My mates and I went over on a 13 day surf trip to Salani Surf Resort. Easy 5 hr flight there and then about an hour drive by tour bus to the resort. Once we got there we were greeted by Jesse the manager and with his wife Em and little fella in toe, we were greeted with warm smiles and hospitality. Great little set up with compfy rooms, Good beds, Good big servings of food and cold beers after a long day surfing. The surf break out the front is Salani right and the more fickle Salani left. The right we surfed from 2 ft to 6 ft and didn't disappoint. On the days when the wind didn't favor Salani, the guys took us to other surf breaks around the island. There wasn't 1 day we didn't score waves. The surf guides were great, especially Junior who I think just woke up stoked everyday regardless of the waves. Between Jesse and the guides, they always did their best to put you in the right conditions. The breakfast was continental, the lunch was always plenty as was the dinner. A small bar and a good pool to laze around in between surfs. The rooms were cleaned daily but I would recommend you bringing your own pillow if you like sleeping on your own. Also the roosters and local dogs can be a bit noisy if your not used to it so some ear plugs are good too. Bring reef booties. You will need them, especially at low tide. Very humid and hot so bring a refillable water bottle as thete is filtered fresh cold water at the bar and plenty on zinc and sunscreen. It was an awesome surf trip and to be able to surf uncrowded waves with just you and your mates is pretty special. I would say it's more for surfers, but there were surfers with their wives/ girlfriends who didn't surf who still enjoyed themselves. Lot's of sightseeing on the lay days and the island is beautiful to drive around. Thanks to Jesse, Junior, Freddie and Nina and all the other people that made this trip so great. We will be back again. Yeeeweeeeee
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
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.
My husband (surfer) and I (non surfer) stayed here for 7 nights and we wished we could have stayed for longer. Within the first hour of our arrival it was clearly evident why Salani receives 5 star reviews. There is absolutely nothing about this resort we could fault. The food was delicious and plentiful, thank you to the ladies in the kitchen. We cannot speak highly enough about the surf guides Junior and Matt they were absolutely awesome and a such an asset to Salani. The resort itself is nice however it was the welcoming, friendship and service that we experienced from management and all of the staff (including Tippy the cat) that made our holiday truly special and we will definitely be returning in the near future. Hubby, the surfers perspective... From literally the minute we arrived they were jacking up a surf mish to the other side of the island. Jess the manager is such a gc along with the surf guides Junior and Matt nothing was a problem. We had the resort to ourselves and the last 3 days the surf was pumping out front. Head high glassy barrels all day. One thing I really loved here was they were so accommodating. We wanted to explore and experience the Samoan culture and they nailed it. From hunting for the rare palolo worms at 5am in the dark in the ocean, to the To Sua Trench and a kava ceremony with the surf guides on our balcony. From stunning beaches, amazing waterfalls and incredible ocean walks this place has it all.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Not the place for precious ladies, there's no beach out front or luxuries you'd get in a fancy...
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All the staff were very friendly, from the service staff in the kitchen, to the surf guides, the drivers and the manager Jess. The friendly atmosphere added to the exotic beauty of the surrounding landscape. The surf was fun and we always were able to find waves. Crystal clear warm water with no other surfers around. Took me a little while to get used to the reef breaks (coming from the Sunshine Coast of Australia) but after a few days it was fine. There was also the added bonus of fishing, snorkeling and visiting waterfalls and doing trips around the island. Temps were around the same as the Sunny Coast in summer but with a bit more humidity. The cabins were comfortable and air conditioned, so sleeping at night and taking afternoon siestas were enjoyable. The surf is more suitable to intermediate and above level surfers due to the reefs. I enjoyed my week there immensely and would thoroughly recommend visiting.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Get cash out at the airport, as there are no ATMs near the resort. Take a pair of the thongs/flip...
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.
Salani is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It's situated on a river basin where it opens to the Pacific. All eight fales are elevated with enormous decks and have ceiling fans and lights. There was a beautiful fresh tropical flower arrangement in the room and a pitcher of fresh water. Like the fales, the pillows, sheets and towels are really clean and mold free which is a huge treat in Samoa. My husband surfs and I don't so I was concerned about having enough to do while he was out with the guides. I really did. There were books, games, horseshoes, kayaks, and the fresh water spring (which the village women use for laundry so I did more dipping my feet than swimming in their laundry spring).
The food was delicious and included in the price, and the staff was very cool. We completely trusted the surf guides who took great care of us and we so enjoyed the company of the thoughtful and contentious staff and management. There is no surfing in the village on Sundays which may seem like a negative when your sitting at home reading this but after you've been out for a bunch of days is a welcome rest. Not to mention they offered a side surf trip if you were interested, but none of the guests took them up on it because they also offered a beach day at Lalomanu. We attended a church service in Salani Village (Ladies, make sure you have longer than knee length skirt and a top with sleeves. The congregation wears all white and ladies wear hats. You'll feel more comfortable in light colors. Bring your hand fan.) with Greg and we were so happy to get good cultural information from him. Jeff was a huge help too helping me plan our visit to Savai'i and letting us in on local custom and the like.
I can't recommend this place highly enough but please be aware that if you're looking for the Sandals/Club Med type experience this is not the place for you. The bathrooms are a short walk from the fales and the menu is fixed. The beach is a short paddle away, too.
But if you're a good surfer or traveling with one, this is absolutely the place to go. They have a really strong right break and a little bit more temperamental left break right in front of them. It's an excellent hollow wave and it's one of the best breaks on the island. There isn't any other place to stay as close and as well equipped to get to that great break. The guides are invaluable and will make sure you get in a ton of good rides on that break or another, if there is one they'll find it.
We loved our stay and hope you do too!
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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.
I am so excited to write this review for Salani Surf Resort!
Normally after a holiday, I catch myself dreaming of the trip once a week.
It's been 3 weeks, I literally dream about Salani Surf Resort every single night. In my dream, I go back and do everything I can to stay extra days there.
It was honestly one of the best holidays of my life and I didn't even surf.
FLIGHT FROM SYDNEY My partner David and I travelled from Sydney Australia on a Friday night around 9:00pm. After a short 5 hour flight, we landed in Samoa at approx 5am and David was surfing by 9:00am.
AIRPORT ARRIVAL Salani's driver was waiting for us with a lovely sign at the airport upon landing. Greeted us with cold waters and a gorgeous flower lei to wear around our necks. I was already in holiday spirit and excited even though we hadn't left the airport! The driver gave us fun local facts along our short drive to the resort.
Worth noting, Samoa airport is the easiest airport I've ever been to. Samoans are so lovely and the airport is quite boutique. No lines, we were in and out in 20 minutes or less including clearing customs, gathering our surfboard bag, and getting local currency.
RESORT ARRIVAL Upon arriving at the resort, Shannon greeted us and gave us an amazing welcome including describing what to expect day-to-day at the resort and how they could accommodate us. This was so refreshing, as normally we spend the first 2 days figuring the resort out when we travel to surf specialist resorts. We had an incredible breakfast on our table by 7:30am and David got 3 surfs in his first day! This is quite unusual in our experience with surf resorts.
SALANI SURFING There are 2 breaks in front of the resort, Salani Right and Salani Left. They are both a short 5 minute boat ride from the resort. More importantly, you can check the surf from the balcony of every single fale on site.
There are 3 boats at 3 boat/surf guides at Salani. This is awesome because you can choose when to surf and when to come in, based upon your own needs. If you feel like having a sleep in, no problem they'll take you out later. If you feel like doing a dawn session, they'll take you out at first light and bring you in whenever you get hungry. They have walkie talkies and can call boats to get you within 5 minutes. Most boat focussed surf resorts we've travelled to have limited boats and you have to go when the majority of the group wants to go, and you are stuck out in the water until the last surfer wants to come.
Worth noting, I don't surf too much these days and prefer to do surf photography. Salani were so accommodating to me as a non-surfer and always made sure I had the best focal point on the boat to take surf pictures. If it started to rain or I was ready to come in for whatever reason, the guides would bring me in. I encourage any surfer girlfriends/wives to visit Salani. It is amazing to be on a boat sitting a few metres from your partner surfing. You are so close, you literally feel like you are in the water next to them.
LOCAL SURFING If the swell, wind or tide aren't working at Salani - the team at the Resort will still find you waves. We went to 2 other breaks whilst at Salani. Both are a short 15-20 minute car ride from the resort. Driving around the island is absolutely beautiful, so the ride in itself is an experience not to be missed. The beaches the surf breaks were at are absolutely stunning! We had both the beach and the surf totally to ourselves. Salani is the place to stay if you are looking for uncrowded perfect waves!
EXPEDITIONS Salani went above and beyond the call of duty by planning multiple day trips to local waterfalls, swimming holes and stunning beaches. Most resorts we've stayed at say they will organise day trips to local attractions, but we've never actually had a resort plan one for us. Salani took us on 4 trips and organised them around times the surfers woudn't miss out on surf. So I was happy the non-surfer and my partner David was happy because he was getting to see super sweet waterfalls, make me happy and not miss out on waves!
FIA FIA On Saturday night, the local village of Salani put on a little festival celebration for the guest of the resort. There was live local music, dancing, fire throwing, and a kava ceremony. It was the most traditional experience of my life and we actually got to learn their dances! It was an incredible experience and I can't speak highly enough of Samoans. They are the most lovely people I've ever met in my life, genuine, caring, and trustworthy.
FOOD
Breakfast Fresh fruit, toasts and jams, fresh pastries items baked daily Also can order your own traditional breakfast items from pancakes, to breakfast burritos, to eggs and bacon Normally we miss out on breakfast at other surf resorts we've travelled to because my partner wanted to surf early and by the time he was done, breakfast was over. The lovely ladies at Salani have breakfast ready before first light! And they keep it going until late for anyone running late due to a sleep in or late surf!
Lunch & Dinner Communal style and Salani can accommodate any allergy needs Guest will hear a drum beat and the food is ready! For dinner we always had incredible fresh sashimi as an appetiser, followed by a lovely meal and delicious desert. Of course meals always worked around surfing times!
Worth noting, we caught 3 fish whilst at Salani and the wonderful chefs prepared them immediately for our lunch and dinner. It was incredible!
IN A NUTSHELL I can not recommend Salani enough! A truly once in a life time experience due to the incredible customer service and personal approach the team at Salani Surf Resort deliver. We will be back!
Lots of love to the team at Salani, Steph and Dave
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Date of stay: April 2015
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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.
We didn't score much surf, but still had a great holiday. The staff were awesome and Chris was very helpful in organizing a rental car for us and generally helping us with whatever we needed. We took our 3 year old son with us and although didn't do much surfing, had such a great family holiday it really didn't matter. I'll be back early in the year to maximize surfing. A big thank you for a great trip, a holiday is what you make it.
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Date of stay: June 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
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.
Now this is my 3rd time to Samoa and my partners second time. But our first time to Salani and we both were just blown away on how amazing this place is! Travelling to Samoa this time round we decided to just travel around the island and find accomadation as we go along, this is something i would highly reccommend to anyone going to Samoa (as long as you are not going in high season) and you have enough time to do so. We sort of just stopped in here and ended up up staying here for most of our trip! If anyone is ever wanting to go on a surf trip Salani is definitely the place you want to be! I surfed some of the best waves I ever had in Samoa! Not just that the boatmen, staff and managers/owners are so friendly and helpful! They set a great vibe within the Resort. I also never learnt so much about Samoa and the things to do without the advice I got from them. Even though they don't have a pool my partner (who doesn't surf) was taken out snorkeling and the Resort had a range of different activities for her to do while I surfed. I've been to many surf resorts before and was really impressed the way they have set this place up. The bungalows are very inviting and the food was great. Which is some thing I was really impressed with considering the last time we were in Samoa (good food is hard to find in Samoa). Even though rates are in Aussie $, for the price you pay this place has the best value for your money. I would highly recommend this place to everyone!
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Date of stay: December 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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.
This is a great spot for a boys surfing trip but as a nonsurfing females partner I found it lacking in service and attention. My partner really enjoyed his stay a Salanis and would like to go back but I would advise non-surfers to consider if it is worth the rate they charge for us. Going by their website I had the impression that there were lots of choices of activities while the rest of the guests surf - but the reality was that these only happen if they are not surfing and there may be additional charges involved. I was quite disappointed with this as if I wanted to sit around and wait for surf to be over I could have stayed anywhere!
The resort is lovely and well looked after and the rooms are basic. However when we were there the power went out a couple of times and there was no working generator so there were no showers, fans or cold drinks during these times - not quite what you expect for $295 usd per day. My other gripe is that a couple of the staff are obviously not used of dealing with female clients and lack finesse with dealing with women.
Those were the negatives of my stay at Salani's - there are also lots positives about the resort - the local staff are fantastic, the food was really good, the gardens and the river are beautiful and the surfing is well organised and the surf guides are keen to get guests out there.
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Date of stay: May 2009
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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.
ACCOMMODATION & PEOPLE Everyone at Salani is great - friendly and helpful. Local staff speak good enough English for most requests or information. The guest fales are great - air conditioning, fan, deck overlooking the river/Salani lefts, combined bathroom/toilet, clean and simple. The usual small hotel-style soap/shampoo/conditioner are supplied, and the water pressure in the shower was great. Towels are changed every few days, beds are tidied up every day. The beds were very comfortable! The rooms are very light (thin curtains), so bring an eye mask if you know that’s an issue for you. We didn’t have any noise issues, but always good to bring ear plugs just in case.
FOOD The food was great - great variety, decent serving sizes, hot chips were great (potato not taro or kasava), extras for dinner (shared entreés and desserts). We were very happy with the quality and variety. Breakfast is a small buffet with toast, cereal, muffins, fresh fruit, tea, coffee, with pancakes or eggs (on request only). We had one meal at the nearby Saletoga Resort - a buffet meal for WST$55 which was nice for a change, but the Salani meals were better in my opinion. If you’re out and about in the Salani van, ask to stop at a local shop (they’re dotted around everywhere) to buy yourself any snack food if that’s what you need for in between meals.
ALCOHOL If you do like your wine and spirits, make the most of your duty free allowances and BYO what you can (I believe there is a corkage fee, but a once-off for your stay). There are two main beers - Taula (nice soft lager) and Vailima (bit rougher)(both WST$8). Wine is WST$14/glass, drinkable but not great by the connoisseur’s palate. Spirits are $18/single shot, $20/double shot... you do the math! Soft drinks and bottled water also available. Our bar tab was just under WST$550 (two people, one a drinker, the other a light drinker) for the seven days.
FOR THE SURFER Salani Lefts weren’t running at all while we were here, due to a larger longer swell required to make it work. Salani Rights was a punchy pitching wave with a nice almond-shaped barrel. Works on all tides, but best with an offshore breeze and long period swell. 0.8m swell delivers a head high plus face with a barrel section on the take off. Junior (local surf guide) and Jeff (Aussie guide for our time there) will run you out in the boats whenever you want, and give advice if required (cost of boats included with resort package). It's great that they have two boats so you can come and go when you're ready. We had trips to three other beach breaks while we were there (because Salani too small or it was Sunday) - some fun but small, and the others not much good at all, but that’s always in the lap of the gods for timing with your holiday. Because of the lack of swell, no lefts were running at any of the breaks we went to.
SUNDAYS & when Salani’s not pumping As a Christian country, some villages forbid surfing on Sundays. Salani’s breaks fall under the rules of the associated village, but that’s not the case everywhere. We had a few days where the boys took us around, looking for other breaks that might be working, and it was great to see some more of the island and see how the locals live, and explore the other breaks. For this reason, flying in/out on a Sunday might be good if you don’t want to miss a good surf day because you’re tired from the flight (or leaving that day). Salani management take the time to ensure you get opportunities to find some surf, to help make it a good holiday.
NON-SURFING activities For the non surfers, a lay day, or just to break it up a little there’s some other activities to do. A swimming pool, table tennis, darts, Jenga, small library of assorted books, kayaks (double and singles), and SUPs are all available to guests. They also have a small selection of snorkeling gear, so if you’ve got your own, you will get a better fit if you’re a non-standard size. If you wish to snorkel that’s more likely on one of the “travellin’ around” days, rather than Salani. The river to the side of the resort is perfect for having a quiet tranquil commune with nature, with the kayaks or SUPs, with only a gentle outgoing current. Saletoga Resort down the road does massages and other spa treatments, for a little bit more than standard AU$ prices. Jesse the manager is happy to help arrange taxis, a visit to the To Sua Ocean Trench, and spa bookings. The island is beautiful and lush - we were visiting in the rainy season of course, but apparently it rains a lot regardless - and each village takes a lot of care with their roadside landscaping, and each house takes a lot of pride in their personal gardens.
TO SUA OCEAN TRENCH On one of the quiet afternoons, we had one of the village drivers and Jeff the surf guide take us to To Sua Ocean Trench - the beautiful sinkhole swimming pool, which was just magical. Entry fee is WST$20/person. For women, *please* observe the signs requesting no bikinis outside of the swimming hole area - if they’ve taken the time to put a sign up regarding cultural customs, then don’t ignore them. The ladder down to the trench is a lot more sturdy than a few years ago when it was just bamboo - now it’s solid timber slats, but you still need to keep a good grip on the moist and sandy rungs. Gorgeous spot and well worth the visit and the short climb.
TRAVELLING AROUND You can hire the two scooters (WST$35/day) and venture off on your own. You can hire a taxi to go somewhere in particular (eg WST$10/each way to get to the nearby Saletoga Resort for their 5-7pm Happy Hour). There seems to be no real speed limit, but beep when overtaking seems to be the norm. Some ‘off the beaten track’ roads are a bit rough and definitely unsealed, but the main ones are good enough. I’d say don’t drive at night - there’s lots of people, cows, dogs and pigs to watch out for, and street lighting is very minimal. We pretty much saw cops on the road every time we ventured out, but only once doing a (non-scientific) check for DUI and licence checks.
PACKING TIPS BYO your own water bottle so you can refill from the water bubbler in the dining fale. We lived in thongs, and even at the two other (more upmarket) resorts we visited, thongs were as dressy as it gets! Bring your own beach towel - if you use your fale bathroom towel, you’ll feel like it’s damp all the time. Bring at least two pairs of togs, rashies, board shorts, so you can alternate between damp and dry. Hanging things out to dry when it rains every night makes it a bit harder to dry things! Bring your mossie repellent and plenty of zinc/sunscreen of course. If you’re a fisherman, do bring your gear as you can try out the river and the sandbar at the river mouth, or get one of the boatmen to take you to outside the reef for better chances.
TECHNOLOGY If you need to keep contact with the outside world you can get SIMs at any of the little shops, and pay for a data package online (eg WST$50 for 15gb data), or Jesse will help you connect to the Salani wifi with an online-arranged Digicell data package (a few options available but I went for the seven days/WST$200, unlimited data, three devices (but could only get it working on two), enter credit card details online). Keep in mind that the internet is quite spotty - works well at the dining fale but can be a bit dodgier in your guest fale - and doesn’t work everywhere you go around the island. Pre-download any videos you might want to watch before you leave home. Or just enjoy being off the grid!
MONEY We changed money at the airport money changers (yes, open at 5.30am!) on the way in. There’s one before going through passport checks and one on the other side near baggage pickup. BUT arriving back at the airport to leave, there were no money changers open, on either side of the immigration checkpoint - so you may have to change your WST back at home. There’s ATMs in Apia apparently, but that might be a trek if you intended to stay local. We paid for our Saletoga dinner by credit card, but the bar tab in cash. Visits to village-owned roads or beaches cost a few tala (eg WST$10-20 tala), so if you’re venturing off on your own take some small notes to pay your way (payable to the person in the fale at the road entrance it seems). A side note here - as a heavily Christian-influenced culture, if you give money to locals (eg tips) they will mostly donate it directly to their church on Sunday... and the wealth and power of the church is *not* spread back to their people. Consider donating goods if you want to feel like you want to help.
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Date of stay: January 2019
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:The higher the number, the better the morning view of the lefts/rights out the front
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.
We just spent 2 weeks at the Salani Surf Resort in Samoa. The Resort is beautiful and the surf was great. There is a right and left break minutes away by boat, plus several other spots to surf within a short driving distance. The “all inclusive rate” includes airport transfers, meals, and transportation to the surf. Chris and Shannon Donato (Owners/Managers) have done an outstanding job rebuilding the resort after the tsunami of 2009. They are very friendly and hospitable. The rooms (double occupancy fale) are comfortable. The local staff is fantastic and the entire experience is one that should not be missed. The Resort limits the number of surfing guests to 12 which means you're usually out with your friends enjoying spectacular warm water waves. The food in the Resort is hearty. Buffet style meals are served three times a day and there is an additional "specialty" menu, if you prefer. There is also a full bar. So if want a relaxing surf experience we highly recommend the Salani Surf Resort.
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Date of stay: March 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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.
Hi Derek,
There are almost always waves to surf here in Samoa. At the moment the swell has been present at the North coast but north wind conditions have called for some fun glassy surf here at Salani. Don't worry one of our main objectives is to get the guests into the best surf possible each day. There are a hand full of guests coming in and out while you are here and a few days where at the moment looks like you'll be solo! We are so happy to hear you are stoked for your trip! We look forward to meeting you and making your Samoan adventure an epic one!
Best,
Drew and Nikki
There are more places to choose from in the Upolu area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
salani surf hotel upolu
LOCATION
SamoaUpolu
NUMBER OF ROOMS
13
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