Question 1

How does TLAMA protect authentic experiences?

Accepted Answer

Most travel platforms share experiences with the entire world — a hidden gem gets written up, goes viral, and stops being hidden. TLAMA works differently. When a lama shares an experience with you, they're sharing it with you — one person, or a small group. Not the internet.

That means the best local spots, the off-menu dishes, the viewpoints only locals know about — they stay that way. They don't end up on a list. They don't get crowded out. The experience stays real because it was never meant to be mass-produced.

That's one of the most important differences between TLAMA and every other travel platform out there.

Question 2

How do I become a lama?

Accepted Answer

Sign up and complete your llama profile — including a short bio, your location, and the verification info we need to approve you. When writing your profile, focus less on who you are and more on what you've done. Not "I love the outdoors" — but "I've free-climbed El Capitan" or "I know every fishing spot within 50km that isn't on any map." That's what makes a traveller want to book you. Once your profile is submitted, a TLAMA admin reviews and approves it. After approval, your profile goes live and travellers can find, follow, and book you.

Question 3

Why not just use AI for travel planning?

Accepted Answer

AI is a great tool — but it only knows what's publicly written on the internet. The best local experiences aren't written about anywhere. They're passed between people, shown in person, and shared only by someone who chooses to share them. TLAMA connects you with exactly those people.

Question 4

How is pricing decided?

Accepted Answer

Pricing on TLAMA is based on the value you receive as a traveler — not on how long the lama spends helping you.

A local lama might use one hour to plan something that would have taken you five hours of research, wrong turns, and stressful guesswork. That's the value you're paying for: local knowledge, saved time, and a trip that just works.

Think of it less like hiring someone by the hour, and more like having a knowledgeable friend in your pocket — someone who already knows which train to take, which guesthouse to avoid, and which restaurant the guidebooks missed. That knowledge is nearly effortless for them to share, and genuinely valuable for you.

Lamas set their own prices based on the outcome they deliver, not the clock. As a traveler, you're not paying for WhatsApp messages — you're paying for a stress-free trip where the decisions are already made for you.

Question 5

How does TLAMA keep me safe as a traveller?

Accepted Answer

Your safety is built into the platform at every step. Payments are held in escrow so you're never out of pocket before the experience is done. All communication happens within TLAMA so there's a full record if anything goes wrong. And you — not the lama — control when the money moves.

Question 6

What is TLAMA?

Accepted Answer

TLAMA is a marketplace that connects travellers with local guides — called lamas. Instead of following generic tourist routes or AI-generated itineraries, you get real experiences curated by someone who actually lives there and knows the place inside out.

Question 7

How does payment work?

Accepted Answer

When you book, you pay the agreed amount upfront. TLAMA holds this in secure escrow — your lama doesn't receive anything until after the experience and you've approved the release. Here's how the split works:

• 90% goes to your lama
• 9% goes to running the TLAMA platform
• 1% goes to 1% for the Planet — on every booking, no exceptions

Question 8

When does my lama get paid?

Accepted Answer

Your lama gets paid only after you approve the experience. Once you give approval, the funds are released. This protects you as a traveller and motivates lamas to deliver the best possible experience.

Question 9

What is a lama?

Accepted Answer

A lama is a local guide on TLAMA. They're not professional tour operators — they're people who know their city, town, or region deeply and want to share it with curious travellers. A lama could be a local foodie, an outdoor enthusiast, a neighbourhood native, or anyone with genuine knowledge worth sharing.

Question 10

Can the price change during my trip?

Accepted Answer

The price you agree to upfront is fixed and held securely in escrow — it won't change without your explicit approval.

If your trip changes significantly — new destination, extended dates, a completely different plan — the right approach is simply to book a new trip for the new context. Each booking is its own agreement, with its own price, escrow, and review. This keeps things clean and transparent for both sides.

There's no concept of "2 more hours" on TLAMA, because lamas aren't selling time. They're selling availability and local knowledge for a trip. If the trip fundamentally changes, a new booking reflects that honestly.

Question 11

How are lamas verified?

Accepted Answer

Lamas go through a verification process before they can take bookings on TLAMA. Beyond that, the review system does a lot of the work — lamas with consistently great experiences build strong profiles over time. You can always check a lama's reviews and rating before booking.

Question 12

Who decides what gets shared — and with whom?

Accepted Answer

The lama does. There's no algorithm deciding what to promote or how to package local knowledge for maximum reach. A lama chooses what they share, who they share it with, and how. That's what makes the relationship between a traveller and a lama feel personal — because it is.

Question 13

Will my lama use AI? Is that a problem?

Accepted Answer

Probably — and that's fine. A lama with deep local knowledge using AI to write a clearer, more structured plan is a good thing. AI is a tool. The difference between a knowledgeable lama who uses AI and one who has no real knowledge and hides behind it is obvious — and your reviews will reflect exactly that. The knowledge has to be real. AI just helps communicate it.

Question 14

How do I get paid as a lama?

Accepted Answer

Once a traveller approves the experience, 90% of the agreed amount is released to you via Stripe. You keep almost all of what you earn — TLAMA takes 10% to keep the platform running, and 1% always goes to environmental causes.

Question 15

Can I set my own prices?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pricing is agreed directly between you and the traveller before booking. TLAMA doesn't set prices. You know what your time and knowledge is worth.

Question 16

What if I'm not satisfied with the experience?

Accepted Answer

If you don't approve the release of funds, a case is opened between you, your lama, and a TLAMA admin. The dispute is handled fairly over email — no automated decisions, no black boxes. Real problems get real attention.

Question 17

How should I price my services as a lama?

Accepted Answer

Don't price based on how long you spend — price based on what you're saving the traveler.

A traveler spending a week somewhere unfamiliar might burn five or more hours on research, make expensive mistakes, miss the best local spots, and carry stress throughout the trip. If you can prevent all of that with an hour of your time, your local knowledge is worth far more than your hourly effort suggests.

A good starting point: think about what a traveler would realistically spend in alternatives — bad hotels, tourist-trap restaurants, unnecessary taxis, agency tour fees — and price somewhere that reflects the value of avoiding all of that.

Price per trip, not per hour. Describe your offering in terms of outcome: what will the traveler have, know, or avoid because of you? That's what justifies your price, and that's what travelers are actually buying.

Question 18

What if something goes wrong during an experience?

Accepted Answer

If something goes wrong, don't approve the payment release. This opens a dispute case that a TLAMA admin will handle — fairly and personally, over email. We don't use automated decisions for disputes.

Question 19

How do I book an experience?

Accepted Answer

Browse available lamas and experiences, then reach out directly to agree on the details — what you'll do, when, and the price. Once you've agreed, you book and pay through TLAMA. Your payment is held securely in escrow until the experience is complete and you've approved it.

Question 20

How can I tell if a lama actually knows their stuff?

Accepted Answer

Check their reviews, read how they describe their experiences, and — most importantly — have a conversation with them before booking. Real local knowledge shows up in the details. A lama who truly knows a place will tell you things you've never seen in any travel guide. That's exactly the point of TLAMA.

Question 21

What if there's a dispute?

Accepted Answer

A TLAMA admin steps in as a neutral third party between you and the lama. Both sides get to share their story. We work toward a resolution that's fair for everyone — handled by a real person, over email.

Question 22

Is TLAMA available everywhere?

Accepted Answer

TLAMA is growing. Availability depends on where lamas are active. If your destination isn't covered yet, check back — or consider becoming a lama yourself if you have local knowledge worth sharing.

Question 23

What is 1% for the Planet?

Accepted Answer

1% for the Planet is a global network of businesses that commit 1% of their revenue to environmental causes. TLAMA is a member, which means 1% of every single booking goes directly to environmental nonprofits — automatically, every time. Travel and care for the planet aren't opposites.

Question 24

What if a traveller raises a dispute?

Accepted Answer

A case is opened and a TLAMA admin gets involved. You'll have full opportunity to share your side of the story. We handle all disputes fairly, over email, with a real person reviewing both sides — not an algorithm.

Question 25

Does TLAMA take a cut of what I earn?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but the split is designed to keep the vast majority with the lama. For every booking, 90% goes directly to the lama, 9% covers TLAMA's operations, and 1% goes to 1% for the Planet — a global network supporting environmental causes. The traveler pays the full agreed amount upfront; the lama receives their share when the traveler confirms the trip is complete.

Question 26

Is my personal and payment data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Payments are processed through Stripe, one of the world's most trusted payment platforms. TLAMA never stores your card details. All data is encrypted and handled in line with modern security standards.

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