Fiji vs Palau (help)

I seriously need some help here. I've been sitting on the fence about this for months now. I've had periods where I've been soildly Fiji and then periods where I'm definate about Palau. Not one decision seems to stick. So I've turned here for some swaying opinions.

What I'm looking for? Snorkling. What my common-law is looking for? Breezy hammock time.

Palau has the jellyfish lake and the kayaking. Fiji has some amazing looking beaches and what is described as the best snorkling on the planet.

We only have 2 weeks so I'd rather not travel around too much (which seems to be an issue in Fiji).

As far as budget goes I'm more lazy that I am cheep.

Is there anything that you all see that would sway me one way or the other. Anything?
I can;t decide!!

Haven't been to Fiji but Palau is tough re: accomodations (most aren't on even man made beaches), it has great snorkeling.

Where would you find breezy hammock time on Palau? I dunno (unless you kayak and take along your own hammock) ... have you looked at the Palau Pacific Resort - is that what you want? Haven't been to Carp Island Resort in the middle of the rock islands - is that what you want - for two weeks (read the reviews on tripadvisor)? Otherwise, mostly concrete - seriously.

Jellyfish lake and the kayaking were fabulous though.

Take a look at French Polynesia, consider the Tuamotus - perhaps Fakarava and Tikehau.

Having been to both I would go back to Palau in a heartbeat for the great snorkeling/kayaking. I don't recall seeing any hammocks at the Palau Pacific Resort but it would have everything else a person needs for vegging out, including some good snorkeling off the beach. If the price is too expensive you might consider what we did - we stayed at the Carolines Resort and took advantage of their exchange privileges at PPR - still a pricey for us but manageable. Snorkeling Jellyfish Lake, Mandarin Lake, the Big Drop Off etc., was just amazing for us. It is also expensive(we thought) to do the day trips out to the best snorkeling but definitely worthwhile.
We really enjoyed the snorkeling we did in Fiji(pre Palau) but can only talk about Octopus Resort,Waya Island, which was excellent. You could combine snorkeling and beach time here(with Hammock) quite well. I can also recommend Mana Island for snorkeling - the beaches here were better than Waya Island. We only did a day trip here but the Resort looked really nice and we would stay here if we were to go back to Fiji. Hope this helps!

Here are a few of general comments, which might help the thought processes.

Try not to compare Palau with Fiji in general. Fiji is a big place with a lot of variety. If you want to make comparisons, try to compare Palau with a small number of specific locations within Fiji.

This comment
>I'd rather not travel around too much (which seems to be an issue in Fiji)

suggests how the matter is unnecessarily confusing you. Fiji is big but this does NOT mean you have to travel around a lot. Travel is NOT an issue. It comes down to personal choice. It's is just as easy on Fiji to go to one spot and stay there. You're not obliged to travel around a lot.

I doubt "Fiji" has the best snorkeling on the planet. Some locations are better than others, and even the best on Fiji may not be the best on the planet. Personally, these sort of good, better, best comparisons never help me much. I've snorkeled at various locations and I had a good time. I stayed on Waya, had some bad luck with the weather, (murky water) but still spent hours in the water. As a comparison, some snorkelling around Taveuni was 'better'. But so what? Someone can tell me that the snorkeling is even better outside of Fiji. I believe them. But the bottom line is that I had a good enough time and enjoyed myself with my snorkeling on Fiji. That's all that interests me.

So I suppose it comes down to what your personal level of experience and demands are. I've had little experience with coral reefs, so anything looked good. If you are a connoisseur of the sport, you may have different demands.

My experience is that hammocks are an essential piece of furniture on Fiji, as common as tables.

My experience with travel in general: if you've not been to either Palau or Fiji, then flip a coin, then focus on having a good time with what you find. With this attitude you'll win, whatever the choice.

As the owner of a custom made Yucatecan silk hammock I can say with authority that hammocks throughout the South Pacific are thin on the ground/barely adequate and underappreciated.

Best you take your own.

They (hammocks) certainly occur frequently in Solomon Islands, but seem to be made from recycled sports or fishing nets.