When in Bali's Kintamani highland, take the roads less traveled, for this will let you see more than just the beauty of mountains and lakes. One road will lead you to the village of Sukawana, where you can meet with another kind of beauty: native Kintamani dogs.
A Kintamani dog statue atop a towering Balinese-style concrete monument in the middle of an intersection, which serves as the village gate, lets passersby know that the village is the place of origin of Bali's — or even Indonesia's — only official dog breed.
Looking something like a mix between a Siberian Samoyed and Alaskan malamute, Kintamanis have long hair, a broad face, a flat forehead and flat cheeks like Chinese dogs such as the chow. They can be found as pets in almost every home in Sukawana.