When most tourists land in Kuala Lumpur they usually arrive with the intention of sampling Malaysia’s delicious hawker foods and gazing up at the architecturally magnificent Petronas Towers. After a few days of exploring Kuala Lumpur’s highlights like the Batu Caves and Petaling Street, tourists often head to Langkawi or another island for some fun under the sun. Very few tourists, however, would consider surfing during their visit to peninsular Malaysia.
Surfing enthusiasts and those seeking lessons will be happy to hear that there is indeed a quiet surfing spot on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia that has nice waves from October until February. Cherating Beach is an ideal retreat for tourists and local Malaysians that want to relax in a laid back atmosphere.
During our recent trip to Cherating Beach we made an effort to find out the most up to date information about how to get from Kuala Lumpur to Cherating Surf Beach.
The Most Convenient Way
By Car
Naturally, the most convenient way to get from Kuala Lumpur to Cherating is by car. Renting a vehicle in Kuala Lumpur is relatively straightforward and it should cost you around 100 Malaysian Ringgits per day depending on your choice of vehicle. The drive should take anywhere from 3.5 hours (with no traffic and no stops) to 5 hours (with traffic and a stop or two). You may want to take a quick look at Kuantan along the way to Cherating.
The Cheapest Way
By Bus
During our trip to Cherating from Kuala Lumpur we decided to do it on a fairly strict budget. But, in the process we learnt from experience that there are benefits to doing your research beforehand. Since Cherating is a beachside town it does not have any major buses from Kuala Lumpur that terminate there, so you have to consider different options before you select the best route.
From Pekeliling Bus Station or Putra Bus Station
If you want to get to Cherating as quickly as possible via bus without seeing Kuantan along the way, then head to either Jalan Pekeliling where you will find Pekeliling Bus Terminal or to Chow Kit’s Putra Bus Terminal. Many bus companies make stops at both of these terminals to pick up passengers before they depart Kuala Lumpur. Look for a bus that goes to Kemaman. The buses heading for Kemaman will typically stop for a food break and then stop at Kuantan’s Express Bus Terminal for roughly 30 minutes before travelling further north. After the stop in Kuantan, be prepared to ask the bus driver to drop you off at Cherating Surf Beach along the way to Kemaman. It’s important that you ask the driver in advance because like I mentioned before, Cherating is a small beachside town along the highway. Once you get off the bus it’s only about a 5-10 minute walk to beachside accommodation choices. The bus company we travelled with is called Utama Ekspres.
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From Puduraya Bus Terminal (Pudu Sentral)
Another option to get to Cherating from Kuala Lumpur is to get a bus from Puduraya Bus Terminal to Kuantan and then connect up to Cherating. This was the route we took on our way to Cherating, but we would not recommend it unless you want to spend a few hours in Kuantan along the way. Before our trip we read that it was rather straightforward to arrive at Kuantan’s Express Terminal and then catch a “local bus” north to Cherating. This was not our experience. After we arrived at Kuantan’s Express Bus Terminal we asked all of the bus ticket agents for seats to Cherating and they all said that all of the buses were full. We later assumed that they didn’t want us to take up seats because most people would be travelling all the way up north to Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu.
We then decided to take a public bus from Gate #1 of Kuantan’s Express Bus Terminal to central Kuantan where we were told public buses would go to Cherating. This was not our experience either. All of the bus operators and everyone else we asked at the “local station” told us that there are no buses that go to Cherating from there.
Eventually, we made the decision to get a taxi from Kuantan to Cherating Beach which cost us 50 Malaysian Ringgits because we were tired of searching for the local bus.
To make a long story short here are our tips to get from Kuala Lumpur to Cherating:
- Originate at Pekeliling or Putra Bus Station in Kuala Lumpur
- Ask for a bus heading to Kemaman
- Remember to ask the driver to let you off at “Cherating Surf Beach” where the best range of hotels are located.
- Avoid connecting in Kuantan (unless you really want to see the city) because the local bus services are extremely unreliable to connect up to Cherating.
- On the way back either buy a ticket at your guesthouse/hotel or wave down one of the private buses heading back to Pekeliling or Putra Bus Terminal. We used Utama Ekspres on the way back to Kuala Lumpur from Cherating Beach. The photo below illustrates the pick-up point along the highway at Cherating to catch a bus back to Kuala Lumpur.
How to find the cheapest rooms near Cherating Beach?
We have travelled to Cherating on multiple occasions and there are three main sites that we have used for our bookings over the years: www.hotelscombined.com, www.agoda.com and www.booking.com. Of the three Agoda and Hotelscombined offer the best selection so they might be the best starting point.
Most of the accommodation choices around Cherating Beach are quite basic, so if you are looking for something relaxing and above average we would recommend Casa Titik. One of the best resorts in the area is Impiana Resort Cherating. Here are other top rated properties:
Top Rated Properties in Kuala Lumpur
Based on Verified Guest Reviews
Important: Mobile Users must swipe from left to right to see entire table.
| Star/Budget Range | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 1 | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agoda.com (Kuala Lumpur) | Booking.com (Kuala Lumpur) | ||
| 5 stars/Luxury | Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur – 9.1/10 | Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur – 9.2/10 | |
| 4stars/Comfort | The Journal Hotel Kuala Lumpur – 8.8/10) | Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral – 9.0/10 | |
| 3 stars/Mid-range | City Comfort Hotel Bukit Bintang – 8.6/10 | Flora by Crossroads Hotel – 8.3/10 | |
| 2 star/ Budget | 1000 Miles Hotel – 8.8/10 | B Lot Hotel – 8.6/10 | |
| 1 star/ Strict Budget | Backhome KL – 8.8/10 | The Explorers Guesthouse – 8.6/10 | |
| Compare all room prices in Kuala Lumpur using www.agoda.com | Compare All Room Prices in Kuala Lumpur using www.booking.com |
Top Rated Properties in Cherating
Based on Verified Guest Reviews
Important: Mobile Users must swipe from left to right to see entire table.
| Star/Budget Range | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 1 | Guest Rating: Hotel Provider 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agoda.com (Cherating) | Booking.com (Cherating) | ||
| 5 stars/Luxury | Eastern Pavillion Boutique Resort & Spa Cherating (7.0/10) | No 5-star Properties Listed | |
| 4stars/Comfort | Holiday Homes at Samsuria Resort (9.2/10) | Holiday Homes at Samurai Resort (9.0) | |
| 3 stars/Mid-range | Marygio Resort (9.3/10) | Residence Inn Cherating (7.4/10) | |
| 2 star/ Budget | Gili T Sugar Shack (9.1/10) | Eastana Cherating Beach Resort (5.8/10) | |
| 1 star/ Strict Budget | Gili Nyepi (9.2/10) | No 1-star Properties Listed | |
| Compare all room prices in Cherating using www.agoda.com | Compare all room prices in Cherating using www.booking.com |
Criteria:
- Properties rated based on ‘overall’ review scores from each respective website’s verified guests.
- Minimum of 50 verified guest reviews required to be considered eligible for comparison.
- All star ratings and verified guest review scores are tallied at the time of writing, and therefore, are subject to change.
Since Cherating is a pretty low key spot, you don’t want to be too far from the beach in order to have access to restaurants and tourist amenities. Safe travels!
If you have any questions about our trip to Cherating Beach from Kuala Lumpur please feel free to comment below.
Hi there..do cherating have the cheap guest house ? I’m planning to do a solo trip and looking down for cheap place to stay.thanks in advance buddy 😁
Please read the article as it is mentioned that we stayed at Payung’s guesthouse, which is cheap.
Hi do u know what the go is with travelling with surfboards 180cm in length thanks roy
You mean if you can bring it on the bus? I have not tried it yet but my best guess is that they will allow you. Just pay for additional seat for the board. If it is too long then they may be able to find a place for it on the bus. I think they will be more willing to accommodate if you pay an extra seat.
Great article, really helpfully. How much did the trip cost?
I am not sure about the actual cost of the bus ride, but it should be around 50 ringgit or less per person. The cost of the trip really depends on your choice of accommodation. When we there, we stayed at a guest house, so it was a fairly affordable weekend holiday. However, if you are traveling with a group and if you have a budget, I suggest you book a fairly decent resort. Cherating is a very quiet town with not much to do in the evening. You can spend as little as 100 USD for your trip for a couple of days or you can spend more really depending on what type of traveler/tourist you are…
Hi there!
Is it the same way to get back to KL? Is it easy?
Thank you!
Hi there… the information is at the end of the article. Some guesthouses sell tickets to private buses that head back to Pekeliling or Putra Bus Terminal. You can also head to the highway, and go to a waiting shed, and wait for the bus. We used Utama Ekspres on the way back to Kuala Lumpur from Cherating Beach. Ask your hotel or guesthouse, they can show where the waiting shed is.
we are a group of three friends (all boys) planning to go for a leisure trip for 4 days. Do you suggest that Cherating has much to offer? Kindly suggest.
How far is the walk from where the bus drops you to club med
Hi
Is there any indian restaurants available in cherating?????????
Hi, we did not notice any full Indian restaurants in Cherating, but perhaps if you drive into nearby towns, there will be mamaks
I had a spur of the moment decision just tonight to try to go to Cherating this weekend and your blog has been by far the most helpful and probably prevented what could have been a disaster for me. I plan on traveling solo and am considering staying in Payung as well. I am also planning on bringing along my longboard skateboard. Would you advise against it?
Hi Duane, you can definitely bring your own board if you have driving your own vehicle…
thanks for the information
You are welcome Eden…
Hi Paula, the whole trip should take roughly 5-6 hours, depending on traffic. Thanks
Hello, I would like to do this trip, can you tell me how long it was from KL to Cherating Beach. Thanks Paula
Hi Carina, during our visit we stayed at Payung Guesthouse. Impiana Cherating Resort is just a few kilometers north (just off of the main road servicing the area). It's hard to predict exactly where the pick up point for the bus will be to get back to Kuantan from your resort, but I would assume that it isn't far from the turn off into your resort. It's a pretty rural area, so I would suggest that you ask the resort staff and they should be able to show you exactly where you should be to be picked up. In some cases the bus might even be able to get waved down. We got picked up approximately 100 meters away from where Sungai Cherating (Cherating River) intersects with the main road (Labeled (3) or (AH18) on Agoda's map feature. Thanks for your question…..cheers
Hi. Thanks for the info. BTW, I would like to know is the pick up point near to Impiana Cherating Resort? Which resort you stayed previously? I would like to know the nearby landmark. Thank you 🙂
The info was clear and very2 helpful… Thanx
Hi! Thank you for the information. This was the most reliable info in the web so far. May i know where the exact location of the pick up point? any near landmark? I just saw a waiting shed at the pic. Any nearby resort on the pick up location? Thanks
Hi Maryjune, we sent you the reply to your email. kindly check thanks!
Thanks for the info..cheers
Just did this trip…very accurate information..thanks