If you're mindful of your budget and don't mind spending more time on your travel, hopping on a bus a good way to get to Cherating Beach from KL. In the past, there have been a number of bus stations with regular bus services to the east coast. Now however, the best way to catch a bus to Cherating, Pahang is to start at TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan). For those unfamiliar with it, TBS is a central bus hub that is integrated with other public transport services. It's connected to the Bandar Tasik Selatan station which is a stop and interchange for the KTM Komuter, KTM ETS intercity rail, LRT, and KLIA Transit trains.
There are no direct buses from KL to Cherating Beach, so you have to purchase an express bus ticket from TBS to the Kemaman Express Bus Terminal (Hentian Bas Ekspress Kemaman), which is about 15 minutes away from Cherating Beach. From this terminal, you can then catch a taxi or an e-hailing ride to Cherating. Although the express bus travels from KL to Kemaman, some bus drivers will allow passengers to alight before the final stop, so you can try your luck and ask your driver to drop you off at Cherating instead. Keep in mind that this can be risky if you're unfamiliar with the area so avoid getting off the bus before the final stop especially if it's dark outside.
You can either purchase your bus ticket online at various travel booking sites or at the ticket counter at TBS. If you purchase online, you may need to exchange your online booking with a printed ticket at the counter, so make sure you read the instructions and fine print on your online booking closely.
