The Kampong

We wanted to visit this park last Wednesday and there was a private event. They let us take a peek in there, but all I saw was a few houses and I was looking forward to see a beautiful park and botanical garden with flowers. I didn’t see/​find them. It was disappointing

Took my wife here for her birthday today. She liked it a lot.
Good stuff to see. Don’t miss down by the water. It’s breezy
and quiet. There are manatees in the river. I learned some things
about tropical plants and trees and also what a garuda is.
The website says open 9:30am — 4pm
Guided tours are only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Best time to get there is 10:45 for the 11am tours.
The tour and wandering the grounds after is about 2 hours total.
Afterward, we went north up to the marketplace in Miami (Exit 2a off I95) where all the new stores, restaurants and bay cruises are. We had lunch and went on the Island Queen cruise.
Great combination.

I visited the Kampong with my coworkers to learn more about the different species of plant life. It turned out to be a beautiful experience. Our tour guide was very educated on the history of the land, and walked us through the changes it has undergone over the years.
The kampong is absolutely stunning. I would definitely recommend having a picnic here with someone special, or bringing a mat & doing yoga in the midst of all the nature.

The place is kind’a hard to find with the gps but it’s worth a visit for sure, beautiful house decorated in Bali style and amazing gardens. There is an awesome view to the bay too from the backyard. I went there for a private event so I’m not sure how much it costs to go visit. Sorry :(

Had a Groupon deal, so I decided to head over. This place is along my biking route and seemingly 007 top secret: they’re only open by reservation Wednesdays and Saturdays. The foliage is beautiful and the house is decent. Nothing as impressive as Vizcaya or majestic as David Fairchild, but it’s worth a visit. Head over to Cocowalk for brunch and make a day of it.

This place is absolutely gorgeous. While I was at Fairchild Tropical Gardens I heard about The Kampong, so when a Living Social deal appeared I snapped it up. I ended up taking my abuela (you know how abuelas love plants), and we spent the afternoon roaming the grounds. First there was a guided tour, which took us from the street, through the gradens and the house, all the way back to the bay.
The tour was really interesting — but I tend to like that stuff. My grandmother loved seeing all the plants, and pointed out all of the ones that she recognized from her childhood in Cuba. I wish there had been an option to do the tour in Spanish, because I really think that would have blown abuela’s mind, but either way it was fun.
If you’ve never been, go and spend the afternoon. This is a small place, so bring your own food and snacks if you need them!

This place is fairly unknown to locals, which is a shame, as it is incredibly beautiful. I am glad I took advantage of a special LivingSocial offer that provided a guided tour but I actually stumbled upon The Kampong when reading a touristy brochure; otherwise, I probably would have never known about it. Ask many locals and even true Miami natives about it and chances are, they won’t even know what you’re talking about.
Most people who drive by probably think it’s a historic residence in the Gables, as there’s a rock wall that gives passersby no hint as to what lies inside. There’s so much to see here, that it will take hours to tour the entire grounds. I was privileged to have a guided tour narrated by Mr. David Jones, the horticulturist in charge of The Kampong. Not only was Mr. Jones very knowledgeable about the house and its history, but obviously, about the plants as well. He made the tour very interesting and it was fascinating to hear about all the plants. We even got to sample one of the fruits, which had a bit of a bitter parmesan cheese taste to it.
Little known fact: there is a celebrity tree, known as the Ylang Ylang, which is where Channel No. 5 is derived from. Other little known fact: there’s actually an amazing view and many people come here to have a picnic by the bay. The view is lovely, Biscayne Bay beyond the house. If you enter The Kampong, you’d never guess there’s such a lovely view, and you could even be forgiven for not known a house lies beyond the exotic gardens. If you pay for the membership, it automatically gives you access to the Hawai’i location.
Whether you go in the wet season or the dry season, you’re bound to find different plants, considering some flower in the wet season and some do in the dry season. If you plan to go, you need to make reservations. I suggest trying to get Mr. Jones as your guide, as he’s very knowledgeable and friendly.
PS: There’s a wedding tree in the back of the house. It is said that everyone that gets married under it has a successful marriage. The guide told us that one of the people who got married under it was on his third marriage and so far, so good, even though people thought it’d end the tree’s streak of happiness and luck if they allowed him to marry there. So there you go, a beautiful place to have a wedding and at the same time, have lady luck on your side for a happy, successful marriage!

nice big property with nice views of the ocean!
i really like the plumeria smell of the plants on the property.
kinda feels like hawai’i!

LOVED IT! So happy I purchased the Living Social for The Kampong. I had no idea this place even existed, but what a great surprise.
The Kampong is the former home of David Fairchild (famous horticulturist). Fairchild collected plants from all around the world making the Kampong the home to thousands of different plant specimens.
During the two hour tour you learn about a few different type of trees, plants, and fruits, walk around the grounds, visit the museum, and learn a little bit about Miami’s history. I would have to say that the most amazing tree was the banyan tree. So massive! Oh and the cactus tree by the pond was possibly the coolest tree I have ever seen! I want to get one for my own garden. The view is also amazing! The tour is only available Wednesday and Saturdays 10:30 am for when you are planning to go.
The only down I would say is that the tour guides didn’t seem very knowledgeable. I’m guessing they were volunteers.
Overall great experience and I would definitely recommend going!

Wow! I love The Kampong.
I drive past it all the time, and I’ve been meaning to go see it. It took a Living Social deal to get me off my butt and finally go.
This is the former home of David Fairchild, the renowned horticulturist. He collected plants from around the world and some of his original collections are still on the property.
The grounds are beautiful and on the tour, you’ll learn more about the different types of plants. I found this part interesting since I’m always trying to learn more about how to make things grow in South Florida. I have yet to find my green thumb.
The house is a unique blend of Art Deco with Asian influences. You don’t get to see much of the house — just the first floor. I loved the patio and they were setting up for a wedding while we were touring.
Which brings me to my next note — if you are looking for a great spot for a wedding — this is it! You can have your ceremony on the water and then have the reception up at the house. A perfect spot to get married. And from what I learned, it’s about half the price of Vizcaya. Score!
If you want to visit The Kampong, you must make reservations in advance and they only do tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Please go, I promise you’ll love it.
Final note: you will be walking through grass, mulch, sand, etc. If you don’t like your feet to get dirty, wear covered shoes.

A great way to spend a nice, quiet and relaxing day exploring nature! However, if you are a plant expert and looking to gain lots of knowledge and insight, this is probably not be the place for you. If you want to see a few plants/​trees/​fruits and learn a little bit about Miami’s history, then this is a nice little adventure to embark on. Remember to bring water and dress comfortably!

Espectacular!!!

One of my favorite places in the world. A great place to walk. You will love it.

A great venue for live music and concerts for families and grown-​ups!

Not many people know that the beautiful botanical garden, The Kampong, hosts wonderful concerts in its Shokman Education and Performance Pavilion. The tropical atmosphere, intimate setting, and great acoustics make The Kampong a hidden gem for music lovers. From live jazz to classical music, the great acoustics and lush surroundings are amazing, as is the quality of the artists who perform there. Truly the perfect way to spend the day with your family at a Kampong Kids concerts, or a memorable evening listening to fine music.
Don’t miss April 9^th., a day of opera: «An Excellent Opera Adventure for Kids at The Kampong «and «@ The Kampong: Opera in the Tropics» coming up next week-​end.
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I’m pretty sure that most people, even those who have lived here for a decent amount of time, have no idea that this place even exists. Driving to/​from the Grove on Douglas, there’s no hint of anything special, just a rock wall. One would be forgiven for thinking it’s yet another multmillionaire’s bayside compound.
So what is the Kampong? Well, it’s a pretty cool Asian-​inspired old house (David Fairchild’s old house, to be exact) situated on a bayside plot that Fairchild transformed into a very serene garden with an array of exotic greenery that you won’t find too many other places around here ouside of Fairchild Tropical Garden a few miles south. There are several exotic fruit trees and wildly colorful, interestingly-​shaped flowers, many of which, if ingested, would cause you to writhe around on the ground in nauseating torment by evil ancestral spirits three hundred thousand years old. So if you go, please try to avoid eating the datura flowers.
The Kampong’s gardens, though smaller than those found at Fairchild, are more manicured and have an even more serene, peaceful feel — so even if you’ve been to Fairchild, I would say that this little slice of serenity is still worth the trip. Self-​guided tours for adults are $ 15, guided tours for $ 20. The only catch is that you do have to make advance reservations in either case, so coming here requires a bit of planning.

The Kampong has a variety of trees and tropical plants: fruit trees; palms; flowering trees; ficus; aroids; bamboo. If you love tropical plants, and have already been to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, The Kampong might be a good place to spend an hour. It’s a small garden — not nearly as famous as Fairchild — but The Kampong can brag that it’s the only location outside of Hawaii that’s included in the National Tropical Botanical Garden (and if you really care about that, then you’re definitely a plant geek).
Advance reservations are required.