This is where immaculate villas overlook terraced rice paddies stretching into the distance. From the edge of private swimming pools, the pampered guests gaze at crystal-clear rivers and manicured gardens. At night the air comes alive with the sounds of frog calls, crickets chirping and the croaking of geckos. This is as close to paradise as one can find.

The rocker and the beauty may have set the trend back in 1990, but scores have followed and Bali is now the top wedding and honeymoon destination in Asia. Like Jagger, some get married at the spectacular inland resorts, with rain forests, waterfalls and volcanoes as their backdrop. Others do it seated on elephants or on board lavish yachts, but most opt for a traditional beach wedding.

The most recent celebrity wedding was in June, 2008, when Australian singer and actor Jason Donovan married his long-time partner, Angela Malloch, in Bali. The guests thought they'd flown in to toast the star on his 40th birthday, but instead a secret wedding had been planned. It is testimony to the island's allure that he had managed to persuade a large group of his jet-setting friends from around the globe to fly to Bali for what was to have been a simple birthday party.

I met the love of my life, Marion, at a pub in Kuta 10 years ago. I was on a backpacking trip from England to New Zealand, while she was on a two-week holiday from Melbourne in Australia. I was drinking in a small pub in Legian when I spotted her with a group of friends. I sidled over and offered her a drink, which she turned down. "Sorry, don't drink, mate," was her brusque reply. I was immediately intrigued by the short Aussie girl with the brightest blue eyes who "didn't drink".

The next day I saw her on Kuta Beach, where I was surfing. "Still not drinking?" I asked, and she shook her head, smiling. I sat down next to her...and the rest is history. When she left Bali, I followed her to Melbourne and spent two weeks with her and her family before returning to England. A few months later, she came over to London, found a job and we were married a year later.

We would have loved to get married in Bali. We always joked that we would marry on Kuta Beach, holding a surfboard. But when we did get married, we had just bought our first house and were cash-strapped. "We'll go there for our fifth anniversary," I promised her. It took a little longer than that, but we finally returned to Bali for our seventh anniversary. And we have been back every year since. I guess you could call us "Bali addicts".

It is hard to explain why Bali has such a hold on people. Many returning holidaymakers say they have tried other destinations, but always return to Bali. They miss the friendly people, the unspoilt beaches and the relaxed Bali 'vibe'. "Other places try to create a tropical paradise," a man from Montreal explained, "But Bali is the real thing, it's the original that everyone is trying to copy."

Bali had changed a great deal since our backpacker days. Kuta Beach is still a surfer's paradise and, on my first visit back, I even found the small guesthouse I had stayed in back then. But other areas, like Nusa Dua and Seminyak, have developed into really trendy, upmarket areas. On our flight from London recently, I read an interesting article about the superstars who had been spotted in Bali in recent times.

They included soccer star David Beckham, actor Mel Gibson, magician David Copperfield, superstar Claudia Schiffer, action star Jean-Claude Van Damme, singer Julian Lennon, the Duchess of York (Fergie), David Bowie and Sir Cliff Richard. That's an impressive list - and I am sure many more have passed through one of the island's luxurious resorts unannounced. These days all the top hotels have private beach villas, where you can hide away from prying eyes while still enjoying the magnificent beaches and scenery of Bali.

We have stayed at quite a few of the resorts. In Nusa Dua, where many of the large resorts are located, we had two wonderful holidays at the Grand Hyatt Bali. It is designed like a 'water palace' with lakes, landscaped gardens and six swimming pools. Of course, the service is stunning. We also like the Nikko Bali Resort in Nusa Dua, with its terrific cliffside view.

We have also spent time at Ubud, the artists' haven in the interior of the island. It's also home to some of the best restaurants and some lovely small villa-style hotels. Here we like the Waka Namya Resort, which has very comfortable villas surrounded by fragrant gardens and terraced rice fields.

Overall, though, our favourite resting place is the Hard Rock Hotel in Kuta. Everyone on Bali knows it because of its' signature signboard - a big neon-lit guitar. The hotel has a rock 'n roll theme, but it is extremely comfortable and our kids love it. We like the fun and relaxed vibe at this hotel, and the staff are among the best.

When people ask me about Bali and why it is so great, it’s difficult to put my finger on it. So, this normally ends up with me telling long storiesabout the adventures I have had there, and every time it brings a smile to my face. My wife and I have a standing joke about the night I had too much to drink and ended up sleeping in a cardboard box.

Marion and I always renew our love bonds when we are on the island, but I also make sure that I spend a lot of time with the children. I resist the temptation to lie on the beach all day, and we are always off doing one thing or another; paragliding, water jet-skiing, surfing, snorkelling or just building sand castles with them. On cloudy days we head off to climb one of the mountains or visit a small village. And almost every other day we all have a massage on the beach. Pure bliss. Pure Bali.