MEET THE FOUNDER, DENIS PAGE

Denis Pagé aimed to create a travel design company combining the highest levels of service and accommodation with unique cultural experiences. Thus Si Fang was born. Pagé is a professional photographer and his artistic sensibilities and attention to details are apparent in every Si Fang trip. French Canadian by birth, Pagé studied archaeology and history, spending ten years working as a marine archaeologist and underwater photographer for the Canadian Government. Pagé excavated shipwrecks and managed dive sites from the Arctic to the Great Lakes and Antarctica. His assignments involved working with the Cousteau Society and his photographs were published in various publications including National Geographic, Time and Scientific American. “It was exciting but I was forever wet, diving deeper or dodging sea lions,” Pagé recalls. Moving to New Zealand’s stunning South Island, Pagé set up a company specializing in travel photography (www.denispage.com) and was later approached by boutique travel operator Butterfield & Robinson to work as a guide. “It was a relief to be back on dry land,” said Pagé. Over the following years, Pagé designed guided biking tours across the world and became the director for the company in New Zealand. He focused his expert sensibilities on Asia where he researched, managed and guided most of B&R’s Asian itineraries.

“Si Fang is the result of 15 years of planning and guiding trips for a luxury tour operator, but now I am no longer constrained by biking routes or accommodating people who join in on set itineraries and set dates. I can focus on what the ultimate experience is in each country and I can specifically design it for a particular group or couple,” says Si Fang founder.

Having guided over 130 trips and hundreds of travelers across the world, Pagé has learned that a successful trip is more than the sum of its parts. “The flow of a trip is so important! Adding one night in a resort can make a huge difference. We go over every step of each custom itinerary. And our best trips are the ones where a Si Fang guide is with the travelers, because the guide acts as part concierge and part architect, making sure all details are as planned but also orchestrating experiences that enhance the understanding of each country. So, yes, we make sure that the table booked at that restaurant is exactly the one we want because we have been there before, we ate there and we shook hands with the restaurant manager, and yes, we triple check that the massages are booked at 15:00, not 16:00. But we also arrange a private visit in an art gallery with the owner or surprise guests with inviting an historian or a journalist for dinner. We always think, how can we make each itinerary better?  ” 

Pagé is part technician and part magician. Si Fang is all passion!