroom on the bus.
Written February 12, 2020
how long is the visit in each plantation? is it enough time? do you get to visit the slave houses in both plantations?
Written July 1, 2019
Yes it was enough time and we saw slave quarters at both. Better done at Oak Alley I thought.
Written July 2, 2019
Can you visit Laura and or Oak plantion in your own car or do you have to take tour bus.
Is there more than one your time?
Written February 9, 2019
You can visit it on your own but cannot enter the house without a tour ticket.
Written February 11, 2019
I booked a tour for myself and I other to go to Oak Alley and Laura Plantations on Feb. 9th 2019 . By mistake I deleted the printed ticket on my email. How can I get the ticket again? Kathy Carr
Written October 28, 2018
Get back onto Trip Advisor your e ticket is still there. Have someone take a photo shot of it on their phone next time.
Written October 30, 2018
I believe that info is online...I went early which I recommend given the heat of the day gets worse....
Written August 30, 2018
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